Are there hardcoded limits for the auto quality setting?

[Neureka 16]

5 minutes ago, Gilgamesh_48 said:

too lazy or too stupid

I think good software design involves creating a UX that is easy to understand. The reality is the current way quality is managed can be done much better.

I don't think "too lazy or too stupid" is fair. A lot of people around me know less than I do. I don't look down at them in such a way. Many of them know more than I do in other areas of life.

[Gilgamesh_48 1240]

Just now, Neureka said:

I think good software design involves creating a UX that is easy to understand. The reality is the current way quality is managed can be done much better.

I don't think "too lazy or too stupid" is fair. A lot of people around me know less than I do. I don't look down at them in such a way. Many of them know more than I do in other areas of life.

If they cannot follow the instructions and they refuse to even try to understand the instruction then I call them stupid. If my 82 year old neighbor can do it then anybody with above a sixth grade education should find little trouble. It is the laziness that many, perhaps most, people use that prevent the understanding as the instructions for almost all aspects of are VERY easy to follow. 
I do NOT believe in kowtowing to the lowest common denominator. And I am uninterested in being "fair" about this kind of technology. People are 100% responsible for their own actions and, if setting up an Emby server is beyond them then they should not set one up or pay someone to do it for them. 

That is not to say that there is not some cause for keeping the documentation up to date better than Emby does but creating a whole other set of documentation is not the solution. All that would do is end up with two places that users have to go to to find the "how to." I don't have a solution but I know a second set of documentation is NOT a solution that has any merit.

Maybe Emby should just freeze their development where it is and spend all their time and effort perfecting the documentation. While that would mean that nothing new comes into Emby it is the only solution that gets the documentation current and keeps it that way.

Emby has a small staff, from what I have been told, and, since Emby adds stuff all the time, documentation tries hit a moving target.

One more thing: people that can't understand and follow the instructions should not set up their own server and just use things like Netflix instead.

[Lessaj 467]

1 hour ago, embylad892746 said:

- yes, playback settings really are burried where non-tech users will never see them

Where would you put it to make it more visible?

[Neureka 16]

39 minutes ago, Gilgamesh_48 said:

If my 82 year old neighbor can do it then anybody with above a sixth grade education should find little trouble.

I started programming when I was 14. I met 12 year olds that were exceptional programmers. I could make the same argument about software development, yet here we are with all of us using a web wrapper for ffmpeg. /s Your argument is weird. Better UX is better UX.

Edited May 15, 2025 by Neureka

[yocker 1247]

47 minutes ago, Gilgamesh_48 said:

If they cannot follow the instructions and they refuse to even try to understand the instruction then I call them stupid. If my 82 year old neighbor can do it then anybody with above a sixth grade education should find little trouble. It is the laziness that many, perhaps most, people use that prevent the understanding as the instructions for almost all aspects of are VERY easy to follow. 
I do NOT believe in kowtowing to the lowest common denominator. And I am uninterested in being "fair" about this kind of technology. People are 100% responsible for their own actions and, if setting up an Emby server is beyond them then they should not set one up or pay someone to do it for them. 

That is not to say that there is not some cause for keeping the documentation up to date better than Emby does but creating a whole other set of documentation is not the solution. All that would do is end up with two places that users have to go to to find the "how to." I don't have a solution but I know a second set of documentation is NOT a solution that has any merit.

Maybe Emby should just freeze their development where it is and spend all their time and effort perfecting the documentation. While that would mean that nothing new comes into Emby it is the only solution that gets the documentation current and keeps it that way.

Emby has a small staff, from what I have been told, and, since Emby adds stuff all the time, documentation tries hit a moving target.

One more thing: people that can't understand and follow the instructions should not set up their own server and just use things like Netflix instead.

Making things user friendly is not kowtowing to any one. It's making the product more accessible to every one.
Let's take the ever popular car argument.
Look at the first cars to ever be made, i would like to challenge any one to just sit in one and use it without mostly giving up.

 

 

20 minutes ago, Neureka said:

I started programming when I was 14. I met 12 year olds that were exceptional programmers. I could make the same argument about software development, yet here we are with all of us using a web wrapper for ffmpeg. /s Your argument is weird. Better UX is better UX.

I put it to you to make a plugin that detects when a transcode has started and make the server send a message to the user via the inbuild message system something like "Increasing quality will improve the viewing experience."

[Neureka 16]

2 minutes ago, yocker said:

I put it to you to make a plugin that detects when a transcode has started and make the server send a message to the user via the inbuild message system something like "Increasing quality will improve the viewing experience."

I thought I saw a way to send a message to a user watching a stream from within the admin dashboard. If there is an API endpoint for this, then it would be super easy to do. Then maybe just set a rate limit on it to not spam people every time they start a stream. I'll have to check the plugin API docs and see how they're built.

[TMCsw 248]

1 hour ago, Neureka said:

I think good software design involves creating a UX that is easy to understand.

Many, people can't or won't take the time to figure out how to use a cell phone  (talk/SMS?) no matter how simple it is. (for these people the only thing that would work for them (with emby) is a 100% continuously adaptive connection between the server and client (which would be fine if done like the big streamers do Via CDN's) but for emby servers would lead to delays/interruptions (while switching transcode setting or selecting a different stream) not to mention the other problems that have been highlighted in this and other threads).

So, how could emby make it easier?  (I'd say !COMPLEATY! remove Auto and Just show the current (emby chosen for the device/connection type) bit rate or user adjusted rate)(also get rid of the 480/720/1080/4k stuff having multiple bit rates for each confuses many).

[yocker 1247]

2 hours ago, Neureka said:

I thought I saw a way to send a message to a user watching a stream from within the admin dashboard. If there is an API endpoint for this, then it would be super easy to do. Then maybe just set a rate limit on it to not spam people every time they start a stream. I'll have to check the plugin API docs and see how they're built.

There is such an option in Emby yes but if there is an API i don't know.

Edit:
POST /Sessions/{SessionId}/Message
Parameters:
SessionId: The unique identifier for the client's session.
Text: The message content to be displayed.
Header (optional): A title for the message.
TimeoutMs (optional): Duration in milliseconds for which the message should be displayed. If omitted, the message will appear as a dialog requiring user acknowledgment.

No idea if that's useful.

Edited May 15, 2025 by yocker

[Neureka 16]

36 minutes ago, yocker said:

No idea if that's useful.

This looks like what I'd need. Not a bad idea for a plugin tbh.

[rbjtech 5284]

Personally - i think the fundamental issue is the type of information presented in the 'Quality' setting,

1080p - 60 Mbps
1080p - 50 Mbps
1080p - 40 Mbps
1080p - 30 Mbps
1080p - 25 Mbps
1080p - 20 Mbps
1080p - 15 Mbps
1080p - 10 Mbps
1080p - 8 Mbps
1080p - 6 Mbps
1080p - 5 Mbps
1080p - 4 Mbps
720p - 4 Mbps
720p - 3 Mbps
720p - 2 Mbps
720p - 1.5 Mbps
720p - 1 Mbps
480p - 1 Mbps
480p - 720 kbps
480p - 420 kbps
360p
240p
144p
Auto

What does this really mean to the average user ?

The answer is absolutely NOTHING 

To add - the user is not going to know how much bandwidth they have on a given remote connection - so even if they did decide to change it - it would be a pure guess at best.

It has been suggested before and to me makes it a much better UX if it simply said something like -

Best (May use significant data allowance on a cellular connection)
Better 
Good
Lowest (Use for poor reception cellular connection)

Best = Direct Play attempted

Better = 1080p @ 10Mbps

Good = 1080p @ 4Mbps

Lowest = 720p @ 1 Mbps

What's behind the settings can be changed by the Admin - so in a country where cell etc is strong, then they can be increased.

Also as has been said before - setting a default server side for the device and/or user would be an obvious advantage.

[yocker 1247]

1 hour ago, rbjtech said:

Personally - i think the fundamental issue is the type of information presented in the 'Quality' setting,

1080p - 60 Mbps
1080p - 50 Mbps
1080p - 40 Mbps
1080p - 30 Mbps
1080p - 25 Mbps
1080p - 20 Mbps
1080p - 15 Mbps
1080p - 10 Mbps
1080p - 8 Mbps
1080p - 6 Mbps
1080p - 5 Mbps
1080p - 4 Mbps
720p - 4 Mbps
720p - 3 Mbps
720p - 2 Mbps
720p - 1.5 Mbps
720p - 1 Mbps
480p - 1 Mbps
480p - 720 kbps
480p - 420 kbps
360p
240p
144p
Auto

What does this really mean to the average user ?

The answer is absolutely NOTHING 

To add - the user is not going to know how much bandwidth they have on a given remote connection - so even if they did decide to change it - it would be a pure guess at best.

It has been suggested before and to me makes it a much better UX if it simply said something like -

Best (May use significant data allowance on a cellular connection)
Better 
Good
Lowest (Use for poor reception cellular connection)

Best = Direct Play attempted

Better = 1080p @ 10Mbps

Good = 1080p @ 4Mbps

Lowest = 720p @ 1 Mbps

What's behind the settings can be changed by the Admin - so in a country where cell etc is strong, then they can be increased.

Also as has been said before - setting a default server side for the device and/or user would be an obvious advantage.

The users i've had problems with didn't even know about the settings.
Having them hidden behind a profile picture might not be the best place.

[yocker 1247]

17 hours ago, Neureka said:

This looks like what I'd need. Not a bad idea for a plugin tbh.

Threw this together.
Try it, if you like it then you can add more options and settings your self.
As it is it just sends a message to users when they transcode, the message can be changed in the settings.

Change it, release it, claim it as yours or what ever.. I don't care, just keep it open source please.

Edit:
Uploaded the wrong version, it kept spamming the message.
This one will fix it.

Transcodenotifier.zip

Edited May 15, 2025 by yocker

[Neureka 16]

1 hour ago, yocker said:

Threw this together.
Try it, if you like it then you can add more options and settings your self.
As it is it just sends a message to users when they transcode, the message can be changed in the settings.

Change it, release it, claim it as yours or what ever.. I don't care, just keep it open source please.

Edit:
Uploaded the wrong version, it kept spamming the message.
This one will fix it.

Transcodenotifier.zip 8.18 kB · 0 downloads

I'll take a look when I can. The most I'd do is add a sqlite database and add a setting for how often the message will be sent. If I do, I'll throw my changes back up here. You can throw it in a git repo if you want and I'll submit a PR when I get time.

Edited May 15, 2025 by Neureka

[yocker 1247]

4 hours ago, Neureka said:

I'll take a look when I can. The most I'd do is add a sqlite database and add a setting for how often the message will be sent. If I do, I'll throw my changes back up here. You can throw it in a git repo if you want and I'll submit a PR when I get time.

I made a Guthub for it:
TranscodeNotifier

But no need to summit to it, just make your own, i'm lazy as .... so might not get anything done to it.
So just make your own if you want.