# Don't allow transcoding for remote clients

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/dont-allow-transcoding-for-remote-clients/172430>\
**Category:** General Discussions\
**Created:** [December 22, 2016, 6:18am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/dont-allow-transcoding-for-remote-clients/172430 "2016-12-22T06:18:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Pil71](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/pil71/32/5116_2.png) [@Pil71](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Pil71)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 6:18am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/dont-allow-transcoding-for-remote-clients/172430/1 "2016-12-22T06:18:33Z")

</div>

Is there a way I can configure PMS (not the clients) to not allow any transcoding when remote clients stream from my ?

I’ve seen the quality setting on various clients eg direct play, 720kbps etc. What I don’t want to give clients the choice and force direct play for all ?

I’ve got a good broadband upload speed so can handle several direct play streams. More concerned of the power of my CPU to handle multiple transcodes.

Thx

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Achilles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/achilles/32/16864_2.png) [@Achilles](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Achilles)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 6:22am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/dont-allow-transcoding-for-remote-clients/172430/2 "2016-12-22T06:22:34Z")

</div>

Beside your bandwidth upload ceiling, direct play will only work if all clients are capable of all your content file containers/format, video/audio codecs and subtitles.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Pil71](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/pil71/32/5116_2.png) [@Pil71](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Pil71)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 6:53am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/dont-allow-transcoding-for-remote-clients/172430/3 "2016-12-22T06:53:25Z")

</div>

ok good point will consider that. So is there a setting/config to force direct play for all clients ?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Pil71](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/pil71/32/5116_2.png) [@Pil71](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Pil71)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 6:56am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/dont-allow-transcoding-for-remote-clients/172430/4 "2016-12-22T06:56:12Z")

</div>

On PMS, in the Server Settings - do the options on the Transcoder section relate to all transcoding activity ie syncing local copies, media optimizer AND on-the-fly transcoding while a client is streaming ?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Achilles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/achilles/32/16864_2.png) [@Achilles](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Achilles)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 6:59am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/dont-allow-transcoding-for-remote-clients/172430/5 "2016-12-22T06:59:00Z")

</div>

Unfortunately no. The only setting that may be of interest to you is setting the maximum number of simultaneous transcoded streams. Its minimum number is 1. The setting can be reached from Plex Web under Settings | Server | Transcoder at the bottom.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Pil71](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/pil71/32/5116_2.png) [@Pil71](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Pil71)\
**Post date:** [December 22, 2016, 7:18am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/dont-allow-transcoding-for-remote-clients/172430/6 "2016-12-22T07:18:27Z")

</div>

ok thx alot

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 7, 2020, 10:27pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/dont-allow-transcoding-for-remote-clients/172430/7 "2020-01-07T22:27:20Z")

</div>