# Feature Request: HW Decoding w/out HW Encoding

**URL:** <https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-hw-decoding-w-out-hw-encoding/231082>\
**Category:** Feature Suggestions\
**Created:** [April 1, 2018, 11:39am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-hw-decoding-w-out-hw-encoding/231082 "2018-04-01T11:39:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![robbitop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b3f665/32.png) [@robbitop](https://forums.plex.tv/u/robbitop)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 11:39am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-hw-decoding-w-out-hw-encoding/231082/1 "2018-04-01T11:39:17Z")

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For highest quality CPU based encoding is a must. But GPU based decoding is not at a quality cost and is a lot more power/performance efficient than CPU based decoding.

As a result GPU based decoding is a no brainer and should have a decoupled setting/button in PMS settings. Or it could just be detected and if usable just be used. There is IMO no downside of GPU based decoding. Not only for hevc but also for older codecs (h264 etc). In any case it would reduce CPU load by a lot.

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**Author:** ![rover87](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/rover87/32/88250_2.png) [@rover87](https://forums.plex.tv/u/rover87)\
**Post date:** [July 31, 2018, 10:07am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/feature-request-hw-decoding-w-out-hw-encoding/231082/2 "2018-07-31T10:07:37Z")

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I just bought an i5-8400T for my new NAS and I’m really disappointed about HW transcoding of h265@10bit video files. It looks like rubbish on my brothers TV on maximum transcoding quality where software transcoding looks great. I really wish I could HW decode and SW encode, that would be the best of both worlds imo.