Play supported video files on iOS without transcoding

Feature Suggestions
1

Following this thread... https://forums.plex.tv/topic/96939-videostation-vs-plex/

 

A user suggested using VLCKit on the iOS app to support a behaviour similar to that of Synology's DS Video app, in which supported content (1080p H264 video) is played with subtitles and minimal CPU usage because no actual transcoding is required.

 

This would be a great to see in the Plex app and their wiki page (VLCKit) suggests the implementation to be relatively simple.

 

Thanks,

Hugo

 

2

This would be very beneficial for all people who use subtitles indeed (no transcoding, improved PQ), but I'm wondering if iOS still uses it's own hardware acceleration to play videos when using vlckit. I thought this was only possible using their own built-in player.

3

Plex has been pretty clear about only using the built-in player on the mobile platforms.

4

Plex has been pretty clear about only using the built-in player on the mobile platforms.

Yes, they have. But since this triggers transcoding in several situations where the device could easily handle it, it's one of the most common questions (and complaints) I get about iOS.

At any rate, if compelling arguments were used, I'm sure it'd be reconsidered. Here the choice wouldn't be switching players altogether but to use VLCKit when the streams are not supported natively.

The built-in player plain sucks any time you need to do subtitles so this would benefit enormously (being in Spain, all my users rely on subtitles, so half of the functions of Plex end up going out the window on iOS or Chromecast, as everything ends up transcoded which in turn raises a lot the bar on what's the minimum equipment PMS can be run on).

5

Here the choice wouldn't be switching players altogether but to use VLCKit when the streams are not supported natively.

^ this. :)

6

+1

I agree totally on this. I end up using DS Video from my DS214play instead when I want to watch something on my iPad which needs subtitles. The downside is that you have to manually download the subtitles from a website where Plex does this automatically.

7

early 2021 clean-up: implemented (supported in newer players)