# Sync specific media version **URL:** \ **Category:** Feature Suggestions\ **Tags:** downloads\ **Created:** [December 26, 2018, 9:50am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795 "2018-12-26T09:50:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fmgda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@fmgda](https://forums.plex.tv/u/fmgda)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2018, 9:50am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/1 "2018-12-26T09:50:22Z")
Hello Plex team, It would be great if we could sync a specific version of a multi-version media file to the device. Is this a feature that could easily be implemented? With the growing presence of 4K versions, I believe more and more users follow the approach of having a second, lower quality, version of the movie available for remote playing. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts, Filipe ---
**Author:** ![mbc1984\_protonmail\_com](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/76d3ee/32.png) [@mbc1984\_protonmail\_com](https://forums.plex.tv/u/mbc1984_protonmail_com)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2019, 1:48am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/2 "2019-03-28T01:48:48Z")
Plex team, can we get a response to this question? I would like to be able to encode specific versions of videos to be synced and be able to choose the version on the device. As it stands: 1. Plex seems to automatically choose the source file for transcoding when syncing, and I’m not sure which it is 2. I cannot manually specify a particular version and have it directly synced. Plex seems to convert all videos, even ones which will direct play on the device. For me, improving this particular feature will be critical to me maintaining my Plex pass subsciprtions ---
**Author:** ![travtufts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@travtufts](https://forums.plex.tv/u/travtufts)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2019, 2:44pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/3 "2019-06-07T14:44:45Z")
I think as more and more of us being to add 4K content to our Plex libraries, this feature becomes more important. I don’t want to spend CPU energy and time trying to take a 4K HDR file and make it 4mbps 720p for mobile. For 4K movies I typically have a 720/1080 second copy for streaming remotely, where I can choose which version to watch. We just need that same ability when choosing which version to sync for offline use. ---
**Author:** ![VerminousCoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3ab097/32.png) [@VerminousCoot](https://forums.plex.tv/u/VerminousCoot)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2022, 6:56am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/4 "2022-02-20T06:56:59Z")
Anything on this yet? I still can’t download an existing smaller optimized version, choosing download starts downloading the original file. Sync was better. ---
**Author:** ![amateur\_wizard](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/amateur_wizard/32/122818_2.png) [@amateur\_wizard](https://forums.plex.tv/u/amateur_wizard)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2022, 3:00pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/5 "2022-03-20T15:00:04Z")
I’m not certain but it looks like when you press the Download button, it downloads all versions of the title to the device. I feel like at least for the films it should have a selection option. Seems important. I appreciate your work, keep it up. ---
**Author:** ![VerminousCoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3ab097/32.png) [@VerminousCoot](https://forums.plex.tv/u/VerminousCoot)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2022, 3:40am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/6 "2022-07-15T03:40:37Z")
Anything? ---
**Author:** ![FVierra27](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ac91a4/32.png) [@FVierra27](https://forums.plex.tv/u/FVierra27)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2022, 5:45pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/7 "2022-10-14T17:45:08Z")
We need to be able to download optimized version’s. Android and iOS. ---
**Author:** ![suchstream](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/suchstream/32/292256_2.png) [@suchstream](https://forums.plex.tv/u/suchstream)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2022, 5:47am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/8 "2022-11-12T05:47:21Z")
Strongly seconded. I’ve put so much effort into creating transparently transcoded, as-small-as-possible 10-bit HEVC versions of my favorite shows and movies that I want to be able to download those versions to mobile while still defaulting to the original, lossless versions for home theater viewing. ---
**Author:** ![VerminousCoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/3ab097/32.png) [@VerminousCoot](https://forums.plex.tv/u/VerminousCoot)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2023, 2:38pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/9 "2023-02-28T14:38:54Z")
hello? ---
**Author:** ![fmgda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@fmgda](https://forums.plex.tv/u/fmgda)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2023, 9:08am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/10 "2023-04-08T09:08:06Z")
After more than 4 years, this is becoming more and more annoying. Can we get an update? With new video and audio formats being added to Plex libraries and the in-house default “download” transcoder not managing to work properly with the highest quality (think Dolby Vision e.g.) we’re basically doomed to have multiple libraries to separate the files… Seems much easier to add a “Download Version” and allow users to select the version they want to transcode / download. ---
**Author:** ![Magic815](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Magic815](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Magic815)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2024, 6:25pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/11 "2024-02-28T18:25:34Z")
This is still needed, 5 years after this suggestion was originally made. Plex does not always choose the “smart” source file to download from, so it is important for the user to be able to select the version copy they want. I’m seeing 4K HDR copies manually one-off transcoded to a 1080p copy for download, when a 1080p copy already exists as a separate version in that library item. That is highly wasteful of the server’s resources. ---
**Author:** ![george\_d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/eada6e/32.png) [@george\_d](https://forums.plex.tv/u/george_d)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2019, 2:17am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/12 "2019-05-16T02:17:15Z")
Can we please get a feature where Download function in iOS apps would offer already optimized versions for download, in addition to downloading a custom settings version? Many of us Optimize media on the Plex server for downloading, and while we can try to Download the same settings’ version in hope that it will use the Optimized version (which doesn’t mostly work), it would be great if we could choose to download already Optimized version. It just makes sense. Thanks. - George ---
**Author:** ![sflanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90db22/32.png) [@sflanders](https://forums.plex.tv/u/sflanders)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2022, 1:16am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/13 "2022-01-10T01:16:30Z")
On android we have Play Version where you can select a different resolution of video file… we need to this option as well for downloading a file ---
**Author:** ![stromdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/stromdriver/32/327435_2.png) [@stromdriver](https://forums.plex.tv/u/stromdriver)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/14 "2025-05-04T17:57:50Z")
5 years later and this still doesn’t work? the ‘quality’ settings on download options does nothing and the download function makes files bigger, example: 7.2gb 4k movie on my server, use download function in plex android app for kids tablet with quality set to ‘high’, it downloads, movie is now 7.7gb ಠ\_ಠ remove download, change download settings in their app to ‘medium’ quality, download again, and it’s 7.7gb again, still 4k and .5gb bigger than the source (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━━━┻ ---
**Author:** ![shondreas](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/shondreas/32/260048_2.png) [@shondreas](https://forums.plex.tv/u/shondreas)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2025, 12:46pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/15 "2025-05-25T12:46:33Z")
You need to make sure in Transcoder, under Settings in Plex Web (or through the Dash App) go to “Background transcoding x264 preset” and make sure it is set to “Very Slow”. This will give you a higher quality, but smaller file. Also, if you Optimize a file you can download that optimized version. In the app you want to download it to go to Settings, then Downloads. Make sure the " Quality" is set to your optimized version. For example I Optimised for Mobile a Bluray Remux file. Then I changed the settings in the app like I mentioned above. Then it downloaded that optimised file. I only know it happened because in the Dash app I did not see my CPU usage go up at all while it was downloading. ---
**Author:** ![stromdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/stromdriver/32/327435_2.png) [@stromdriver](https://forums.plex.tv/u/stromdriver)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2025, 4:17am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/16 "2025-06-02T04:17:54Z")
i’ll look at that, but that’s just dumb if plex makes us create an optimized verison of a file we already have and take up more disc space just to download (and ideally optimize at the time) a verison for the remote device ---
**Author:** ![Meland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meland](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Meland)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 8:31pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/17 "2026-05-07T20:31:18Z")
Please make this happen! I dont want to download the 4k version of a video to my phone, i want to be able to select the 720p version for my phone thats already on the server. I dont want plex to transcode a new 720p file. Great work on all the other stuff! ---
**Author:** ![Meland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meland](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Meland)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/18 "2026-05-07T20:35:53Z")
Nope i have testesd this, it wants to transcode a new file. ---
**Author:** ![MadBadCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/22d042/32.png) [@MadBadCat](https://forums.plex.tv/u/MadBadCat)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2026, 4:31pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/19 "2026-05-08T16:31:09Z")
This is the required behaviour in pseudo-code, unambiguous and user friendly. ```java public void handleDownloadRequest(FileContext request) { // What quality does user want? prefferedQuality = user.defaults(PREFFERED_QUALITY); // Do we already have it? If yes, let’s ask if they want to use it instead if(library.containsSimilarQuality(request, requestedQuality) { selectedQuality=user.selectFrom(library.existingSimilarQualities(request)) } else { selectedQuality=prefferedQuality; } // We either download what user selected directly, or Plex will transcode first -we leave that to the server to figure out. download(request, selectedQuality); } ``` I mean, this is what everyone else is saying already but perhaps writing it in pseudo-code will speak more to my fellow engineers? Of course this depends on comparable quality/versions but I feel that’s doable, or refactored easily. Hire me or someone as part-timer for 1 week? 😛 I know Plex is more than qualified to improve this, so I’m assuming this is more of a “backlog” hell, product is not prioritizing it over other more $$$ features. ---
**Author:** ![jace992](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/jace992/32/228744_2.png) [@jace992](https://forums.plex.tv/u/jace992)\ **Post date:** [July 4, 2026, 12:57am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/sync-specific-media-version/352795/20 "2026-07-04T00:57:17Z")
It’s sad that after 7 1/2 years, this is still not an option. Seeing as the new Plex app doesn’t download like the old one did, I now can’t load certain files to my iPad Pro without it failing when I have another compatible one right there to use…