# Transcode rates **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Tags:** server-windows, server-linux, server-synology\ **Created:** [October 27, 2026, 2:29am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcode-rates/945196 "2026-10-27T02:29:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JforrestJr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@JforrestJr](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JforrestJr)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 2:29am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcode-rates/945196/1 "2026-10-27T02:29:56Z")
Is there a way to change max transcode rates for video sizes? I would like to be able to lower the rates that are transcoded considering I only have a limited upload, example would be change 720 from 10 to 3, 1080 from 21 to 6, etc. I understand the quality and this is acceptable to me. ---
**Author:** ![tom80H](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/tom80h/32/19753_2.png) [@tom80H](https://forums.plex.tv/u/tom80H)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2026, 6:20am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcode-rates/945196/2 "2026-10-27T06:20:52Z")
Client apps can select playback quality in general (e.g. for remote/local scenarios) or individual items (during playback). As server owner, you can restrict the maximum allowed bitrate for remote connections in `Settings` \> `[Server Name]` \> `Remote Access` \> `Limit remote stream bitrate`. [https://support.plex.tv/articles/227715247-server-settings-bandwidth-and-transcoding-limits/](https://support.plex.tv/articles/227715247-server-settings-bandwidth-and-transcoding-limits/) ---
**Author:** ![JforrestJr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@JforrestJr](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JforrestJr)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2026, 1:21am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcode-rates/945196/3 "2026-10-28T01:21:35Z")
I’m already aware of this, but neither one of those do or accomplish what i’m looking for server side. Setting client app each time something is played is a hassle because you would have to know the video resolution, then set bitrate and then having my wife or children do that while away? thats like training a cat to use the toilet. Limit stream rate, limits all streams to a maximum bandwidth and doesnt change bitrates on video resolutions by default, possibly saturating the bandwidth when one child is watching something, and then the second would run into issues. ---
**Author:** ![tom80H](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/tom80h/32/19753_2.png) [@tom80H](https://forums.plex.tv/u/tom80H)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2026, 6:19am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcode-rates/945196/4 "2026-10-28T06:19:13Z")
> [@JforrestJr](#): > > Limit stream rate, limits all streams to a maximum bandwidth and doesnt change bitrates on video resolutions by default, possibly saturating the bandwidth when one child is watching something, and then the second would run into issues. `Limit remote stream bitrate` sets a maximum for individual streams (while `Internet upload speed` sets the total bandwidth your server will attempt to use). If you have a 10 Mbps upload bandwidth and set the per stream bitrate to a combination with 2 Mbps, that should result in 5 parallel streams (4 running comfortably, given the 10 Mbps is the max and actual numbers may be lower)y # I seem to miss the what’s going wrong for you (1 child streaming at a restricted bandwidth shouldn’t max out your connection). ---
**Author:** ![Divideby0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/74df32/32.png) [@Divideby0](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Divideby0)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2026, 3:36pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcode-rates/945196/5 "2026-10-28T15:36:20Z")
I wonder if the OP is asking for the TRANSCODE rate to be smaller than it currently is. So when the server does a transcode to 720p, they’d prefer it takes 3 mbps instead of 10, or whatever. Or perhaps they are asking about this menu: ![quality](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/c/e/9/ce90d6934a48d48c776d114ddc841fbf0919b3b8.png) ---
**Author:** ![JforrestJr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@JforrestJr](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JforrestJr)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 1:05am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcode-rates/945196/6 "2026-10-29T01:05:46Z")
A video of 720 seems to max out at 10mbps, and a 1080 seems to maxout at 21mbps while transcoding. Now if I have a 10mbps upload, I set the max rate at 10mbps. Thjat means if wife watches a 1080 thats being transcoded, it will take the max of 10mbps. Lets say child one starts a video (any size video), theres bandwidth issues, and even sometimes theres an error message about the server not being to transcode because of bandwidth. I WISH to see if there is a way to limit 720 on the server side to 2mbps and 1080 to lets say 4/5 mbps when transcoding. ---
**Author:** ![JforrestJr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@JforrestJr](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JforrestJr)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 1:06am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcode-rates/945196/7 "2026-10-29T01:06:45Z")
no, that menu is client side. as I stated earlier, “Setting client app each time something is played is a hassle because you would have to know the video resolution, then set bitrate and then having my wife or children do that while away? thats like training a cat to use the toilet.” ---
**Author:** ![Divideby0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/74df32/32.png) [@Divideby0](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Divideby0)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:07am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcode-rates/945196/8 "2026-10-29T02:07:00Z")
Thought so. It’s not quite possible to adjust the bitrate of transcodes. They are pre-set settings that allow most servers to be able to be able to do a transcode in real time without sucking up too much CPU power. There are some options you can do, such as enabling x.265 encoding server-side, which should allow higher resolutions for lower bitrates. That, combined with the server-side setting Tom told you about that lets you limit the PER-STREAM max bit-rate, should let you go further without sucking up your entire upload. I know, I used to have a ~10 mbps upload myself. You can set a server-wide max of 10, to ensure that whoever watches won’t get any buffering as it tries to send a 20 mbps file to a client. While you are in that menu, set a PER CLIENT limit of… 4 or 5 mbps. This will ensure that if your server does transcode, it will dynamically do the best quality it can do that falls within the per-client limit. Personally, I just get my media so they max out at ~3 mbps per file. If the only source is higher, I run it through handbrake so that it is a more manageable bit-rate. Maybe look into why a file is transcoding. If you get your media in x.264, with a basic audio codec like AAC or AC3, then no client will transcode, and you can get 1080p in sub-2 mbps bitrates. ---
**Author:** ![JforrestJr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/278dde/32.png) [@JforrestJr](https://forums.plex.tv/u/JforrestJr)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:38am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcode-rates/945196/9 "2026-10-29T02:38:30Z")
I thought about re-encoding, but that would diminish local quality, I could re-encode as a second version, lower quality, x264 but that will take up more drive space thats already limited. Dammed if you do, and Dammed if you dont. I found that a lot of Plex Pass users think everyone has a 2gb upload speed… ---
**Author:** ![tom80H](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/tom80h/32/19753_2.png) [@tom80H](https://forums.plex.tv/u/tom80H)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 6:12am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/transcode-rates/945196/10 "2026-10-29T06:12:00Z")
Why not using the existing `720p (3 Mbps)` tier? That’ll mean no 1080p output (unless the original is below the 3 Mbps limit)… but it should give you sufficient room.