Trans-coding, Why?

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Trans-coding, Why?

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177
NAS
DS1515+, DX213.
No, not some gender studies question!

I've often seen reviews of Synology products, slating them for their lack of Trans-coding abilities.

Why? Who needs it? Every, video capable, device I've got just plays the raw video file just fine. I've just pointed my phone at my NAS. With VLC player and viewed a selection of movies. .ts, .mkv, .mp4 and they all play just fine, in the highest resolution that my phone can display.

Am I missing something? Or am I being thick?
 
That's what I mean, everything I've tried just plays the file! But to listen to these reviewers you'd think it was mission critical functionality that is missing.
 
:) pretty much my feeling too. The only times I've used transcoding are:
  • to stream 320kbps AAC and ALAC when traveling and I got it to transcode in real time to low bit MP3.
  • offline transcoded some movies to take on a business trip.
  • inline transcoded an episode of Father Ted to introduce a friend who's lived under a rock, and to their holiday home's 3/4G connection.
Inline transcoding was useful but we'd have done something else if it wasn't there. For offline transcoding I'd've used Handbrake instead.

I suppose as media libraries grow over time then the likelihood is that formats will change. Add that media players will take time to adopt newer formats (or not). Also some people have a range of devices from huge screens to mobile phones and then only want to have the one high quality version in their library.

This is not me!
 
That's what I mean, everything I've tried just plays the file! But to listen to these reviewers you'd think it was mission critical functionality that is missing.
For cases such as watching an original 4K content away from "home". Lets say its a 50Mbit video file that you need to stream remotely. If your upload speed is not 50Mbit+ you are in trouble. That file will need to transcoded down to a smaller format (bitrate/resolution etc) in order to view it in real time. In that case your "server" side will need to do that. Welcome transcoding.

Another example is what was already said. If the client does not support the codec (audio or video) that the original file is based on, transcode will kick in to accommodate the client side need.

Now if you are open to using only file formats that work for you and your devices, sure, you don't need transcode features, but in most other cases, it will be needed.

Personally, I provide Plex remote streaming for a small number of users (less than 15). Some have the latest clients that support all the modern codecs some don't. That, in a combination with some modern content coming in modern formats, can cause differences in compatibility and need for transcoding.
 

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