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Can I stream in 4K?
Can I stream in 4K?

Can I watch my videos without transcoding?

Zeynep Yazici avatar
Written by Zeynep Yazici
Updated over 4 months ago

It's definitely something we want to support, but sadly, we're not there yet. :(
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We convert videos into 1080p MP4 files to be able to stream them across different platforms with different requirements. During this process, we also downmix the audio to 2-channel stereo as we can't carry the 5.1 audio into the MP4s while converting.

For now, it's not possible to stream 4K videos (with 5.1 surround sound) directly on put.io without transcoding them.

But fret not. There are still many ways to stream your files without conversion.

VLC on Apple TV and iOS

Through our tvOS and iOS apps, you can easily stream your videos without transcoding if you have VLC player installed.

👉 On our Apple TV app, click and hold on the file, and use the Open with VLC option.

👉 On our iOS app, swipe left a video file and tap More. Then you should see a Play original in VLC button.

Infuse on Apple TV and iOS

You can connect your put.io account to Infuse using WebDAV. This way, you can stream all your videos in their original file format without needing conversion. Here is more info on WebDAV connections.

Chromecast Ultra

If you have a Chromecast Ultra, you can stream your videos with the Cast Original option you'll see while casting. This option may not always appear but you should see it if the original file is an MP4 or WEBM. For mkv files, you'll be casting the converted version (1080p).

Kodi on Android TV

If you’re using an Android TV, you can use Kodi to stream your put.io files on your TV without transcoding. It's available on the Google Play Store for Android TVs. Here's how to link your put.io account to Kodi.

Plex

This one requires a certain degree of tech-saviness but the resulting experience is worth it. You can use rclone to get your put.io files into Plex. This will allow you to stream your 4K videos on Plex without going through conversion. Plex is available on most major smart TV platforms. Here is how to set up a Plex connection using rclone.

And finally, as a last resort, you can just download the original file to your device to watch it without conversion. ✌️
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