diff --git a/src/core/config.rs b/src/core/config.rs
index fa5b873..fbb8a0b 100644
--- a/src/core/config.rs
+++ b/src/core/config.rs
@@ -7,9 +7,9 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub base_url: String,
     pub access_token: Option<String>,
     pub user_id: Option<String>,
+    pub transcode_mbps: f32,
 }
 
-
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub enum ConfigError {
     NotFound(PathBuf),
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ fn parse_config(s: &str) -> Result<Config, String> {
     let mut base_url: Option<String> = None;
     let mut access_token: Option<String> = None;
     let mut user_id: Option<String> = None;
+    let mut transcode_mbps: Option<f32> = None;
 
     for (i, line) in s.lines().enumerate() {
         let line = line.trim();
@@ -68,6 +69,12 @@ fn parse_config(s: &str) -> Result<Config, String> {
             "base_url" => base_url = Some(val),
             "access_token" => access_token = Some(val),
             "user_id" => user_id = Some(val),
+            "transcode_mbps" => {
+                // allow raw numbers or quoted numbers
+                if let Ok(n) = val.parse::<f32>() {
+                    transcode_mbps = Some(n);
+                }
+            }
             _ => {}
         }
     }
@@ -78,6 +85,7 @@ fn parse_config(s: &str) -> Result<Config, String> {
         base_url,
         access_token,
         user_id,
+        transcode_mbps: transcode_mbps.unwrap_or(5.0),
     })
 }
 
@@ -100,6 +108,8 @@ pub fn save_config(cfg: &Config) -> Result<(), ConfigError> {
         out.push_str(&format!("user_id = \"{}\"\n", u));
     }
 
+    out.push_str(&format!("transcode_mbps = {}\n", cfg.transcode_mbps));
+
     std::fs::write(path, out)?;
     Ok(())
 }
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 9ee9ca9..5902695 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ struct App {
     login_focus: LoginFocus,
     login_error: Option<String>,
     offline: bool,
+    transcoding: bool,
 
     search: Option<SearchState>,
     mpv: Option<MpvSession>,
@@ -271,6 +272,7 @@ impl Default for App {
             downloads_selected: 0,
             downloaded_ids: downloads::scan_downloaded_ids().unwrap_or_default(),
             last_download_message: None,
+            transcoding: false,
 
         }
     }
@@ -598,7 +600,23 @@ fn handle_key(app: &mut App, code: KeyCode) {
         }
         return;
     }
+    // Toggle transcoding (affects remote playback URL selection only).
+    if matches!(code, KeyCode::Char('t')) {
+        app.transcoding = !app.transcoding;
 
+        let mbps = app
+            .config
+            .as_ref()
+            .map(|c| c.transcode_mbps)
+            .unwrap_or(5.0);
+
+        app.status = if app.transcoding {
+            format!("transcoding: ON ({} Mbps)", mbps)
+        } else {
+            "transcoding: OFF".into()
+        };
+        return;
+    }
 
     // --------------------
     // Downloads Focus Modal
@@ -775,7 +793,7 @@ fn handle_key(app: &mut App, code: KeyCode) {
                 let url = if let Some(p) = maybe_path.or(local) {
                     p.to_string_lossy().to_string()
                 } else {
-                    build_jellyfin_play_url(&cfg, maybe_item_id.as_deref().unwrap())
+                    build_jellyfin_play_url(&cfg, maybe_item_id.as_deref().unwrap(), app.transcoding)
                 };
 
                 // If mpv running -> replace, else spawn
@@ -831,7 +849,7 @@ fn handle_key(app: &mut App, code: KeyCode) {
                         let url = if let Some(p) = local {
                             p.to_string_lossy().to_string()
                         } else {
-                            build_jellyfin_play_url(&cfg, &item_id)
+                            build_jellyfin_play_url(&cfg, &item_id, app.transcoding)
                         };
 
                         if let Some(mpv) = &app.mpv {
@@ -936,7 +954,7 @@ fn handle_key(app: &mut App, code: KeyCode) {
 
                 app.mpv_now_playing = Some(item_name);
 
-                let url = build_jellyfin_play_url(&cfg, &item_id);
+                let url = build_jellyfin_play_url(&cfg, &item_id, app.transcoding);
 
                 if let Some(mpv) = &app.mpv {
                     match mpv_cmd(&mpv.socket_path, &format!(r#"{{"command":["loadfile","{}","replace"]}}"#, url)) {
@@ -990,7 +1008,7 @@ fn handle_key(app: &mut App, code: KeyCode) {
                 app.autoplay_next_index = if selected + 1 < len { Some(selected + 1) } else { None };
                 app.autoplay_eof_latched = false;
 
-                let url = build_jellyfin_play_url(&cfg, &item_id);
+                let url = build_jellyfin_play_url(&cfg, &item_id, app.transcoding);
 
                 if let Some(mpv) = &app.mpv {
                     match mpv_cmd(&mpv.socket_path, &format!(r#"{{"command":["loadfile","{}","replace"]}}"#, url)) {
@@ -1836,8 +1854,20 @@ fn ui(frame: &mut Frame, app: &App) {
         .map(|c| c.base_url.as_str())
         .unwrap_or("-");
 
+    let mbps = app
+        .config
+        .as_ref()
+        .map(|c| c.transcode_mbps)
+        .unwrap_or(5.0);
+
+    let transcode_line = if app.transcoding {
+        format!("Transcoding On ({}Mbps)", mbps)
+    } else {
+        "Transcoding Off".to_string()
+    };
+
     let right_text = format!(
-        "{connected}\n\np/P:   play/autoplay
+        "{connected}\n{transcode_line}\np/P:   play/autoplay
 r/R:   resume/autoplay
 d:     download / cancel
 q:     quit
@@ -2480,7 +2510,7 @@ fn autoplay_tick(app: &mut App) {
                 let url = if let Some(p) = local {
                     p.to_string_lossy().to_string()
                 } else {
-                    build_jellyfin_play_url(&cfg, &next_id)
+                    build_jellyfin_play_url(&cfg, &next_id, app.transcoding)
                 };
 
                 if let Err(e) = mpv_load_url(&cfg, mpv, &url) {
@@ -3229,9 +3259,22 @@ fn clamp_mbps_to_bps(mbps: u32) -> u32 {
     mbps.saturating_mul(1_000_000) // Mb/s -> bits/s
 }
 
-fn build_jellyfin_play_url(cfg: &core::config::Config, item_id: &str) -> String {
+fn build_jellyfin_play_url(cfg: &core::config::Config, item_id: &str, transcoding_on: bool) -> String {
     let base = cfg.base_url.trim_end_matches('/');
-    format!("{}/Items/{}/Download", base, item_id)
+
+    // Transcoding OFF => keep existing behavior exactly.
+    if !transcoding_on {
+        return format!("{}/Items/{}/Download", base, item_id);
+    }
+
+    // Transcoding ON => use HLS "main" (does NOT require mediaSourceId)
+    // videoBitRate expects bits/sec, e.g. 5_000_000
+    let max_bps: u64 = (cfg.transcode_mbps.max(0.01) * 1_000_000.0) as u64;
+
+    format!(
+        "{}/Videos/{}/main.m3u8?videoBitRate={}&static=false",
+        base, item_id, max_bps
+    )
 }
 
 fn mpv_cmd_reply(socket: &PathBuf, cmd: &str) -> Result<Value, String> {