diff --git a/resources/language/English/strings.xml b/resources/language/English/strings.xml
index 990356ac..f4d776b5 100644
--- a/resources/language/English/strings.xml
+++ b/resources/language/English/strings.xml
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@
     <string id="30242">Play Count Sync Indication:</string>
     <string id="30243">Enable HTTPS</string>
 	<string id="30244">Use Season 100 for TV Show Specials (Requires Reset)</string>
+    <string id="30245">Force Transcoding Codecs</string>
     
 	<!-- Default views -->
     <string id="30300">Active</string>              
diff --git a/resources/lib/PlayUtils.py b/resources/lib/PlayUtils.py
index 8deff44b..e64b7d3d 100644
--- a/resources/lib/PlayUtils.py
+++ b/resources/lib/PlayUtils.py
@@ -76,6 +76,18 @@ class PlayUtils():
 
     # Works out if we are direct playing or not
     def isDirectPlay(self, result):
+        addonSettings = xbmcaddon.Addon(id='plugin.video.emby')
+
+        # check if we should force encoding due to the forceTranscodingCodecs setting
+        forceTranscodingCodecs = addonSettings.getSetting('forceTranscodingCodecs')
+        if forceTranscodingCodecs:
+            forceTranscodingCodecsSet = frozenset(forceTranscodingCodecs.lower().split(','))
+            codecs = frozenset([mediaStream.get('Codec', None) for mediaStream in result.get('MediaStreams', [])])
+            commonCodecs = forceTranscodingCodecsSet & codecs
+            #xbmc.log("emby isDirectPlay MediaStreams codecs: %s forceTranscodingCodecs: %s, common: %s" % (codecs, forceTranscodingCodecsSet, commonCodecs))
+            if commonCodecs:
+                return False
+	
         if (self.fileExists(result) or (result.get("LocationType") == "FileSystem" and self.isNetworkQualitySufficient(result) == True and self.isLocalPath(result) == False)):
             return True
         else:
@@ -144,7 +156,7 @@ class PlayUtils():
         elif (videoQuality == "18"):
            return '1000000'
         else:
-            return '10000000'
+            return '2147483' # max bit rate supported by server (max signed 32bit integer)
             
     def fileExists(self, result):
         path=result.get("Path").encode('utf-8')
diff --git a/resources/settings.xml b/resources/settings.xml
index ae2bf36a..df8664ad 100644
--- a/resources/settings.xml
+++ b/resources/settings.xml
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
 		<setting id="https" type="bool" label="30243" visible="true" enable="true" default="false" />
 		<setting type="sep" />
 		<setting id="deviceName" type="text" label="30016" default="Kodi" />
+		<setting id="videoBitRate" type="enum" label="30160" values="664 Kbps SD|996 Kbps HD|1.3 Mbps HD|2.0 Mbps HD|3.2 Mbps HD|4.7 Mbps HD|6.2 Mbps HD|7.7 Mbps HD|9.2 Mbps HD|10.7 Mbps HD|12.2 Mbps HD|13.7 Mbps HD|15.2 Mbps HD|16.7 Mbps HD|18.2 Mbps HD|20.0 Mbps HD|40.0 Mbps HD|100.0 Mbps HD [default]|1000.0 Mbps HD" default="17" />
 		<setting id="playFromStream" type="bool" label="30002" visible="true" enable="true" default="false" />
+		<setting id="forceTranscodingCodecs" type="text" label="30245" />
 	</category>
 	<!-- <category label="Manual sync"> <setting label="Run manual full sync now" type="action" action="RunScript(plugin.video.mbsync, fullsync)" /> <setting label="Run manual incremental sync now" type="action" action="RunScript(plugin.video.mbsync, incrementalsync)" /> <setting label="Reset entire local library" type="action" action="RunScript(plugin.video.mbsync, reset)" /> </category> -->
 	<category label="Sync Options">