Emby Premiere features that Quven includes for free

Emby Premiere is the licence that unlocks what Emby’s free version leaves out, and on Emby’s own feature matrix that includes hardware transcoding, HDR tone mapping and full playback in its desktop and phone apps. Quven is a self-hosted media server by Quven Technologies S.R.L., free for personal use, and its free plan includes every one of those. A paid Quven plan, should you ever choose one, belongs to your account.

What does Emby Premiere unlock?

Emby’s Premiere page and Feature Matrix, read on 8 October 2026, give every row a Free and a Premiere column:

• Free: browsing, library organisation, users, parental controls and Emby Connect.
• Premiere only: intro skipping, hardware accelerated transcoding, HDR tone mapping, in-playback subtitle search, the CoverArt and backup plug-ins, downloads with sync. NVIDIA SHIELD and WD NAS are exempt for hardware acceleration.
• Apps: one minute of playback on desktop, iOS and Android, then Premiere, or a one-off App Unlock on a phone. Android TV and Fire TV play in full on up to five devices.
• Licence: one household, 30 devices, tied to a server by a key.

Which of those rows does Quven include for free?

The rows that matter most to anyone who just wants to watch their own films all sit in the free plan:

What you need	Quven, free plan	Emby without Premiere
Hardware transcoding	Included on every plan	A Premiere row, except on NVIDIA SHIELD and WD NAS
HDR tone mapping when transcoding	Included on every plan	A Premiere row
Full playback on desktop and phones	Included	One minute, then Premiere (App Unlock on phones)
Android TV and Fire TV	As many televisions as you own	Up to five TV devices
Poster artwork	Disc cases and quality ribbons	CoverArt plug-in, a Premiere row

The plans page commits to nine capabilities that stay free whatever else changes, and hardware transcoding and the native apps are two of them. Artwork isn’t on that list, though it’s free too.

What happens when a film needs a transcode?

Usually nothing, because the native apps ask for the original file first and play it untouched whenever the device can decode it. A transcode may start for a 4K HDR master on a screen that shows SDR alone, or on a connection too thin for the full bit rate, and then Quven hands the work to graphics hardware you already own: an NVIDIA or AMD card, Intel Quick Sync, a Mac or a Raspberry Pi.

• HDR10 and Dolby Vision are tone-mapped to SDR, so the highlights survive: HDR guide.
• Which cards Quven can drive, and how you’d check one: free hardware transcoding.
• Blu-ray and DVD picture subtitles are drawn on the device, so the film stays direct: Blu-ray subtitles.

What happens after the first minute?

On Quven the film carries on, since every app plays in full on the free plan with no unlock of its own. Why should a family count its televisions before it buys a sixth? The plans page lists no per-seat fees and no device limits, and the app comparison goes through each screen.

Is the licence tied to one server?

Emby’s is, but a Quven plan belongs to your Quven Account instead, and every server you link carries it, with every profile on those servers, so a second machine at a holiday home picks up the same plan and there’s no key to move. Personal use covers you, your family and the guests you invite, who each keep their history under a free account.

Where does Quven ask you to pay?

For services it runs on your behalf and tools that go well past playback:

• Pro: the managed relay, the web client at app.quven.tv, a subtitle written from a film’s audio and scheduled scans.
• Max: AI subtitle translation, the subtitle cue editor and repair of unreadable files. Lifetime is Max for one payment.
• Free on every plan: remote access you set up yourself (guide), and no advertising.

How do you try it beside Emby?

1. Download Quven and sign in with a Quven Account.
2. Add the folders Emby already reads as libraries.
3. Under Appearance, switch on Draw titles in their disc case, and each film shows in the Blu-ray, 4K Blu-ray or DVD case of its source.

The free plan has no time limit and no minute counter. Once you know you’ll keep it, Lifetime holds Max for good, and the article on lifetime licences shows how soon it pays for itself.

Frequently asked questions