Player, Subtitles & Audio
Stremio’s video player offers extensive customization options for playback, subtitles, and audio. This guide covers all the settings and features available to optimize your viewing experience.
Player Controls & Interface
Basic Playback Controls
Standard Controls:
- Play/Pause: Spacebar or click center of video
- Seek: Click timeline or use arrow keys
- Volume: Mouse wheel or volume slider
- Fullscreen: Double-click or F key
- Exit Fullscreen: Escape key
Advanced Controls:
- Speed Control: 0.25x to 4x playback speed
- Frame-by-Frame: Pause and use left/right arrows
- Skip Intro/Outro: Custom skip buttons (addon-dependent)
- Next Episode: Auto-play next episode
Player Interface
Overlay Elements:
- Progress Bar: Shows current position and buffer
- Time Display: Current time / total duration
- Quality Indicator: Current video quality
- Audio/Subtitles: Active track indicators
- Cast Button: Chromecast and other casting options
Tip
Press the ? key during playback to see all available keyboard shortcuts.
Video Quality & Playback
Quality Settings
Steps
-
Access Quality Menu
- Click the gear icon (⚙️) during playback
- Or right-click on video area
- Select “Quality” from menu
-
Available Options
- Auto: Automatic quality selection
- 1080p, 720p, 480p, 360p: Fixed resolutions
- 4K: Ultra HD (if available)
- Source: Original quality (may be very high)
-
Quality Behavior
- Auto adjusts based on connection speed
- Manual selection overrides auto mode
- Changes apply to current video only
Playback Settings
Video Options:
- Hardware Acceleration: GPU decoding (recommended)
- Software Decoding: CPU fallback
- Frame Rate: Match source or force 24/30/60fps
- Aspect Ratio: Auto, 16:9, 4:3, custom
Performance Settings:
- Buffer Size: Pre-load amount (higher = smoother)
- Connection Timeout: How long to wait for streams
- Retry Attempts: Auto-retry failed streams
Subtitles Configuration
Adding Subtitles
Steps
-
Built-in Subtitles
- Many streams include embedded subtitles
- Automatically detected and displayed
- No additional setup required
-
External Subtitle Files
- Click subtitle button (CC icon)
- Select “Add Subtitle File”
- Choose .srt, .vtt, or .ass files
- Upload from device or URL
-
Subtitle Add-ons
- Install subtitle add-ons from catalog
- OpenSubtitles, Subscene, Addic7ed
- Automatic subtitle downloads
Subtitle Appearance
Steps
-
Access Subtitle Settings
- Click subtitle button during playback
- Select “Subtitle Settings” or gear icon
- Customize appearance options
-
Text Customization
- Font: Size, family, color
- Background: Box color, opacity
- Outline: Border color, thickness
- Shadow: Drop shadow effects
-
Position & Timing
- Vertical Position: Top, middle, bottom
- Horizontal Alignment: Left, center, right
- Timing Offset: Sync adjustment (+/- seconds)
Subtitle Sources
Popular Subtitle Add-ons:
- OpenSubtitles: Largest subtitle database
- Subscene: High-quality user submissions
- Addic7ed: TV show focused
- Podnapisi: Multi-language support
Subtitle add-ons automatically search for and download subtitles based on content metadata.
Audio Settings
Audio Track Selection
Steps
-
Multiple Audio Tracks
- Click audio button (speaker icon)
- See available language tracks
- Select preferred language
-
Audio Formats
- AAC, AC3, DTS: Common formats
- Multi-channel: 5.1, 7.1 surround
- Stereo: Standard 2-channel
-
Audio Switching
- Change tracks during playback
- Settings persist per video
- Auto-select based on language preference
Audio Enhancement
Equalizer Settings:
- Bass/Treble: Frequency adjustments
- Balance: Left/right channel balance
- Volume Boost: Normalize quiet content
- Night Mode: Reduce dynamic range
Advanced Audio:
- Downmixing: Convert surround to stereo
- Sample Rate: Audio quality settings
- Bit Depth: 16-bit, 24-bit, 32-bit
Global Player Settings
Accessing Settings
Steps
-
Open Stremio Settings
- Click profile icon (top right)
- Select “Settings”
- Navigate to “Player” section
-
General Settings
- Default Quality: Starting quality for new videos
- Auto-play: Start playing automatically
- Continue Watching: Resume from last position
-
Interface Settings
- Controls Timeout: How long controls stay visible
- Seek Steps: Skip forward/backward amount
- Volume Steps: Volume adjustment increments
Language Preferences
Steps
-
Default Languages
- Set preferred audio language
- Set preferred subtitle language
- Auto-select based on system language
-
Language Fallback
- Primary language → Secondary → English
- Subtitle fallback chain
- Audio track preferences
Casting & External Playback
Chromecast Support
Steps
-
Enable Casting
- Click cast button during playback
- Select available Chromecast device
- Video plays on TV/external device
-
Cast Controls
- Control playback from phone/tablet
- Volume control through TV
- Subtitle/audio selection
-
Cast Requirements
- Same Wi-Fi network
- Chromecast device connected
- Stremio app on controlling device
Other Casting Options
Supported Devices:
- Roku: Through Roku app
- Fire TV: Amazon Fire TV devices
- Apple TV: AirPlay support
- Smart TVs: DLNA/UPnP compatible
Keyboard Shortcuts
Playback Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Space | Play/Pause |
| ← → | Seek backward/forward 10s |
| ↑ ↓ | Volume up/down |
| F | Fullscreen toggle |
| M | Mute toggle |
| 1-9 | Seek to 10%-90% |
| 0 | Seek to beginning |
Subtitle Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| S | Toggle subtitles |
| G | Increase subtitle size |
| F | Decrease subtitle size |
| H | Cycle subtitle tracks |
| J | Subtitle delay +0.1s |
| K | Subtitle delay -0.1s |
Audio Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| A | Cycle audio tracks |
| B | Toggle audio boost |
| N | Normalize audio |
Troubleshooting
Video Playback Issues
Buffering Problems:
- Check internet connection speed
- Lower video quality
- Increase buffer size in settings
- Close other bandwidth-heavy apps
Quality Issues:
- Enable hardware acceleration
- Update graphics drivers
- Check codec support
- Try software decoding
Subtitle Problems
Subtitles Not Loading:
- Check subtitle add-on installation
- Verify internet connection
- Try different subtitle source
- Check file format compatibility
Sync Issues:
- Use timing offset controls
- Download different subtitle file
- Check frame rate matching
- Manual sync with J/K keys
Audio Issues
No Sound:
- Check volume levels
- Verify audio track selection
- Test different audio formats
- Check device audio settings
Poor Quality:
- Select higher quality audio track
- Enable audio enhancements
- Check original source quality
- Update audio drivers
Advanced Configuration
Custom Player Options
For Power Users:
- Custom User Agent: Spoof different devices
- Proxy Settings: Route through proxy servers
- Custom Headers: Advanced streaming options
- Debug Logging: Enable player logs
Add-on Specific Settings
Player Enhancements:
- Torrentio: Custom quality preferences
- Real-Debrid: Premium link settings
- Plex: Server-specific options
- Emby/Jellyfin: Integration settings
Best Practices
✅ Do:
- Set preferred languages in settings
- Use hardware acceleration when available
- Keep subtitle add-ons updated
- Test audio before long viewing sessions
- Use keyboard shortcuts for efficiency
❌ Don’t:
- Force highest quality on slow connections
- Ignore subtitle sync issues
- Use outdated subtitle add-ons
- Overuse audio enhancement features
- Skip player updates
Performance Optimization
For Different Devices
Desktop Computers:
- Enable hardware acceleration
- Use highest quality settings
- Multiple monitor support
- Keyboard shortcut mastery
Mobile Devices:
- Auto quality for data saving
- Touch-optimized controls
- Battery optimization
- Background playback
TV/Stick Devices:
- 4K support when available
- Remote control optimization
- Casting capabilities
- Large interface elements
Related Resources
- Navigation Basics - Basic Stremio usage
- Add-on Installation - Installing subtitle add-ons
- Search & Discover - Finding content
- Troubleshooting Player Issues - Common problems
Sources: