> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://start.hitorino.tv/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Hitorino Playback Settings: Quality, Subtitles & Speed

> Control video quality, enable subtitles and captions, adjust playback speed and audio, use keyboard shortcuts, and cast Hitorino to your TV or Chromecast.

Hitorino gives you fine-grained control over how video plays on your screen — from the resolution and frame rate down to the speed of playback and the size of subtitle text. Whether you're watching a fast-paced gaming highlight at 2× speed or a relaxing stream in 4K on your living room TV, these settings let you tailor every session to exactly how you want it.

## Opening the Settings Panel

The settings panel is accessible from inside the video player at any time during playback.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Locate the settings gear">
    Move your mouse over the player (or tap on mobile) to reveal the playback controls. Click the **⚙ gear icon** in the lower-right corner of the player.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Navigate the settings menu">
    A menu appears with sections for **Quality**, **Subtitles**, **Speed**, **Audio**, and **Advanced**. Click any section header to expand its options.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Apply your changes">
    Changes take effect immediately — most settings apply without interrupting playback. Quality changes cause a brief rebuffer (typically under two seconds).
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  Your quality, subtitle, and speed preferences are saved per-device automatically. The next video you open on the same device picks up where your settings left off.
</Tip>

## Video Quality

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="On-Demand Videos">
    On-demand videos are pre-encoded at multiple quality levels. The available options depend on the resolution the creator originally uploaded.

    | Setting | Resolution | Typical bitrate | Best for                                  |
    | ------- | ---------- | --------------- | ----------------------------------------- |
    | Auto    | Dynamic    | Varies          | Most viewers — adapts to connection speed |
    | 1080p   | 1920×1080  | \~8 Mbps        | Fast broadband, large screens             |
    | 720p    | 1280×720   | \~4 Mbps        | Standard broadband                        |
    | 480p    | 854×480    | \~1.5 Mbps      | Mobile data, slower connections           |
    | 360p    | 640×360    | \~0.7 Mbps      | Very slow or congested networks           |

    <Note>
      If a creator uploaded at 1080p60 (60 frames per second), you'll see **1080p60** and **720p60** as additional options above standard 1080p. Higher frame rates look noticeably smoother in fast-motion content like gaming and sports.
    </Note>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Live Streams">
    Live stream quality options depend on the creator's broadcast settings. Creators streaming in **Source** quality give you the full resolution and bitrate of their encoder output. Other options are transcoded in real time by Hitorino's servers.

    | Setting | Notes                                                       |
    | ------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
    | Auto    | Adaptive bitrate — recommended for live streams             |
    | Source  | Creator's native output; may vary during stream             |
    | 720p60  | Smooth high-quality option with lower bandwidth than Source |
    | 480p    | Reliable on mobile data                                     |
    | 160p    | Audio-focused; minimal data usage                           |

    <Info>
      Switching quality on a live stream reconnects you to the stream slightly ahead of where you were — you skip forward a few seconds rather than rewinding. This is normal behavior for live content.
    </Info>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Subtitles and Captions

Subtitles and closed captions make content accessible to deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers and are useful for watching in noisy environments or in a language you're still learning.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Turn on subtitles">
    Open the settings panel and click **Subtitles / Captions**. If the creator has uploaded a subtitle file or auto-captions are available, you'll see a list of language options. Click your preferred language to enable them.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Distinguish caption types">
    * **CC (Closed Captions)** — creator-uploaded, manually authored caption files. Most accurate.
    * **Auto-generated** — machine-transcribed captions generated by Hitorino. Available for most English-language content; accuracy varies.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Customize subtitle appearance">
    Click **Subtitle Settings** within the subtitles panel to adjust:

    * **Font size** — Small, Medium (default), Large, Extra Large
    * **Font color** — White, Yellow, Cyan, Green
    * **Background opacity** — None, 25%, 50%, 75%, 100% (solid black)
    * **Position** — Bottom (default) or Top
  </Step>

  <Step title="Turn off subtitles">
    Re-open the subtitles panel and click **Off** at the top of the language list.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  Subtitle availability varies by creator and video. If the subtitles option is grayed out, neither manual captions nor auto-generated captions are available for that piece of content.
</Note>

## Playback Speed

You can speed up or slow down on-demand videos to match your preferred pace. Playback speed adjustment is not available on live streams.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Faster speeds" icon="forward">
    Use **1.25×**, **1.5×**, or **2×** to get through longer videos quickly — great for tutorials, past broadcasts, or content where you already know the topic.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Slower speeds" icon="backward">
    Use **0.75×** or **0.5×** to slow down fast-moving content — useful for rewatching a technical explanation, following along with a music performance, or catching detail in gaming clips.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

**To change playback speed:**

1. Open the settings panel and click **Speed**.
2. Select your preferred multiplier: **0.5×**, **0.75×**, **1×** (Normal), **1.25×**, **1.5×**, or **2×**.
3. The speed applies immediately and persists for the rest of the session.

<Tip>
  Press **,** and **.** on your keyboard to cycle through speed settings one step at a time without opening the settings panel.
</Tip>

## Audio Settings

<Accordion title="Volume and mute">
  Use the volume slider in the bottom-left of the player controls to set your desired level, or press **M** to toggle mute instantly. The volume level is remembered between sessions on the same device.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Audio tracks">
  Some creators upload videos with multiple audio tracks — for example, a commentary track and a clean gameplay audio track, or a video dubbed in multiple languages. If alternate audio tracks are available, they appear under **Audio** in the settings panel. Click any track name to switch to it.
</Accordion>

<Accordion title="Audio-only mode">
  For creators whose content is primarily audio (podcasts, music streams, radio-style shows), you can enable **Audio Only** mode from **Settings → Advanced → Audio Only**. This stops rendering the video frames entirely, which significantly reduces battery drain and data usage on mobile while keeping the audio playing perfectly.
</Accordion>

## Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts let you control playback without touching your mouse — particularly useful on desktop while watching full-screen or in theater mode.

| Key            | Action                                     |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| `Space` or `K` | Play / Pause                               |
| `F`            | Toggle full screen                         |
| `T`            | Toggle theater mode                        |
| `M`            | Toggle mute                                |
| `←`            | Rewind 5 seconds                           |
| `→`            | Skip forward 5 seconds                     |
| `J`            | Rewind 10 seconds                          |
| `L`            | Skip forward 10 seconds                    |
| `↑`            | Increase volume by 10%                     |
| `↓`            | Decrease volume by 10%                     |
| `,`            | Decrease playback speed by one step        |
| `.`            | Increase playback speed by one step        |
| `C`            | Focus the chat input (during live streams) |
| `/`            | Focus the search bar                       |
| `0`–`9`        | Jump to 0%–90% through the video           |
| `Esc`          | Exit full screen or close any open panel   |

<Info>
  Keyboard shortcuts only work when the player area is in focus. If you've clicked elsewhere on the page (for example, the chat box), click on the video player once to restore focus before using shortcuts.
</Info>

## Casting to a TV

Hitorino supports casting to external screens via Chromecast and AirPlay, as well as direct playback on the Hitorino Smart TV app.

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Chromecast">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Ensure your Chromecast is on the same network">
        Your Chromecast device and the computer or phone running Hitorino must be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Open the cast menu">
        Click the **Cast** icon (a rectangle with Wi-Fi waves) in the player controls. If the icon doesn't appear, open your browser's cast menu directly — in Chrome, click the three-dot menu → **Cast**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Select your device">
        A list of available Chromecast devices on your network appears. Click the one you want to cast to. The video transfers to your TV within a few seconds.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Control from your browser">
        Once casting, your browser tab becomes a remote control. Use the on-screen play, pause, seek, and volume controls as usual. Playback continues on the TV even if you switch browser tabs.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="AirPlay">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Connect to the same Wi-Fi network">
        Your Apple device and your AirPlay-compatible TV or Apple TV must be on the same Wi-Fi network.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Open AirPlay from Safari">
        AirPlay casting works through Safari on Mac. Open Hitorino in Safari, start playing a video, then click the **AirPlay icon** in the player controls or use the Safari menu bar → **AirPlay**.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Choose your AirPlay target">
        Select your Apple TV or AirPlay 2-compatible smart TV from the list. The stream mirrors to your TV immediately.
      </Step>
    </Steps>

    <Note>
      AirPlay from Hitorino requires Safari on macOS or iOS. Other browsers on Apple devices use Chromecast casting instead.
    </Note>
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Smart TV App">
    <Steps>
      <Step title="Install the Hitorino TV app">
        Search for **Hitorino** in your TV's app store. The app is available on Apple TV, Android TV / Google TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Samsung Smart TV (Tizen).
      </Step>

      <Step title="Sign in to your account">
        Open the app and select **Sign In**. You can enter your credentials with the remote, or choose **Sign In with Code** — visit **hitorino.tv/activate** on any browser, enter the displayed code, and your TV is linked instantly.
      </Step>

      <Step title="Browse and watch">
        Your watchlist, followed creators, and continue-watching progress all sync to the TV app automatically. Navigate with your remote — the interface is optimized for 10-foot viewing distance.
      </Step>
    </Steps>
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

<Warning>
  Casting does not support all playback features. Playback speed adjustment, audio-only mode, and some subtitle styling options are unavailable when casting to an external device. These features return automatically when you stop casting.
</Warning>

## Resetting Player Preferences

If you want to restore all playback settings to their defaults:

1. Go to **Settings → Preferences → Playback**.
2. Click **Reset Playback Settings to Default**.
3. Confirm the reset. Quality reverts to Auto, subtitles turn off, speed returns to 1×, and volume resets to 80%.

This affects all devices linked to your account simultaneously.