diff --git a/cli-tool/cli.py b/cli-tool/cli.py
index 42525beba..6e814d2ee 100644
--- a/cli-tool/cli.py
+++ b/cli-tool/cli.py
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ def login():
             file.writelines(f'USERNAME={json.loads(response.text)["username"]}\n')
         print(f"Welcome to MediaCMS [bold blue]{username}[/bold blue]. Your auth creds have been suceesfully stored in the .env file", ":v:")
     else:
-        print(f'Error: {"non_field_errors":["User not found."]}')
+        print(f'Error: {"non_field_errors": ["User not found."]}')
 
 
 @apis.command()
diff --git a/cms/settings.py b/cms/settings.py
index 79452156d..32060cce1 100644
--- a/cms/settings.py
+++ b/cms/settings.py
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@
 
 if "http" not in FRONTEND_HOST:
     # FRONTEND_HOST needs a http:// preffix
-    FRONTEND_HOST = f"http://{FRONTEND_HOST}"
+    FRONTEND_HOST = f"http://{FRONTEND_HOST}"  # noqa
 
 if LOCAL_INSTALL:
     SSL_FRONTEND_HOST = FRONTEND_HOST.replace("http", "https")
@@ -486,4 +486,7 @@
         r'/api/v[0-9]+/',
     ]
 
+# if True, only show original, don't perform any action on videos
+DO_NOT_TRANSCODE_VIDEO = False
+
 DEFAULT_AUTO_FIELD = 'django.db.models.AutoField'
diff --git a/docs/admins_docs.md b/docs/admins_docs.md
index a44c5718f..3c399655a 100644
--- a/docs/admins_docs.md
+++ b/docs/admins_docs.md
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 - [15. Debugging email issues](#15-debugging-email-issues)
 - [16. Frequently Asked Questions](#16-frequently-asked-questions)
 - [17. Cookie consent code](#17-cookie-consent-code)
-
+- [18. Disable encoding and show only original file](#18-disable-encoding-and-show-only-original-file)
 
 ## 1. Welcome
 This page is created for MediaCMS administrators that are responsible for setting up the software, maintaining it and making modifications.
@@ -762,3 +762,12 @@ this will re-create the sprites for videos that the task failed.
 On file `templates/components/header.html` you can find a simple cookie consent code. It is commented, so you have to remove the `{% comment %}` and `{% endcomment %}` lines in order to enable it. Or you can replace that part with your own code that handles cookie consent banners.
 
 ![Simple Cookie Consent](images/cookie_consent.png)
+
+## 18. Disable encoding and show only original file
+When videos are uploaded, they are getting encoded to multiple resolutions, a procedure called transcoding. Sometimes this is not needed and you only need to show the original file, eg when MediaCMS is running on a low capabilities server. To achieve this, edit settings.py and set
+
+```
+DO_NOT_TRANSCODE_VIDEO = True
+```
+
+This will disable the transcoding process and only the original file will be shown. Note that this will also disable the sprites file creation, so you will not have the preview thumbnails on the video player.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/files/helpers.py b/files/helpers.py
index 948c5257c..5e78c5921 100644
--- a/files/helpers.py
+++ b/files/helpers.py
@@ -538,8 +538,8 @@ def get_base_ffmpeg_command(
 
     target_width = round(target_height * 16 / 9)
     scale_filter_opts = [
-        f"if(lt(iw\\,ih)\\,{target_height}\\,{target_width})",
-        f"if(lt(iw\\,ih)\\,{target_width}\\,{target_height})",
+        f"if(lt(iw\\,ih)\\,{target_height}\\,{target_width})",  # noqa
+        f"if(lt(iw\\,ih)\\,{target_width}\\,{target_height})",  # noqa
         "force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease",
         "force_divisible_by=2",
         "flags=lanczos",
diff --git a/files/models.py b/files/models.py
index 1d539ccd8..d46d094fe 100644
--- a/files/models.py
+++ b/files/models.py
@@ -430,8 +430,13 @@ def media_init(self):
         self.set_media_type()
         if self.media_type == "video":
             self.set_thumbnail(force=True)
-            self.produce_sprite_from_video()
-            self.encode()
+            if settings.DO_NOT_TRANSCODE_VIDEO:
+                self.encoding_status = "success"
+                self.save()
+                self.produce_sprite_from_video()
+            else:
+                self.produce_sprite_from_video()
+                self.encode()
         elif self.media_type == "image":
             self.set_thumbnail(force=True)
         return True
@@ -667,6 +672,13 @@ def encodings_info(self, full=False):
             return ret
         for key in ENCODE_RESOLUTIONS_KEYS:
             ret[key] = {}
+
+        # if this is enabled, return original file on a way
+        # that video.js can consume
+        if settings.DO_NOT_TRANSCODE_VIDEO:
+            ret['0-original'] = {"h264": {"url": helpers.url_from_path(self.media_file.path), "status": "success", "progress": 100}}
+            return ret
+
         for encoding in self.encodings.select_related("profile").filter(chunk=False):
             if encoding.profile.extension == "gif":
                 continue