Jellyfin

Jellyfin is a dedicated Software Media System that provides a simple way to manage all your media and share it with your friends and family.

The installation is a quick and straightforward operation, especially since the project comprises of numerous pre-built binary packages. The tool supports all major browsers – and Chromecast if you prefer Google Chrome – and that is where you are going to be able to set up your server. It is worth mentioning that the app does not have built-in tracking features and there is no central servers collecting your data.

As you probably hinted, the clients that you install on other devices can automatically discover the server, especially if they are in the same network. In case you want to access it from outside the LAN, then you need to type in the complete IP address or domain name.

Since remembering all the port numbers is not always possible, the app can be run as a reverse proxy that enables an alternative server to handle all traffic and proxies them back to the app. An advantage of using it like this is that the integration of the SSL certificates is easier.

The idea behind this Software Media System is to help you collect and manage all media from the same location. When you are setting the server up, you have the opportunity to go through all data collected in time and organize it properly.

For instance, when setting up the Movies category, you can specify the type of information you want displayed in the dashboard, such as Parental rating, Genres, Name, Studios, Tags, Overview, etc. The subtitles are embedded in the video file, but the tool supports files from external sources as well.

The project represents a continue development of the original Emby, which is no longer open source since December 2018. Even so, you should bear in mind that a direct migration of the database between the two application is not currently supported. Consequently, if you are thinking of trying it out, then the developer recommends that you start with a fresh database and library scan in order to enjoy the full features of Jellyfin.