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Jellyfin - Open-Source Media Server

Overview
What is Jellyfin?
Why Use Jellyfin?
How It Works
Configuration in AI-Homelab
Official Resources
Educational Resources
Docker Configuration
Initial Setup
Library Management
Advanced Topics
Troubleshooting

Overview

Category: Media Server
Docker Image: linuxserver/jellyfin
Default Stack: media.yml
Web UI: https://jellyfin.${DOMAIN} or http://SERVER_IP:8096
Authentication: Local accounts (no external service required)
Ports: 8096 (HTTP), 8920 (HTTPS), 7359 (auto-discovery), 1900 (DLNA)

What is Jellyfin?

Jellyfin is a free, open-source media server forked from Emby. It provides complete control over your media with no tracking, premium features, or account requirements. Jellyfin is 100% free with all features available without subscriptions.

Key Features

Completely Free: No premium tiers or subscriptions
Open Source: GPLv2 licensed
No Tracking: Zero telemetry or analytics
Local Accounts: No external service required
Hardware Acceleration: VAAPI, NVENC, QSV, AMF
Live TV & DVR: Built-in EPG support
SyncPlay: Watch together feature
Native Apps: Android, iOS, Roku, Fire TV, etc.
Web Player: Modern HTML5 player
DLNA Server: Stream to any DLNA device
Plugins: Extensible with official/community plugins
Webhooks: Custom notifications and integrations

Why Use Jellyfin?

100% Free: All features, no subscriptions ever
Privacy Focused: No tracking, no accounts to external services
Open Source: Community-driven development
Self-Contained: No dependency on external services
Hardware Transcoding: Free for everyone
Modern Interface: Clean, responsive UI
Active Development: Regular updates
Plugin System: Extend functionality
SyncPlay: Watch parties built-in
No Vendor Lock-in: Your data, your control

How It Works

Media Files → Jellyfin Server (scans and organizes)
                    ↓
          Metadata Enrichment
          (TheMovieDB, MusicBrainz, etc.)
                    ↓
         ┌──────────┴──────────┐
         ↓                     ↓
    Direct Play              Transcoding
    (Compatible)         (Hardware Accel)
         ↓                     ↓
    Jellyfin Apps        Jellyfin Apps
    (All Devices)       (Any Browser)

Media Flow

Add media to libraries
Jellyfin scans and identifies content
Metadata scraped from open databases
User requests via web/app
Jellyfin determines if transcoding needed
Hardware transcoding if supported
Stream to client

Configuration in AI-Homelab

Directory Structure

/opt/stacks/media/jellyfin/
├── config/                    # Jellyfin configuration
├── cache/                     # Temporary cache
└── transcode/                 # Transcoding temp files

/mnt/media/
├── movies/                    # Movie files
├── tv/                       # TV show files
├── music/                    # Music files
└── photos/                   # Photo files

Environment Variables

# User permissions
PUID=1000
PGID=1000

# Timezone
TZ=America/New_York

# Optional: Published server URL
JELLYFIN_PublishedServerUrl=https://jellyfin.yourdomain.com

Official Resources

Website: https://jellyfin.org
Documentation: https://jellyfin.org/docs/
GitHub: https://github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin
Forum: https://forum.jellyfin.org
Reddit: https://reddit.com/r/jellyfin
Matrix Chat: https://matrix.to/#/#jellyfin:matrix.org
Feature Requests: https://features.jellyfin.org

Educational Resources

Videos

Articles & Guides

Concepts to Learn

Transcoding: Converting media formats in real-time
Hardware Acceleration: GPU-based encoding (VAAPI, NVENC, QSV)
Direct Play: Streaming without conversion
Remuxing: Changing container without re-encoding
Metadata Providers: TheMovieDB, TVDb, MusicBrainz
NFO Files: Local metadata files
DLNA: Network streaming protocol

Docker Configuration

Complete Service Definition

jellyfin:
  image: linuxserver/jellyfin:latest
  container_name: jellyfin
  restart: unless-stopped
  networks:
    - traefik-network
  ports:
    - "8096:8096"     # HTTP Web UI
    - "8920:8920"     # HTTPS (optional)
    - "7359:7359/udp" # Auto-discovery
    - "1900:1900/udp" # DLNA
  environment:
    - PUID=1000
    - PGID=1000
    - TZ=America/New_York
    - JELLYFIN_PublishedServerUrl=https://jellyfin.${DOMAIN}
  volumes:
    - /opt/stacks/media/jellyfin/config:/config
    - /opt/stacks/media/jellyfin/cache:/cache
    - /mnt/media/movies:/data/movies:ro
    - /mnt/media/tv:/data/tvshows:ro
    - /mnt/media/music:/data/music:ro
  devices:
    - /dev/dri:/dev/dri  # Intel QuickSync
  labels:
    - "traefik.enable=true"
    - "traefik.http.routers.jellyfin.rule=Host(`jellyfin.${DOMAIN}`)"
    - "traefik.http.routers.jellyfin.entrypoints=websecure"
    - "traefik.http.routers.jellyfin.tls.certresolver=letsencrypt"
    - "traefik.http.services.jellyfin.loadbalancer.server.port=8096"

With NVIDIA GPU

jellyfin:
  image: linuxserver/jellyfin:latest
  container_name: jellyfin
  restart: unless-stopped
  runtime: nvidia  # Requires nvidia-docker
  environment:
    - NVIDIA_VISIBLE_DEVICES=all
    - NVIDIA_DRIVER_CAPABILITIES=compute,video,utility
  volumes:
    - /opt/stacks/media/jellyfin/config:/config
    - /mnt/media:/data:ro
  ports:
    - "8096:8096"

Transcoding on RAM Disk

jellyfin:
  volumes:
    - /opt/stacks/media/jellyfin/config:/config
    - /mnt/media:/data:ro
    - /dev/shm:/config/transcodes  # Use RAM for transcoding

Initial Setup

First-Time Configuration

Start Container:
```
docker compose up -d jellyfin
```
Access Web UI:
- Local: http://SERVER_IP:8096
- Via domain: https://jellyfin.yourdomain.com
Initial Setup Wizard:
- Select preferred display language
- Create administrator account (local, no external service)
- Set up media libraries
- Configure remote access
- Review settings

Adding Libraries

Add Movie Library:

Dashboard → Libraries → Add Media Library
Content type: Movies
Display name: Movies
Folders → Add → /data/movies
Preferred language: English
Country: United States
Save

Add TV Library:

Dashboard → Libraries → Add Media Library
Content type: Shows
Display name: TV Shows
Folders → Add → /data/tvshows
Save

Add Music Library:

Content type: Music
Folders → Add → /data/music
Save

File Naming Conventions

Movies:

/data/movies/
  Movie Name (Year)/
    Movie Name (Year).mkv
    
Example:
/data/movies/
  The Matrix (1999)/
    The Matrix (1999).mkv

TV Shows:

/data/tvshows/
  Show Name (Year)/
    Season 01/
      Show Name - S01E01 - Episode Name.mkv
      
Example:
/data/tvshows/
  Breaking Bad (2008)/
    Season 01/
      Breaking Bad - S01E01 - Pilot.mkv
      Breaking Bad - S01E02 - Cat's in the Bag.mkv

Music:

/data/music/
  Artist/
    Album (Year)/
      01 - Track Name.mp3

Library Management

Scanning Libraries

Manual Scan:

Dashboard → Libraries → Scan All Libraries
Or click scan icon on specific library

Scheduled Scanning:

Dashboard → Scheduled Tasks → Scan Media Library
Configure scan interval

Real-time Monitoring:

Dashboard → Libraries → Enable real-time monitoring
Watches for file changes

Metadata Management

Providers:

Dashboard → Libraries → Select library → Manage Library
Metadata providers: TheMovieDB, TVDb, OMDb, etc.
Order determines priority

Identify Item:

Select item with wrong metadata
... → Identify
Search by name or TMDB/TVDb ID
Select correct match

Edit Metadata:

... → Edit Metadata
Change title, description, images, etc.
Lock fields to prevent overwriting

Refresh Metadata:

... → Refresh Metadata
Re-scrapes from providers

Collections

Auto Collections:

Jellyfin auto-creates collections from metadata
Example: "Marvel Cinematic Universe" for all MCU movies

Manual Collections:

Dashboard → Collections → New Collection
Name collection
Add movies/shows
Set sorting and display options

Advanced Topics

Hardware Transcoding

Intel QuickSync (QSV):

Verify GPU Access:

docker exec jellyfin ls -la /dev/dri
# Should show renderD128, card0, etc.

# Check permissions
docker exec jellyfin id
# User should have video group (render group ID)

Enable in Jellyfin:
- Dashboard → Playback → Transcoding
- Hardware acceleration: Intel QuickSync (QSV)
- Enable hardware decoding for: H264, HEVC, VP9, AV1
- Enable hardware encoding for: H264, HEVC
- Save

NVIDIA GPU (NVENC):

Ensure nvidia-docker installed:

docker run --rm --gpus all nvidia/cuda:11.0-base nvidia-smi

Enable in Jellyfin:
- Dashboard → Playback → Transcoding
- Hardware acceleration: Nvidia NVENC
- Enable codecs
- Save

AMD GPU (AMF/VAAPI):

jellyfin:
  devices:
    - /dev/dri:/dev/dri
    - /dev/kfd:/dev/kfd  # AMD GPU
  group_add:
    - video
    - render

Dashboard → Transcoding → VAAPI

Verify Hardware Transcoding:

Play a video that requires transcoding
Dashboard → Activity
Check encoding method shows (hw)

User Management

Add Users:

Dashboard → Users → Add User
Enter username and password
Configure library access
Set permissions

User Profiles:

Each user has own watch history
Separate Continue Watching
Individual preferences

Parental Controls:

Set maximum parental rating
Block unrated content
Restrict library access

Plugins

Install Plugins:

Dashboard → Plugins → Catalog
Browse available plugins
Install desired plugins
Restart Jellyfin

Popular Plugins:

TMDb Box Sets: Auto-create collections
Trakt: Sync watch history to Trakt.tv
Reports: Generate library reports
Skin Manager: Custom themes
Anime: Better anime support
Fanart: Additional image sources
Merge Versions: Combine different qualities
Playback Reporting: Track user activity

Third-Party Repositories:

Add custom plugin repositories
Dashboard → Plugins → Repositories

SyncPlay (Watch Together)

Enable:

Dashboard → Plugins → SyncPlay
Restart Jellyfin

Use:

User creates SyncPlay group
Shares join code
Others join with code
Playback synchronized across all users
Chat available

Perfect For:

Long-distance watch parties
Family movie nights
Synchronized viewing

Live TV & DVR

Requirements:

TV tuner hardware (HDHomeRun, etc.)
Or IPTV source (m3u playlist)

Setup:

Dashboard → Live TV
Add TV source:
- Tuner device (network device auto-detected)
- Or IPTV (M3U URL)
Configure EPG (Electronic Program Guide)
- XML TV guide URL
Map channels
Save

DVR:

Record shows from EPG
Series recordings
Post-processing options

Troubleshooting

Jellyfin Not Accessible

# Check container status
docker ps | grep jellyfin

# View logs
docker logs jellyfin

# Test access
curl http://localhost:8096

# Check ports
docker port jellyfin

Libraries Not Scanning

# Check permissions
ls -la /mnt/media/movies/

# Fix ownership
sudo chown -R 1000:1000 /mnt/media/

# Check container can access
docker exec jellyfin ls /data/movies

# Manual scan from UI
# Dashboard → Libraries → Scan All Libraries

# Check logs
docker logs jellyfin | grep -i scan

Hardware Transcoding Not Working

# Verify GPU device
docker exec jellyfin ls -la /dev/dri

# Check permissions
docker exec jellyfin groups
# Should include video (44) and render (106 or 104)

# For Intel GPU, check:
docker exec jellyfin vainfo
# Should list supported codecs

# Check Jellyfin logs during playback
docker logs -f jellyfin
# Look for hardware encoding messages

Fix GPU Permissions:

# Get render group ID
getent group render

# Update docker-compose
jellyfin:
  group_add:
    - "106"  # render group ID

Transcoding Failing

# Check transcode directory
docker exec jellyfin ls /config/transcodes/

# Ensure enough disk space
df -h /opt/stacks/media/jellyfin/

# Check FFmpeg
docker exec jellyfin ffmpeg -version

# Test hardware encoding
docker exec jellyfin ffmpeg -hwaccel vaapi -i /data/movies/sample.mkv -c:v h264_vaapi -f null -

Playback Buffering

Causes:

Network bandwidth insufficient
Transcoding too slow (CPU overload)
Disk I/O bottleneck
Client compatibility issues

Solutions:

Enable hardware transcoding
Lower streaming quality
Use direct play when possible
Optimize media files (H264/HEVC)
Increase transcoding threads
Use faster storage for transcode directory

Metadata Not Downloading

# Check internet connectivity
docker exec jellyfin ping -c 3 api.themoviedb.org

# Verify metadata providers enabled
# Dashboard → Libraries → Library → Metadata providers

# Force metadata refresh
# Select item → Refresh Metadata → Replace all metadata

# Check naming conventions
# Ensure files follow Jellyfin naming standards

Database Corruption

# Stop Jellyfin
docker stop jellyfin

# Backup database
cp -r /opt/stacks/media/jellyfin/config/data /opt/backups/jellyfin-data-backup

# Check database
sqlite3 /opt/stacks/media/jellyfin/config/data/library.db "PRAGMA integrity_check;"

# If corrupted, restore from backup or rebuild library
# Delete database and rescan (loses watch history)
# rm /opt/stacks/media/jellyfin/config/data/library.db

# Restart
docker start jellyfin

Performance Optimization

Transcoding Performance

# Use RAM disk for transcoding
jellyfin:
  volumes:
    - /dev/shm:/config/transcodes
    
# Or fast NVMe
volumes:
  - /path/to/fast/nvme:/config/transcodes

Settings:

Dashboard → Playback → Transcoding
Transcoding thread count: Number of CPU cores
Hardware acceleration: Enabled
H264 encoding CRF: 23 (lower = better quality, more CPU)
Throttle transcodes: Disabled (for local network)

Database Optimization

# Stop Jellyfin
docker stop jellyfin

# Vacuum databases
sqlite3 /opt/stacks/media/jellyfin/config/data/library.db "VACUUM;"
sqlite3 /opt/stacks/media/jellyfin/config/data/jellyfin.db "VACUUM;"

# Restart
docker start jellyfin

Network Optimization