What if you could create your own personal streaming service? It isn’t a pipe dream: You can actually build your own streaming network that hosts all the shows, movies, and music you already own—all you need to enter the world of media servers is enough hard drive space, a PC, and a stable internet connection.
Why use a media center?
Table of Contents
If you’ve heard of Plex, you might know about media servers and organizers already. However, we will be focusing on Jellyfin, a completely free and open-source media server that does everything you want (and in a better way than some of its paid alternatives).
Jellyfin turns a directory of files into a visually interactive media library. You can browse your entire media collection like it’s your own Netflix. Jellyfin will scan everything, give you a synopsis of each title, display trailers, and even load up subtitles for you automatically.
G/O Media may get a commission
After you download the Jellyfin app for your iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or smart TV (Jellyfin has great apps for popular smart TV brands), your media will populate, ready for wireless streaming, as long as you’re on the same wifi network. With this setup, you can stream a movie on your iPhone while sitting in your bedroom, when the actual data is on your PC in your office. If you’re heading out, you can stream your data from outside your home network, but you can also download it to your device with a bit of tinkering.
Don’t get carried away with media servers
Once you start researching media servers, it’s tempting to get carried away. Oh, let me buy a dedicated machine for this, like a Synology, with server-grade hard drives and RAID backup systems. But when you’re starting out, it’s better to stay grounded and use what you already have, like your PC.
The only thing we do recommend you get are large, reliable, NAS-grade hard drives if you plan you keep your PC running for days at a time (because spinning hard drives have a habit of failing randomly). If you only plan to use your media center sparingly, though, you can get away with traditional hard drives.
How to set up Jellyfin
Before you begin, we suggest you create logical folders for “Movies,” “TV Shows,” and “Music.” As long as the media is labeled correctly, you don’t need to worry much. Start by installing the server app on your computer—one that’s plugged into power, and you don’t mind running all the time.
First, set up Jellyfin using a username and a password (the latter of which is optional, but recommended). Make sure to remember your username, as you’ll need it to log in to every client device for streaming.
Then, choose the relevant directory for the media type, and let Jellyfin do its thing. In just a couple of minutes, you’ll see all your movies, TV shows, and music show up in a grid system, each with relevant posters and descriptions.
Next, it’s time to install Jellyfin on the client side. Go through Jellyfin’s official list of client apps for all the platforms, and choose what works best for you. You’ll find clients for smartphones, smart TVs, desktops, and more.
When you launch the client app on the same network, Jellyfin will automatically scan for available servers, as long as your PC and the server app are running. Choose your PC name, enter your username and password, and voilà: Your setup is now complete, allowing you to stream all the media from the server PC to the client app.
How to customize your system
Now that your basic setup is complete, you can play with the settings as much as you want. Virtually every part of this system is customizable, so you can change the sources where the metadata comes from, and you can individually edit a movie’s metadata.
From settings, you can change the subtitles source, font, and more. And, most impressively, you can go to the Plugins section to add a vast array of new functionality to the Jellyfin app. If you’re interested in a walkthrough, Tek Syndicate details the main options in their video below.
To automatically download subtitles for any media (even if they are not embedded), you’ll need to use the OpenSubtitles plugin. You can enable and configure it from Administration > Dashboard > Plugins > Catalog. Once added, you’ll need to enter your OpenSubtitles username, passcode, and an API, which you can get from the OpenSubtitles account page.
Jellyfin vs. Plex
Lastly, let’s talk about Plex, the elephant in the room. Plex is usually the go-to option for a media server, and for good reason. They have a simple, intuitive design, and the learning curve is not big: It’s available everywhere and works smoothly.
But lately, Plex has heavily leaned on its own free media service, and it’s impossible to escape it in any app. Plus, Plex puts a number of features like offline downloads and out-of-network streaming behind a $5-per-month Plex Pass. Combine all of that, plus the fact that Jellyfin is faster with a clutter-free interface—and offers all the features plus more, thanks to community plug-ins—for free, and it becomes hard to pick Plex over Jellyfin.
The one place Plex does have an edge is its remote network feature, which lets you access your library from anywhere, and lets you share your collection with your friends. The Plex Pass feature takes the immense complexities of remote networking, and simplifies it to a couple of options. While this is possible to do with Jellyfin, it’s not baked-in, and requires a bit of work using Tailscale. But if that’s OK with you, check out this helpful guide for detailed steps.