A Guide To Jellyfin

This guide will help you understand how Jellyfin works, explain the best way to connect and use it, and provide tips for smoother media playerback.

But first, what is Jellyfin?

Jellyfin is a free, open-source media server that lets you stream movies, TV shows, music, and other media from local hardware. There are no ads or tracking. It is designed exclusively for media playback. As the platform is fully community-driven, the source code is available on GitHub.

How Jellyfin Works

Jellyfin has two main components: the server and the clients.

Server:

The server is where all the media lives. It organizes movies and shows, along with metadata like posters, descriptions, and ratings. On this server, media is stored as MKV files and curated for optimal playback.

This includes:

• Normalizing the video codec (specifically H.265 12-bit) for broader compatibility and high-quality playback.
• Reordering subtitle and audio tracks so the default options are logical for viewers.
• Converting subtitle tracks to a client friendly format.

Clients:

These are the devices you use to watch or listen to the media. Clients request media from the server and display it.

Understanding Direct Playback vs. Transcoding

When you hit play, the server tries to send media in a format that your device supports:

• Direct Play: The media is sent “as-is” without any changes. This provides the fastest, most efficent, and highest quality stream. However, your client must have enough bandwidth and support the file format and codec.
• Transcoding: If your device cannot play the file directly for any of the reasons stated above, the server converts it on the fly into a compatible format. While transcoding is optimized for the best possible quality, it uses more server resources and involves some loss of quality compared to the original file.

Client Recommendation

For high-quality media, using a dedicated Jellyfin client is critical. Jellyfin is available on almost all platforms including web browsers, mobile devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, and desktop computers. While the web interface works, it often struggles with slower connection speeds and high-quality media such as 4K UHD. Dedicated clients offer better performance, smoother playback, and better compatibility. For the best experience, it is strongly recommended to use a dedicated client.

How to Install:

1. Download a Client
   Navigate to the Official Client Download List and download your client of choice.
   • If on desktop, the Jellyfin Media Player is recommended for the best playback experience.
   • Note: If downloading via GitHub, navigate to GitHub Downloads, scroll down to the “Assets” section for the release files and select the version for your platform.
     • Example for Windows: JellyfinMediaPlayer-x.x.x-windows-x64.exe

2. Install the Client
   Run the downloaded installer and follow the instructions to complete the installation.

3. Connect to the Server
   Open the client, connect to the server’s address, and use your credentials to log in.

Bandwidth and Playback Settings

The media on this server is encoded in a very high-quality format: H.265 12-bit, which can require up to 120 Mbit/s for direct playback. Because Jellyfin struggles to automatically adjust streaming quality based on your network speed, it is recommended that you manually configure the bitrate for smooth playback.

Recommended Settings:

1. Run an internet speed test to determine your maximum stable speed.
2. In Jellyfin, go to Settings ➜ Playback ➜ Internet Quality and set the bitrate 10–20 Mbit/s lower than your tested speed.
3. If your internet is spotty and you are using the dedicated Jellyfin Media Player, try increasing the client cache in Settings ➜ Client Settings ➜ Cache Size ➜ Very Large.

Following these settings should help provide smoother playback.

Uhhh, where do the movies come from?

While you may think this media was found scattered across the seven seas, it is actually all personally owned in the 4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD disc format. Each disc was ripped using the software MakeMKV to obtain a bit-perfect copy of the media.