I guess its as the title asks, is it worth hosting Jellyfin if you already have a DLNA server set up?
I’ve had a basic DLNA server running for over 5 years and just set up jellyfin about a month ago and it’s an absolute game changer. It has the functionality of a good streaming service except using your own media. It searches databases and matches it to your files so you get some really good images with the interface and information about the media. Plus it remembers what you’ve watched and how far you are into episodes and movies. Which is perfect if you have two or more TVs or devices you watch on.
It’s changed my partners preferences on how they watch shows. They hated watching anything on my server because they have ADHD and it’s impossible for them to figure out what they were watching and where they were in it, not to mention trying to navigate my lack of organizing anything. Jellyfin fixes that. Now I just plop a show into the shows folder, or a movie in the movie folder and it’s dealt with.
Yes and no.
I prefer Jellyfin for watching on desktop and iphone because it’s got a much nicer UI than plain DLNA for exploring my library.
For watching through my LG TV, I use DLNA because the TVs web browser is a shittier UI than its native media player.
I would love a good Jellyfin client for LG TVs.
I have an lg TV, and have plugged in a Chromecast and a Fire stick. Jellyfin can stream to Chromecast and the app is available on fire TV to connect to your server. I’m switching to a linux based living room PC at the moment for more privacy. I’ve also tinkered with raspberry Pi in the past and it works well with Jellyfin.
There are so many options, you honestly don’t have to be held back by LG.
Ignore difficulty of setting up, but which device is easier for non-technical people to use with a remote control?
I’d recommend the Chromecast.
You can install the Jellyfin app for Android TV and it works really well. Additionally, if you use YouTube, you can sideload SmartTube, which removes ads and auto-skips sponsored segments on some videos.
I have this setup for my parents, if that gives you an idea of how well it works for “non-technical” people. At home I have a similar setup except I’m using the Nvidia shield, which is pricier, but I would recommend it if you have a 4k TV - it uses “AI” (ML, really) to upscale content to 4k and it works really well.
When you say you use this for your parents, are they connecting to your home jellyfin server?
I’m running Plex right now for me and my parents, and I’ve had to do practically no network shenanigans, it just works. I’m beginning to worry about the direction Plex is going though, so I’m looking into jellyfin. But I’ve read that configuring remote access can be more complicated.
Yeah, its available to close family. There’s a few guides out there on how to set up external access. Might be a bit difficult if you’re not familiar with the technical stuff, but you should give it a go anyways if you’ve got some time to spend.
Thanks!
In my experience the jellyfin app on my LG TV works phenomenally. The media app is absolutely horrendous, it takes several minutes to list media files every time a new folder is opened.
Jellyfin has been a game changer specifically in keeping track of what I’ve watched and how far into an episode or movie I am. Everything else is a bonus.
They have an app in the LG store? I could only find it through browser or DLNA.
If you have lg webos 5 yes. Not 4.5 or earlier.
I have a version 4.0 LG 🥹
Yeah i know because i got 4.5… but i must say the browser works perfectly fine with the magic wand remote.
I do love the remote.
Interesting. I’m going to check that out tonight.
There’s a Jellyfin app for webos, but the garbage store does not really let them to publish/update it. You can get an up to date version from the store app called Homebrew Channel.
This store app can also handle rooting related things, but that’s not needed for Jellyfin, and both can be installed on a nonrooted TV.
That’s an other question that the TV will regularly delete these apps until you root it… but take it as an “evaluation period” haha, if you like the app there are a few ways to make the app persistent.As the owner of an LG TV, this comment was surprisingly specific in its value to me. Thanks for the info.
You can install the jellyfin app for older versions of LG WebOS, but you have to build and install it from a computer. Aside from that minor inconvenience, the app is pretty great.
Do you know if the same is true for Samsung Tizen? I tried to install latest but it failed - was already planning on picking up a Fire stick to run it.
I don’t know about tizen, but in my experience, the fire stick is pretty shit at running jellyfin. Have had good experiences with Roku devices though.
