Plex vs Jellyfin: Which is better for your Home Lab?

Plex vs Jellyfin: Choosing the Right Media Server for Your Home Lab

Welcome, fellow system administrators and digital hoarders! Today, we delve into the world of self-hosted media servers, pitting two titans against each other: Plex and Jellyfin. Both offer powerful solutions for organizing and streaming your personal media library, but they cater to slightly different needs and philosophies. This guide will walk you through the key considerations and provide step-by-step instructions to help you choose the best option for your home lab.

The Fundamental Question: Are you willing to pay for enhanced convenience and a polished user experience, or do you prefer a fully open-source solution with complete control?

Understanding the Core Concepts:

• Media Server: Software that organizes, catalogs, and streams your movies, TV shows, music, and photos to various devices.
• Transcoding: Converting media files to formats compatible with different devices, often requiring significant processing power.
• Metadata: Information about your media files (titles, actors, descriptions, artwork) used for organization and display.
• Home Lab: A personal environment for experimentation and learning, often involving servers, networking, and custom configurations.

Prerequisites

Before we dive into the details, let's ensure you have the necessary groundwork in place.

1. Hardware:
   • A server or computer to run the media server software. Minimum requirements depend on your library size and transcoding needs. Think at least an Intel Core i3 or equivalent with 8GB of RAM. For heavy transcoding, a CPU with a higher passmark score is recommended.
   • Hard Drive(s): Crucially, you'll need sufficient storage space to house your media library. This is where a reliable, high-capacity hard drive like the Western Digital WD Red Pro shines.
   • Network connectivity (preferably a wired connection for better performance).
2. Operating System:
   • Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, CentOS are popular choices), Windows, or macOS. This guide will primarily focus on Linux (Ubuntu) as it's a common server operating system.
3. Docker (Optional but Recommended): Using Docker containers simplifies installation and management of both Plex and Jellyfin. Install Docker Engine and Docker Compose:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl software-properties-common
   curl -fsSL https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu/gpg | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg
   echo "deb [arch=$(dpkg --print-architecture) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/docker-archive-keyring.gpg] https://download.docker.com/linux/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) stable" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/docker.list > /dev/null
   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install docker-ce docker-ce-cli containerd.io docker-compose-plugin
   

   Verify Docker is running:

   sudo systemctl status docker
   

4. A Media Library: You'll need some movies, TV shows, or music to populate your server. Ensure they are properly named for automatic metadata retrieval. Follow naming conventions like "Movie Title (Year).mp4" or "TV Show Name - S01E01.mp4".

Step-by-Step Instructions: Setting Up Plex

1. Plex Account and Server Software:

• Go to the Plex website (https://www.plex.tv/) and create a free account. While Plex offers a paid subscription (Plex Pass), the free version is sufficient for many users.
• Download the Plex Media Server software for your operating system from the Plex website.

2. Installing Plex on Ubuntu (Without Docker):

• Download the .deb package.
• Open a terminal and navigate to the directory where you downloaded the file.
• Install Plex using the following command:

  sudo dpkg -i plexmediaserver_*.deb
  

• If you encounter dependency errors, run:

  sudo apt-get install -f
  

• Verify Plex is running:

  sudo systemctl status plexmediaserver
  

3. Installing Plex with Docker:

• Create a directory for your Plex configuration (e.g., /opt/plex):

  sudo mkdir /opt/plex
  sudo mkdir /opt/plex/config
  sudo mkdir /opt/plex/transcode
  sudo chown -R <your_user>:<your_user> /opt/plex  # Replace <your_user> with your username
  

• Create a docker-compose.yml file in /opt/plex with the following content (adjust paths as needed):

  version: "3.8"
  services:
    plex:
      container_name: plex
      image: plexinc/pms:latest
      restart: unless-stopped
      ports:
        - "32400:32400"
        - "3005:3005"
        - "8324:8324"
        - "32469:32469"
        - "1900:1900/udp"
        - "32410:32410/udp"
        - "32412:32412/udp"
        - "32413:32413/udp"
        - "32414:32414/udp"
      environment:
        - PLEX_CLAIM=<your_claim_token> # Get this from Plex.tv/claim
        - PLEX_UID=<your_user_id> # Your Linux User ID
        - PLEX_GID=<your_group_id> # Your Linux Group ID
        - TZ=<your_timezone> # e.g., America/Los_Angeles
      volumes:
        - /opt/plex/config:/config
        - /opt/plex/transcode:/transcode
        - /path/to/your/media:/data # Replace with the actual path to your media
      networks:
        - plex_network
  
  networks:
    plex_network:
      driver: bridge
  

  • Important: Replace <your_claim_token>, <your_user_id>, <your_group_id>, <your_timezone>, and /path/to/your/media with your actual values. You can find your User ID (PLEX_UID) and Group ID (PLEX_GID) by running the id command in your terminal. Get the claim token by visiting https://www.plex.tv/claim.

• Start the Plex container:

  cd /opt/plex
  docker-compose up -d
  

4. Configuring Plex:

• Open a web browser and navigate to http://<your_server_ip>:32400/web.
• Log in with your Plex account.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your Plex Media Server, including:
  • Naming your server.
  • Adding your media libraries. Specify the directories where your movies, TV shows, and music are stored. Plex will automatically scan these directories and download metadata.
  • Configuring transcoding settings. Adjust these based on your server's hardware capabilities and the devices you plan to stream to.

Step-by-Step Instructions: Setting Up Jellyfin

1. Installing Jellyfin on Ubuntu (Without Docker):

• Add the Jellyfin repository to your system:

  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates gnupg
  wget -O - https://repo.jellyfin.org/jellyfin_team.gpg.key | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/jellyfin.gpg
  echo "deb [arch=$( dpkg --print-architecture ) signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/jellyfin.gpg] https://repo.jellyfin.org/ubuntu $(lsb_release -c) main" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jellyfin.list
  

• Update your package list and install Jellyfin:

  sudo apt update
  sudo apt install jellyfin
  

• Verify Jellyfin is running:

  sudo systemctl status jellyfin
  

2. Installing Jellyfin with Docker:

• Create a directory for your Jellyfin configuration (e.g., /opt/jellyfin):

  sudo mkdir /opt/jellyfin
  sudo mkdir /opt/jellyfin/config
  sudo mkdir /opt/jellyfin/cache
  sudo chown -R <your_user>:<your_user> /opt/jellyfin # Replace <your_user> with your username
  

• Create a docker-compose.yml file in /opt/jellyfin with the following content (adjust paths as needed):

  version: "3.8"
  services:
    jellyfin:
      image: jellyfin/jellyfin:latest
      container_name: jellyfin
      user: <your_user_id>:<your_group_id> # Replace with your User and Group ID
      network_mode: host # Use host networking for easier discovery
      volumes:
        - /opt/jellyfin/config:/config
        - /opt/jellyfin/cache:/cache
        - /path/to/your/media:/data  # Replace with the actual path to your media
      restart: unless-stopped
  

  • Important: Replace <your_user_id>, <your_group_id>, and /path/to/your/media with your actual values. Using network_mode: host simplifies network configuration, but it's important to understand its implications.

• Start the Jellyfin container:

  cd /opt/jellyfin
  docker-compose up -d
  

3. Configuring Jellyfin:

• Open a web browser and navigate to http://<your_server_ip>:8096.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to set up your Jellyfin server, including:
  • Creating an administrator account.
  • Adding your media libraries. Specify the directories where your movies, TV shows, and music are stored. Jellyfin will automatically scan these directories and download metadata.
  • Configuring metadata downloaders. Jellyfin uses various online sources to retrieve metadata.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues and Solutions:

• Plex/Jellyfin can't find my media: Ensure the user running the Plex/Jellyfin process (or the Docker container) has read permissions to your media directories. Check file permissions using ls -l /path/to/your/media.
• Transcoding errors: Verify your server has sufficient CPU power for transcoding. Consider using hardware acceleration (if available) by enabling it in the server settings.
• Metadata not downloading: Double-check your media naming conventions. Ensure your files are named according to standard practices (e.g., "Movie Title (Year).mp4"). Also, verify your server has internet access.
• Docker container not starting: Review your docker-compose.yml file for errors. Use docker-compose logs to view the container's output and identify the issue. Ensure the correct user and group IDs are used.
• Plex Claim Token Issues: If you encounter difficulties claiming your Plex server, ensure you are logged in to the same Plex account in your web browser as you are using to claim the server. Clear your browser's cache and cookies, and try again.
• Network Connectivity Issues: Verify that the ports used by Plex or Jellyfin are open in your firewall.

Plex vs Jellyfin: A Comparison

Conclusion

The choice between Plex and Jellyfin ultimately depends on your priorities.

• Choose Plex if: You value a polished user experience, ease of use, and are willing to pay for extra features like live TV and DVR.
• Choose Jellyfin if: You prioritize a fully open-source solution, privacy, and extensive customization options. You are comfortable with a slightly steeper learning curve.

Both are excellent platforms, and you can even try both to see which best fits your needs. Remember to properly organize your media library and ensure your server has adequate hardware resources for a smooth streaming experience. Now go forth and build your ultimate home media server!

Call to Action

As mentioned earlier, the foundation of any good media server is ample storage space. Are you tired of running out of room for your movies and TV shows? Do you want to ensure reliable and fast access to your media? Then it's time to upgrade your storage with the Western Digital 16TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive. With its massive capacity, 7200 RPM speed, and CMR technology, it's the perfect solution for building a robust and performant media server. Click the link below to learn more and take your home lab to the next level!

Link to Western Digital 16TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive (Replace with actual affiliate or product link)

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