2024-12-14, 05:36 AM
I am fairly new to Jellyfin, and media server in general, so I am hoping my fresh user experience will help you a little.
Yes, My server is running on Debian, but it has 4 separate network shares. everything form Samba, NFS, and ISCSI, (I was playing around learning things don't judge!). On the Jellyfin server you can create Libraries, the default Movie, TV, etc. you just tell Jellyfin that Y:\Movies gets put into the Movies Library and it will scan and populate the list for you. This work with Video, music, and apparently Images, as well as books and such. I have only used it for video files, so I cant speak on the other functions.
Jellyfin does use the nfo files associated with the media, there are options so safe image paths and such, There is also an option to upload your own images to associate with a particular file. I have not played with this enough to know if you can auto import all of your artwork from the start or not.
I am a bit lost, I assume that the N100 will be the Jellyfin server? if so Sure I don't see why not. Jellyfin is software that runs in the background, so I supposed if you connect to local host from the app or web browser it should work. Some one with more knowledge would be able to answer this one better, but I don't see why it would not work.
Not sure this would be done in the same manor as you are doing it now. again someone with more experience may be able to answer this better. But if I was doing something like this, I would have a main "admin" user, and then either a user for each device, or just a 2nd user that logs into all the other devices. You could then set the admin user to have access to a "Test Library", and that library points to a folder on your Desktop PC. once the file is there, Jellyfin scans it and its available for viewing to only users that have access to that library. once you verify you can move the media to the NAS and Jellyfin will see it there and do its thing. There may be a better way, but that's the only way I can think of.
So from doing a quick search on KODI (never used it before), KODI and Jellyfin/Plex are fundamentally different types of software. From what i understand, KODI is more of a media player, it is the software that reads the media file, and then produces the video for you to watch. Where Jellyfin is a media server. Jellyfin manages all of the media, the organization, metadata, etc. and then "live feeds" that file to a client that is only responsible for putting the image on the screen (ok much more complicated then that but at the lowest general level). Jellyfin will automatically trans code a video to what ever resolution/bitrate the client requests. so if the server is hosting a 4k video with Atmos audio, but you are watching it on a small android phone, it will trans code it on the fly to a reasonable resolution and audio bitrate. this also mean where with KODI (as far as i can tell, let me know if I'm wrong) every device needs access to the share folders, where with Jellyfin, only the server has, and needs access to the NAS
I have been using Jellyfin for almost 6 months now and I have had multiple users watching things from multiple locations with no issues. I have also played video on anything from an old Roku, Chromebox, even things like a Steam Deck, no install required, just go to a website and log in.
I hope this helped.
Quote: I think where JellyFin and Plex confuse me is, what do they do? seems like Kodi with adding art and info, but, Kodi was just point at a folder and done. None of the server/client part so, kinda confused by what the server does?On the most basic over simplified level, Jellyfin is essentially a self hosted streaming service. The server creates a website that you can log into from most any web browsers and stream your movies, just like any other streaming service. There are multiple native clients that will connect to your server so you don't have to use the web interface, of if that is not possible on that device (Roku, android, full list in the Jellyfin client download page), in most cases like windows desktop the client is optional. You can chose to use the web interface or the App.
Quote: - Can I install Win11 on the N100, and setup mapped network drives like I have on my Desktop PC, and when setting up Jellyfin Server. just point to my Y:\Movies and Z:\Television drives?
Yes, My server is running on Debian, but it has 4 separate network shares. everything form Samba, NFS, and ISCSI, (I was playing around learning things don't judge!). On the Jellyfin server you can create Libraries, the default Movie, TV, etc. you just tell Jellyfin that Y:\Movies gets put into the Movies Library and it will scan and populate the list for you. This work with Video, music, and apparently Images, as well as books and such. I have only used it for video files, so I cant speak on the other functions.
Quote: - Can I tell JellyFin to use the local info or would I need to delete all my artwork/nfo files and have JellyFin do it all?
Jellyfin does use the nfo files associated with the media, there are options so safe image paths and such, There is also an option to upload your own images to associate with a particular file. I have not played with this enough to know if you can auto import all of your artwork from the start or not.
Quote: - Since the N100 will sit beside my primary TV and NAS, can I connect the HDMI direct from the N100 to the TV and play movies from it? Since the N100 has hardware decoding for 264/265/AV1? and on the living room TV install a Jellyfin app on the GoogleOS and no longer need the android box at all?
I am a bit lost, I assume that the N100 will be the Jellyfin server? if so Sure I don't see why not. Jellyfin is software that runs in the background, so I supposed if you connect to local host from the app or web browser it should work. Some one with more knowledge would be able to answer this one better, but I don't see why it would not work.
Quote: - On my Desktop PC, I have a SHARE folder. When I compress files with Handbrake I dump the files there first, and KODI connects to it, not as a Movie or TV folder, just a video folder that doesn't get scraped. I use it to test videos before dumping to the NAS to see if they work, how they look, if I need to adjust compression up/down etc... can I connect JellyFin in the same way to this folder? Live, unscraped folder that my TV can see but not the living room?
Not sure this would be done in the same manor as you are doing it now. again someone with more experience may be able to answer this better. But if I was doing something like this, I would have a main "admin" user, and then either a user for each device, or just a 2nd user that logs into all the other devices. You could then set the admin user to have access to a "Test Library", and that library points to a folder on your Desktop PC. once the file is there, Jellyfin scans it and its available for viewing to only users that have access to that library. once you verify you can move the media to the NAS and Jellyfin will see it there and do its thing. There may be a better way, but that's the only way I can think of.
So from doing a quick search on KODI (never used it before), KODI and Jellyfin/Plex are fundamentally different types of software. From what i understand, KODI is more of a media player, it is the software that reads the media file, and then produces the video for you to watch. Where Jellyfin is a media server. Jellyfin manages all of the media, the organization, metadata, etc. and then "live feeds" that file to a client that is only responsible for putting the image on the screen (ok much more complicated then that but at the lowest general level). Jellyfin will automatically trans code a video to what ever resolution/bitrate the client requests. so if the server is hosting a 4k video with Atmos audio, but you are watching it on a small android phone, it will trans code it on the fly to a reasonable resolution and audio bitrate. this also mean where with KODI (as far as i can tell, let me know if I'm wrong) every device needs access to the share folders, where with Jellyfin, only the server has, and needs access to the NAS
I have been using Jellyfin for almost 6 months now and I have had multiple users watching things from multiple locations with no issues. I have also played video on anything from an old Roku, Chromebox, even things like a Steam Deck, no install required, just go to a website and log in.
I hope this helped.