Desktop client not using jellyfin-web

[kamimi]

I wanted to share a concern that I believe many of us might have encountered while using Jellyfin. Most of my library is encoded in H.265 and some other codecs that aren't directly compatible with web browsers. As a result, I can only watch this content through apps like the Android TV app or the third-party Findroid for mobile, excluding the convenience of viewing it on the desktop using the Jellyfin web interface.

Currently, the options to watch this content on desktop are quite limited, and it involves using some hacky methods like Kodi or AutoHotkey. However, I haven't personally confirmed whether these methods are still effective, and I've only seen them mentioned in various discussions.

Moreover, transcoding is not a viable solution for me and many others, as my server is equipped with a Celeron N5105 processor, which is not able to handle the transcoding process efficiently.

Therefore, I want to propose the idea of having a simple, dedicated non-web player within Jellyfin. Having such a player would be a game-changer for users like me, who face codec compatibility issues while trying to enjoy content from the desktop.

Thanks

[crobibero]

Does Jellyfin Media Player fit what you’re looking for?

https://github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin-media-player

[kamimi]

Does Jellyfin Media Player fit what you’re looking for?

https://github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin-media-player

I did not bother trying that one until now since it says it is based on the web player.
I can not play h.265/hevc in any normal browser but for some reason it works in that client even though it is based on "jellyfin-web".
I guess my request is resolved, thanks haha

[crobibero]

The first line in the readme:

> Desktop client using jellyfin-web with embedded MPV player.

[TheDreadPirate]

....Most of my library is encoded in H.265 and some other codecs that aren't directly compatible with web browsers....
...
Moreover, transcoding is not a viable solution for me and many others, as my server is equipped with a Celeron N5105 processor, which is not able to handle the transcoding process efficiently.
...

For the record, the N5105 can 100% handle transcoding HEVC.  My J4205 is older and less capable than your N5105 and handles transcoding like a champ.  3-4 1080P transcode streams, no problem.  And most of my library is HEVC, as well.

Having said that, I had to move my server to Linux (initially Windows) to get the performance I described.

[kamimi]

For the record, the N5105 can 100% handle transcoding HEVC.  My J4205 is older and less capable than your N5105 and handles transcoding like a champ.  3-4 1080P transcode streams, no problem.  And most of my library is HEVC, as well.

About half of my liblary is 4k but even 1080p content would just lag like crazy last time i tried. Is there a guide to configuring transcoding you could link me to maybe i did it wrong last time? Also I'm wondering if it's possible to set up transcoding in a way that avoids processing 4K content?

[TheDreadPirate]

About half of my liblary is 4k but even 1080p content would just lag like crazy last time i tried. Is there a guide to configuring transcoding you could link me to maybe i did it wrong last time? Also I'm wondering if it's possible to set up transcoding in a way that avoids processing 4K content?

https://jellyfin.org/docs/general/admini...ows-setups
https://jellyfin.org/docs/general/admini...nux-setups

If your server is on Windows, that likely explains why you're having performance issues with transcoding.  My server was initially on Windows 10, but Windows Defender would hog the CPU when I served up files.  Even if I was just direct playing.  Switching to Linux resolved all the performance issues.

It sounds like using the desktop Jellyfin Media Player currently makes this a non-issue.  But, if you are already familiar with Linux, or are tech savvy enough to learn, it's something to think about for the future.