After 14 years with Plex, I finally moved my video library to Jellyfin. Why rising costs, feature restrictions and digital ownership pushed me towards FOSS.
This article doesn’t mention the limitations of remote access for Jellyfin, which requires some tricks like reverse proxy or Tailscale. I think Jellyfin is a great option if you only watch/listen on your home network, but if anyone wants to replicate the remote access capabilities of Plex, I typically warn them they are going to have to roll their sleeves up.
Not something that unfortunately works as easily for me to connect my ailing mom’s TV to, and do NOT want to manage the reverse proxy + cert + etc setup for a number of reasons
But Jellyfin! It solves all your problems, you don’t have to pay for it (because fuck paying for software of any type even if it provides you some value), and did I mention Jellyfin‽
Why aren’t you using it yet? Are you a plex sympathizer? Get outta here with that!
What?
I don’t care if you have a good use case for using plex / Emby / Kodi / VLC / WMC / etc; you will assimilate and use Jellyifn!
The point is that you now have another app to manage or learn about just for remote viewing, and the general public can’t and won’t manage something like that. People like us, no problem, its easy, but my dad would never be able to, for example. He can install plex and just log in to an app anywhere to use it though.
Also, dont forget that many households have non-static IP addresses, so now you need more management for that issue (again, easy for us).
You do then still have to expose JF to the open internet. That’s not without risk. Neither is Plex but they do make it a point to secure all their endpoints before login.
Yeah it can be more limiting. Personally I got lucky and my mom’s TV runs Android so I could just install a wireguard client.
I will probably at some point bridge her network with mine since I want to install a TrueNAS box at her house for remote backup. So the VPN client will be moot at that point.
Yes the solution is different hardware, like a Google TV, older firestick, raspAP, or flash openwrt on a router. But that’s no longer plug and play and may have other caveats. Besides costing money.
No shade, it’s just not QUITE that simple every time.
Making an account and giving it to uncle fred with a website address is a LOT easier than telling him to install an app on his phone/computer, inviting him via email, then trying to explain to him how to turn it on and off and telling him not to mess with the settings and route all his traffic through my home network.
Someone breakes in, then moves laterally to your home assistant running frigate to watch you sleep at night. Then uses your residential uplink as a proxy to resell on an open market.
After that, the possibilities are practically endless.
Yeah docker isn’t the isolation sandbox some people make it out to be. It’s not meant for that. You very well may have a setup that’s meant for that but it’s more than I’m willing to expose.
That seems like a rather arrogant tone to take. Reverse proxies are complicated. Easy to set up, but challenging to configure depending on what your needs are. Not everyone wants a homelab.
Everyone’s journey starts somewhere and sometimes people’s needs just don’t extend beyond the easier choices available.
You shouldn’t even have Jellyfin on a reverse proxy, because it shouldn’t be externally available. There are several known security vulnerabilities (all marked as “closed” due to inactivity on git) that the devs have said will likely never be patched. Because patching them requires breaking away from the Emby fork that the entire project is built on.
It should only be externally available via a private VPN. And that alone excludes a lot of “I want to share my library with friends/family” scenarios, because step 0 will be getting their devices connected to your VPN.
At the very least, set up some form of access control/username+PW directly on your reverse proxy as a secondary security measure. Because if you can reach the JF landing page, you can exploit those vulnerabilities without needing a valid JF login. So you should configure your reverse proxy to act as a gatekeeper, and ensure attackers can’t even reach JF at all without having a valid login to your reverse proxy. But this will break most JF apps (except for browsers) because they likely won’t have any way to give an initial user+pass to the reverse proxy before they hit the JF server.
There is a third option, the program that Jellyfin was originally forked from back in 2018, Emby.
Sort of the middle child between the two. Nearly identically to Jellyfin for obvious reasons, several third party apps for Jellyfin work with it as well like Jellyseer, it has apps for nearly every device, and easy external connections via their servers like Plex does.
They do however have a premium subscription system like Plex to support things like those servers. It’s not as expensive as Plex, even before the recent rate hike, but it is there and some stuff is locked behind that premium license.
So all the bad things of both, still a proprietary product that you can funnel your cotent through servers you don’t control while simultaneously not being plex.
I can’t recommend emby because their business practices are pretty scummy. After accepting open source contributions for years, they went closed-source in 2018 and took all those contributions with them (they had a CLA). The very next update, they added hardware acceleration and locked it behind a paywall. They had a pretty big ‘security incident’ a few years ago, which probably would have been averted if they were still open source, as users in the community flagged it as an issue long before the devs took action.
At this point if I were to switch from Plex I would go with Emby just because a bunch of sweaty nerds don’t simp over it every time Plex comes up in the news.
Honestly for video I agree, for audio, it’s just me and only in my house or phone so tailscale is fine. If my friends really want audio, they can pay streaming for it.
But Jellyfin! It solves all your problems, you don’t have to pay for it (because fuck paying for software of any type even if it provides you some value), and did I mention Jellyfin‽
Why aren’t you using it yet? Are you a plex sympathizer? Get outta here with that!
What?
I don’t care if you have a good use case for using plex / Emby / Kodi / VLC / WMC / etc; you will assimilate and use Jellyifn!
This article doesn’t mention the limitations of remote access for Jellyfin, which requires some tricks like reverse proxy or Tailscale. I think Jellyfin is a great option if you only watch/listen on your home network, but if anyone wants to replicate the remote access capabilities of Plex, I typically warn them they are going to have to roll their sleeves up.
You’re right, I missed that.
I personally use a reverse proxy and Wireguard setup to access remotely.
Not something that unfortunately works as easily for me to connect my ailing mom’s TV to, and do NOT want to manage the reverse proxy + cert + etc setup for a number of reasons
There are a ton of reverse proxy options that manage the cert for you
There’s lots of reasons I don’t want to set this up
But Jellyfin! It solves all your problems, you don’t have to pay for it (because fuck paying for software of any type even if it provides you some value), and did I mention Jellyfin‽
Why aren’t you using it yet? Are you a plex sympathizer? Get outta here with that!
What?
I don’t care if you have a good use case for using plex / Emby / Kodi / VLC / WMC / etc; you will assimilate and use Jellyifn!
JELLYFIN!!!11!1!1!1!1!. /s
Jellyfin once located my lost puppy. Which Plex had stolen.
I believe it! Emby probably kicked the dog whole plex stole it.
Damn, Jellyfin can swim through land, too.
Surprisingly, that is what the fin is for
I just wish they’d fucking take their security seriously and we could wipe plex out.
Me too. But they also need a lot more features.
Like Tautulli and Plexamp.
Jellystat isn’t bad for a Taut alternative
This is like the 3rd thread I’ve seen you have a complete meltdown when someone mentions Jellyfin.
Because it’s the app to use! Forget everything else!!! JELLYFIN!!!1!1!1!1!
(That’s what you all sound like)
The point is that you now have another app to manage or learn about just for remote viewing, and the general public can’t and won’t manage something like that. People like us, no problem, its easy, but my dad would never be able to, for example. He can install plex and just log in to an app anywhere to use it though.
Also, dont forget that many households have non-static IP addresses, so now you need more management for that issue (again, easy for us).
In this scenario, your dad just installs Jellyfin and logs in.
You’ve set up the reverse proxy to your server, its transparent to him.
You can update DNS records automatically so its also a fire and forget kind of thing.
But I guess, give your data to the corpos because its easier.
No, im talking about him running his own server. Not connecting to mine.
You do then still have to expose JF to the open internet. That’s not without risk. Neither is Plex but they do make it a point to secure all their endpoints before login.
Yeah it can be more limiting. Personally I got lucky and my mom’s TV runs Android so I could just install a wireguard client.
I will probably at some point bridge her network with mine since I want to install a TrueNAS box at her house for remote backup. So the VPN client will be moot at that point.
just syncthing it :)
Tailscale truly could not be easier/simpler.
Not for all clients, like Roku for example.
Yes the solution is different hardware, like a Google TV, older firestick, raspAP, or flash openwrt on a router. But that’s no longer plug and play and may have other caveats. Besides costing money.
No shade, it’s just not QUITE that simple every time.
Repectfully, I think you’re wrong.
Making an account and giving it to uncle fred with a website address is a LOT easier than telling him to install an app on his phone/computer, inviting him via email, then trying to explain to him how to turn it on and off and telling him not to mess with the settings and route all his traffic through my home network.
That is still one spot where plex holds an edge.
How does Plex get around that? I’ve only ever used jellyfin.
Plex operates TURN servers
Just fucking yeet it online
expected advice from typical JF users.
What’s the worst that can happen. Someone watches your movies
Someone breakes in, then moves laterally to your home assistant running frigate to watch you sleep at night. Then uses your residential uplink as a proxy to resell on an open market.
After that, the possibilities are practically endless.
It’s a rootless container. Chances are they are not going to do any of that.
Things are on the internet all the time.
Yeah docker isn’t the isolation sandbox some people make it out to be. It’s not meant for that. You very well may have a setup that’s meant for that but it’s more than I’m willing to expose.
Yup! That’s the worst thing that can happen. Now would you be so be kind as to send us the link to your private unsecured Jellyfin server?
I’m tempted to. But I’m not. Just because I dont want to fox my domain here.
Is running in a rootless podman container. I’m confident
Don’t selfhost if you think a reverse proxy is tricky.
That seems like a rather arrogant tone to take. Reverse proxies are complicated. Easy to set up, but challenging to configure depending on what your needs are. Not everyone wants a homelab.
Everyone’s journey starts somewhere and sometimes people’s needs just don’t extend beyond the easier choices available.
You shouldn’t even have Jellyfin on a reverse proxy, because it shouldn’t be externally available. There are several known security vulnerabilities (all marked as “closed” due to inactivity on git) that the devs have said will likely never be patched. Because patching them requires breaking away from the Emby fork that the entire project is built on.
It should only be externally available via a private VPN. And that alone excludes a lot of “I want to share my library with friends/family” scenarios, because step 0 will be getting their devices connected to your VPN.
At the very least, set up some form of access control/username+PW directly on your reverse proxy as a secondary security measure. Because if you can reach the JF landing page, you can exploit those vulnerabilities without needing a valid JF login. So you should configure your reverse proxy to act as a gatekeeper, and ensure attackers can’t even reach JF at all without having a valid login to your reverse proxy. But this will break most JF apps (except for browsers) because they likely won’t have any way to give an initial user+pass to the reverse proxy before they hit the JF server.
Theres not a single high risk security issue in there as far i can see. Can you point them out?
That’s why I’m running both. I use jellyfin, everyone else uses Plex 🤣
There is a third option, the program that Jellyfin was originally forked from back in 2018, Emby.
Sort of the middle child between the two. Nearly identically to Jellyfin for obvious reasons, several third party apps for Jellyfin work with it as well like Jellyseer, it has apps for nearly every device, and easy external connections via their servers like Plex does.
They do however have a premium subscription system like Plex to support things like those servers. It’s not as expensive as Plex, even before the recent rate hike, but it is there and some stuff is locked behind that premium license.
So all the bad things of both, still a proprietary product that you can funnel your cotent through servers you don’t control while simultaneously not being plex.
I can’t recommend emby because their business practices are pretty scummy. After accepting open source contributions for years, they went closed-source in 2018 and took all those contributions with them (they had a CLA). The very next update, they added hardware acceleration and locked it behind a paywall. They had a pretty big ‘security incident’ a few years ago, which probably would have been averted if they were still open source, as users in the community flagged it as an issue long before the devs took action.
At this point if I were to switch from Plex I would go with Emby just because a bunch of sweaty nerds don’t simp over it every time Plex comes up in the news.
Look at me guys, I’m contrarian! Look! Look!
Ironically, this kind of response is exactly what I’m talking about.
If you can spin up a podman container, you can use a caddyfile. Hell, if you can nano and read, you can set uo a caddyfile.
Honestly for video I agree, for audio, it’s just me and only in my house or phone so tailscale is fine. If my friends really want audio, they can pay streaming for it.
A reverse proxy is a trick? That’s like standard practice for web servers.
But Jellyfin! It solves all your problems, you don’t have to pay for it (because fuck paying for software of any type even if it provides you some value), and did I mention Jellyfin‽
Why aren’t you using it yet? Are you a plex sympathizer? Get outta here with that!
What?
I don’t care if you have a good use case for using plex / Emby / Kodi / VLC / WMC / etc; you will assimilate and use Jellyifn!
JELLYFIN!!!11!1!1!1!1!. /s