this post was submitted on 19 Mar 2025
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We are also changing how remote playback works for streaming personal media (that is, playback when not on the same local network as the server). The reality is that we need more resources to continue putting forth the best personal media experience, and as a result, we will no longer offer remote playback as a free feature. This—alongside the new Plex Pass pricing—will help provide those resources. This change will apply to the future release of our new Plex experience for mobile and other platforms.

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[–] [email protected] 483 points 17 hours ago (15 children)
[–] [email protected] 75 points 16 hours ago (42 children)

Alright, so I have had Jellyfin installed for years now, but my primary issue is that most devices myself or my users use lack official, readily-available clients. For example, the Samsung TV app is a developer mode install. Last I looked, nobody has put a build into the store.

I really want to use Jellyfin, but I feel like my users simply can't. I'm interested in others' experiences here that could help.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 4 hours ago

I can speak from my experience with an Apple TV, the application "Infuse" works amazing with a jellyfin server. Though the application is essentially $1 month subscription, but works across all your apple devices, if you have any. I think it's worth it.

Additionally, the official app for Android TV worked pretty well when I last tried it on an Nvidia Shield

[–] [email protected] 70 points 16 hours ago (18 children)

I mean, except for Tizen OS isn't most available? You can find the client for Android, Android TV, Windows, Linux (Flatpak), macos, apple ios, and more.
https://jellyfin.org/downloads/clients/

[–] [email protected] 21 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

I give all my friends the choice between Plex and jellyfin (I run both containers side by side pointed to the same media folders) and they all invariably choose Plex. I think it has a lot to do with the jellyfin UI, and I think an overhaul like jellyfin-vue or something that looks like findroid needs to happen in order for jellyfin to really appeal to regular people.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 14 hours ago

Yeah, I've written some custom css to get some better wrapping of libraries and such.
There's also the community themes worth looking into.
https://jellyfin.org/docs/general/clients/css-customization/#community-themes

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[–] [email protected] 41 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

Don’t ever connect a “smart” tv to the internet. It’s only going to become shit and steal your data.

Raspberry Pi, old pc or any kind of other external player will always be better for connectivity and control.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 16 hours ago (11 children)

I agree, but having looked down this road, finding a quality external player that users will understand and is inexpensive is ... not easy.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 hours ago

$20 Walmart Onn 4k. Degoogle it if you want or just slap smarttube and jellyfin/plex on it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 9 hours ago

Pi running Kodi/libreelec

[–] [email protected] 9 points 13 hours ago

I mean that literally appletv. Barely costs more than a Roku and is vastly better than every other device on the market.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 15 hours ago

If you’re an Apple user the AppleTV is exactly this. It’s probably Apple’s most fairly priced computing device.

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

While I agree with you 100% and every tv in my home is under this mantra I get where the parent comment is coming from. Family members and friends visiting have asked about access to my Jellyfin library and they aren’t necessarily keen on buying additional hardware, aren’t willing to educate themselves on setting up options that would be objectively better for connectivity, privacy, control, etc.

They just want an app in their TVs app store. It’s convenient and easy. I disagree with them but I don’t blame them. It’s human nature to go for the option that results in expending the least amount of effort. But then they don’t get my sweet Jellyfin library. If you cant run the client or kodi then I can’t help you, sorry.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Remember when programming a VCR was a stand-up comedy joke?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Yes and I also remember when there were stupid things like early universal remotes that had big timers on them to circumvent the internal programming needs (but then you had to program the remote and sync it)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 hour ago

Managing your own AV equipment has always been a pain in the ass.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 16 hours ago (2 children)

A Chromecast TV device might fill your gap. There is a jellyfin android TV build in the app store and it works with every TV. Just costs about 50 dollarydoos

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (7 children)

I had the same experience with my parents. They have a Samsung TV and the Jellyfin experience was awful.

I ended up getting them a little N100 mini pc and installed Bazzite and the Jellyfin app from Flathub. You can configure it so it knows it’s on a TV, and responds to keyboard controls. I got them a remote from a company called Pepper Jobs that gives keyboard input and now they have a great experience with it. Even my mom, who’s a big technophobe, loves it.

My dad also has an LG TV in his workshop that doesn’t have a working Jellyfin app (cause it’s ten years old), and he uses the Jellyfin app for his Xbox on that one.

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 16 hours ago (8 children)

any recommendations to get it to work remotely? the good thing about plex was it was easy to set up, but the quality was medicore.

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