Can anybody lead me down the right path on this…?
I run a jellyfin server and I’d like to utilize a raspberry pi as the equivalent of a roku box / fire stick but for my jellyfin server.
I’m setting this up for a friend as a gift. He isn’t very tech savvy so I wanted to make it user-friendly. I’m looking into buying a usb remote control as well.
I love the jellyin UI so it would be cool to stick with that.
What are my options? It would be ideal if the pi boots up right into the browser/player app and can be accessed/controlled via the remote like roku or similar.
EDIT: I wanted to specify that I already have a media server. This pi would serve as a client for viewing only. It will stream from the main server.
If you’re using a 3b just be aware that hevc and x265 files won’t play properly.
FYI, hevc is a name for the codec and x265 is just a name for one of the encoders into hevc (AKA h265) format.
They’re kinda-sorta the same thing.
TIL. Thank you.
You’re welcome! It’s relatively niche stuff and the naming is pretty much a hot mess lol
Jellyfin Media Player is the main desktop app, but if I were you I’d probably set it up with LibreElec and use the Jellyfin Kodi plugin, since you’re looking for sort of a console-ized setup for your non-techie friend.
Now all that said, the Roku app is great and you could definitely just get your friend a Roku Streaming Stick+ and set up the JF app on it for them.
https://libreelec.tv/downloads/
These both run Kodi which can run Jellyfin
take one of the mediaplayer distos (LibreELEC, …). they are easy to set up and quite robust. there are jellyfin plugins for kodi. but you probably won’t have exactly the same ui with kodi.
Commenting here for traction. Having *arr apps, a VPN, and jellyfin running on a Pi would be a great gift.
I found the DietPi OS to be great for getting a media server going. Alternatively, just install a lightweight OS, install docker, then set up Sonarr / Radarr / Prowlar / Overseerr (or Jellyseerr) / a torrent client / Jellyfin using docker. Make sure you transfer the OS off the memory card though, they eventually corrupt if you run the OS off them. Not sure about a remote, Plex let’s you use the android app to fling media to another Plex app on the same network, maybe Jellyfin has similar?
Make sure you transfer the OS off the memory card though, they eventually corrupt if you run the OS off them.
I’ve been running my 3B’s OS off the card since 2018, lol.
I gotta keep it plugged into a UPS because if it loses power it kills it and I have to reinstall which is a PITA, but I’ve never had any trouble otherwise (knock wood). It’s been a Plex server now for like two years.
