Use your Raspberry Pi as a home theater server.
And … Action!
![© Lead Image © andre266, 123RF.com © Lead Image © andre266, 123RF.com](/var/linux_magazin/storage/images/issues/2024/282/jellyfin/andre266_123rf-movie_film.png/838271-1-eng-US/andre266_123rf-Movie_Film.png_medium.png)
© Lead Image © andre266, 123RF.com
The top dogs in the media server space now face some competition from Jellyfin, a relatively young project that impresses with a number of innovations.
Kodi [1] and Plex [2] are well known, mainly because of their availability on multiple platforms. Although you can easily run Kodi on virtually any Linux derivative, Plex also supports many network-attached storage (NAS) systems, which you can use as media servers while providing huge storage capacity for multimedia content. Jellyfin [3], which was first released in 2018 and is derived from the Emby media server, also focuses on Linux as a platform but supports the Flatpak package management system and Docker container environments, as well. The newcomer is also suitable for use on the Raspberry Pi, meaning you can use the small computer as an energy- and space-saving media server for your home theater.
Like the Plex Media Server, Jellyfin is a client-server application. Client applications that retrieve and play content from the server are available for all popular desktop operating systems, but also for mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. The easiest way to play multimedia content from the Jellyfin server, though, is to open it in a web browser. You do not have to install a browser extension or dedicated client software, which makes the playback method an ideal choice for desktop systems.
In contrast to Plex, Jellyfin works without forcing you to have a connection to a cloud server. The Jellyfin media server can provide content without an Internet connection, which means you can use offline and online sources at the same time. Another Jellyfin advantage is the license model. The Plex Media Server vendor sells Plex under what is known as a freemium model that only lets you access the basic functions free of charge. Extended features are only available if you have a commercial Plex Pass, and some apps require users to pay an activation fee. Moreover, US-based Plex reserves the right to collect customer data and share it with partners. The aim is to serve up advertising in a more targeted manner. Jellyfin, on the other hand, is completely free and does not market any user data.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
![Learn More](https://www.linux-magazine.com/var/linux_magazin/storage/images/media/linux-magazine-eng-us/images/misc/learn-more/834592-1-eng-US/Learn-More_medium.png)
News
-
NVIDIA Released Driver for Upcoming NVIDIA 560 GPU for Linux
Not only has NVIDIA released the driver for its upcoming CPU series, it's the first release that defaults to using open-source GPU kernel modules.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 24.07 Released
If you’re into rolling release Linux distributions, OpenMandriva ROME has a new snapshot with a new kernel.
-
Kernel 6.10 Available for General Usage
Linus Torvalds has released the 6.10 kernel and it includes significant performance increases for Intel Core hybrid systems and more.
-
TUXEDO Computers Releases InfinityBook Pro 14 Gen9 Laptop
Sporting either AMD or Intel CPUs, the TUXEDO InfinityBook Pro 14 is an extremely compact, lightweight, sturdy powerhouse.
-
Google Extends Support for Linux Kernels Used for Android
Because the LTS Linux kernel releases are so important to Android, Google has decided to extend the support period beyond that offered by the kernel development team.
-
Linux Mint 22 Stable Delayed
If you're anxious about getting your hands on the stable release of Linux Mint 22, it looks as if you're going to have to wait a bit longer.
-
Nitrux 3.5.1 Available for Install
The latest version of the immutable, systemd-free distribution includes an updated kernel and NVIDIA driver.
-
Debian 12.6 Released with Plenty of Bug Fixes and Updates
The sixth update to Debian "Bookworm" is all about security mitigations and making adjustments for some "serious problems."
-
Canonical Offers 12-Year LTS for Open Source Docker Images
Canonical is expanding its LTS offering to reach beyond the DEB packages with a new distro-less Docker image.
-
Plasma Desktop 6.1 Released with Several Enhancements
If you're a fan of Plasma Desktop, you should be excited about this new point release.