Like Plex and Emby, Jellyfin aims to make it easier for you to organize, manage and share your multimedia files (video, music, photo…) with your friends and family. Launched in December 2018, this multimedia server 100% free (open source) evolves month after month. Jellyfin, an alternative to Plex?
Jellyfin, the outsider
In the beginning, there was XMBC which became Kodi. The software remains a reference in multimedia content management, thanks to its powerful multimedia player. Although it works very well locally, it is complicated to use when you are at a distance. Plex offers an alternative to Kodi and above all has the capabilities to work remotely. It is often compared to a clever mix of Netflix and Spotify. Plex pays for itself whenever you want to use it on the go (smartphone or tablet). Finally, we have Emby (less well known) which looks like Plex. In 2018, it too has shifted to a subscription-based business model.
That’s when Jellyfin was born to offer a 100% free solution for everyone (from Emby). Since its launch, the team of Jellyfin has never ceased improving this tool. It was necessary to go through a long phase of cleaning the source code… and a phase of improvement/optimization. During 2 years, the team did not juggle on these 2 tables by bringing also new features.
Considered as an outsider, the latest improvements (database, interface, performances, SyncPlay to watch a video with friends in different places, compatibility with Infuse, Kodi, Android Auto support…) make it a solid alternative to consider. Today, Jellyfin has nothing more to do with Emby… and flies on its own wings. The functioning remains the same, one DLNA compatible server and one client of the other one like for example your favorite web browser, mobile and tablet application… Hardware acceleration is well supported, which makes it easy to transcode 1080p or 4k videos. If you tried Jellyfin more than a year ago, it would be interesting to look at it again. There is some good, even very good, even if there are still some improvements expected especially in Ultra HD/4K to make it perfect
Your media, wherever you are
Jellyfin lets you watch your media from a web browser on your computer, apps on your Roku, Android, iOS (including AirPlay), Android TV, or Fire TV device, or via your Chromecast or existing Kodi installation
If the last official update dates back to August 2020, the project continues to evolve, and many new features should not be long in coming (Samsung and LG TV applications, Xbox one and PS4). For more information, go to the official website… and to test it, it’s here.
