this post was submitted on 23 Feb 2025
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I've feel like I've used Plex forever. I also feel like every couple years I try Jellyfin to see how it's going. Recently I tried it again because of Plex restriction on more than one user.

Well, I just tried it again and it's substantially improved! This time it actually properly detected most of my library!

Also the Android TV app is AWESOME! No more glitches, lagging, and freezing trying to play my stuff like Plex did. It is butter smooth.

Wow! I'm impressed and I just deleted Plex. Good riddance.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I don't have that restriction on Plex? I have 30+ remote users and 4 in home users not counting myself and there is no restrictions what so ever. All can strea 4k without issue. Could you explain more?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (2 children)

OP probably doesn't have a plex pass.

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Also the Android TV app is AWESOME!

What do you run Android TV on? Raspberry Pi? My cheapo solution has been to use an old Android phone that supports DP alt mode (USB-C to HDMI adapter) combined with a USB hub + generic air mouse/remote + customized launcher.

It actually works surprisingly well. I installed FCast on it, so it even works like a Chromecast. If I'm watching a video on my phone using Grayjay, I can just cast it to the phone and it will start playing automatically. The only thing stopping it from being perfect is that it can't turn the TV on automatically. As a plus, since the phone has a battery, it's always powered on so I don't have to wait for stuff to boot, and it uses relatively little power.

... but overall it's janky and finicky, and the OEM bloatware is probably spying on me, so I've been looking for alternatives that can match the good parts of this setup.

I don't like Raspberry Pis for this because they're overpriced. I have a couple that I could use for this, but I'm hoping to find a cheaper solution, and one that I can recommend to friends/family when they ask. (the Android phone I'm using cost me a total of $15 on ebay)

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[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Maybe I need it give it another chance, but 3 months ago it was still hot garbage compared to plex

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Jellyfin is great but, to be fair, anything is better than Plex.

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Wait - what restrictions on Plex?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (2 children)

Multiple home users, hardware transcoding, media downloads on mobile...

https://support.plex.tv/articles/202526943-plex-free-vs-paid/

I use Plex BTW , but lurking Jellyfin for some time, just not so easy to setup or comparability for my shared users.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

That don't seem to apply to plex pass. Those limitations. I have a plex pass

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[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 month ago

Unless therer was some major update in the last 6 months I've missed, I'd say no ... not even close.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago (4 children)

The only thing about jellyfin is the damn subtitles. Subtitle sync is horrible. They added a subtitle offset feature last year which was a good workaround and then removed it a few months ago on androidtv and android. Now the subtitle offset on the web player doesn't do anything anymore either

Even Subgen generated subtitles, which are pretty perfectly in sync in reality, are sometimes played back at an incorrect speed so it will progressively get more and more out of sync, but there is no way to tell what speed the subtitles are being played at.

Also it just ignores themes a lot of times or only displays themes on the admin console and nowhere else.

That said, jellyfin is still amazing!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

subtitles offset works here even on latest version, both android tv, android and browser

if you don't have the option on android, check that the player used is the right one, you will find that in settings

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[–] [email protected] 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Recently I tried it again because of Plex restriction on more than one user.

What do you mean by this? I don’t recall seeing anything about a change like this.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (3 children)

anybody have a guide for an old laptop

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Depends, does it have a gpu? What OS do you use? Do you want to run it in docker or are you ok with just installing the server app?

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[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 month ago (3 children)

I might have to check out Jellyfin. Can you run both at the same time?

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I don't see any reason why you couldn't with default settings. Beware of enabling any setting that stores data next to the media like nfo metadata storage, as those could maybe cause conflicts.

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Plex is unbelievably slow to start and navigate through my huge library on my TV. Jellyfin flies.

The search is also much better on Jellyfin on my TV, because I can use the system keyboard which supports voice to text via the remote. Plex on the other hand has no debouncing, so pressing each key just makes a new search and it's slow as sh—.

I also had it outperform Plex when Plex couldn't play an audio language track where Jellyfin could.

However, it doesn't seem like Jellyfin is as good at figuring out duplicates/versions of the same media? It shows up as two identical posters of the same thing without any discernible info until you step into the media page of the thing (movie/episode).

All in all, a very good complement to, if not replacement for, Plex. 8/10. I'm proud of them!

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Out of curiosity, which Plex client are you using?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I use the one for WebOS on my LG TV.

The web client and Android client are lighting fast compared to the TV. Like normal apps loading normal content.

The TV app on the other hand takes like 20 seconds just to get past the splash screen, and then another maybe 10 seconds to show first content. And navigation is laggy af. Just absolutely brutal.

Someone once said this is intentional to get you to buy new TVs. I don't know. Not all apps do this. Jellyfin e.g.

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

i only wish jellyfin would add chapter titles and hover cards (maybe thats in the new thumbs now? I haven't yet migrated because lazy lmao)

and that they fix the weird UI shenanigans from it's emby days. Some QOL shit would be nice, auto sorting so that its not manually default to the stupidest setting ever. and the other usual shit.

I'm still having issues with my client freezing on playback of high bitrate video (like heavy 4K content) but transcoding down fixes that, im not sure what causes that, something gets caught up i guess, a refresh fixes it though.

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

Honestly ever since Plex started going the enshittification route and hocking their fucking bullshit instead of just being a home server it's been irritating the shit out of me. The only thing they aren't doing at this point is adverts live vids.

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

Been using Plex for a couple years now, and the experience is mostly unchanged for me, once you disable the online media sources.

Genuinely curious, what are some enshittified dealbreaker features for you that they've introduced?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The 'Plex suggestions', the constant return of rental prices when doing a search instead of just my media library. I had to remove a bunch of menu items they automatically added without my cosent during their last major update which seems to be when it all started. The search bit is especially angering because it's lagging load times as it's searching these online sources for rentals I don't want instead of just pulling up the returns on my local media server. If there's a setting disabling it I must have missed it because when they introduced the garbage I immediately scoured the settings to try and turn it off. Those are the main two off the top of my head.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Agree with the search load times, and the TV app is a little frustrating to navigate. But I don't see that as enshittification, just lacking polish.

As for the suggestions, I know you mentioned you don't Plex anymore, but leaving this here just in case it helps: Settings --> online media sources --> disable everything. You'll have to save each setting though, it's annoying design. But once I did this I didn't see any of that crap on my app.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Thanks! I appreciate it. I actually do still use it, my comment was just more toward the changes they've made and my perceived inability to remove or change it.

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