Getting started with Jellyfin

Jellyfin is a free, open-source app for watching the movies and TV shows on our server. It has no ads, no paid upgrades and no account with an outside company: your login lives only on our server.

What you’ll find here: two libraries, Movies and TV Shows, the same titles as in Plex.

Plex or Jellyfin?

Use whichever you like; you can use both. Jellyfin is a good choice if you’d rather not create a Plex account, or if Plex gives you trouble on a device. Your watch progress is not shared between the two.

1. Get your login

The server admin creates your Jellyfin account and sends you:

• Server address: https://jelly.ourshelfmedia.com
• Username
• Temporary password

You don’t sign up anywhere yourself.

2. Try it in your browser first

1. Go to jelly.ourshelfmedia.com.
2. Sign in with your username and temporary password.
3. Change your password right away: click the person icon at the top right → Profile → Password.

If that works, you’re ready to install an app.

3. Install an app

When an app asks for a server address, enter https://jelly.ourshelfmedia.com (with https://), then your username and password.

Device	Recommended app
Web browser	jelly.ourshelfmedia.com, nothing to install
iPhone / iPad	Swiftfin (free, App Store), or Infuse (polished; some features need a subscription)
Apple TV	Swiftfin or Infuse
Android phone / tablet	Jellyfin (Google Play)
Google TV / Android TV / Fire TV	Jellyfin for Android TV (Fire TV: Amazon Appstore, search “Jellyfin”)
Roku	Jellyfin (Roku Channel Store)
Samsung / LG smart TVs	Not always available in the TV’s store. Use a streaming stick, or the TV’s web browser
Mac / Windows	The website works well; Jellyfin Media Player is an optional desktop app

Using Infuse?

Add the server as Jellyfin (not “Plex” or “SMB”), with the same address and login.

4. Find your way around

• Home shows Continue Watching, Next Up (the next episode of shows you’re watching) and recently added titles.
• Libraries: tap Movies or TV Shows to browse; use filters to sort by genre, year or rating.
• Favorites: tap the heart on any title.
• Search: the magnifying glass at the top.

5. Settings worth changing

Open the person icon → Settings (on TV apps: the gear on the home screen).

• Playback → Maximum streaming bitrate: set to Auto or the highest option on a good connection. Low values force the server to convert the video.
• Playback → Preferred audio language: English (most titles are in their original language).
• Subtitles → Subtitle mode: Smart shows subtitles only when the audio isn’t in your language. Choose Always if you like subtitles on.
• Home: reorder or hide sections so the rows you use are on top.

6. Asking for something new

Request movies and shows at request.ourshelfmedia.com. It signs in with a Plex account, so if you don’t have one, ask the admin to make the request for you. New titles appear in Jellyfin on their own, usually within a day.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Try this
The app can’t find the server	Type the full address https://jelly.ourshelfmedia.com. Don’t add a port number like :8096.
“Invalid username or password”	Usernames are case-sensitive. If you’ve forgotten your password, ask the admin to reset it.
A video won’t play or keeps buffering	Raise or lower Maximum streaming bitrate (see step 5), or try the same title in a different app (Swiftfin ↔ Infuse, or the web browser).
Subtitles are missing or out of sync	Choose a different subtitle track during playback. Report the title to the admin if none work.
Server is down	It may be restarting or updating (Sunday mornings). Wait 10 minutes. If it lasts longer, tell the admin.

Need help?

Contact the server admin: {{ADMIN_CONTACT}}

Include your username (never your password), the device and app you’re using, and what you were watching.

House rules

• Your account is for you and your household. Please don’t share your login.
• Use a strong password you don’t use anywhere else.
• The server lives in someone’s home on a home internet connection, so please go easy on simultaneous streams and bulk downloads.