Tips, updates, and guides from the JellyWatch team.
The Intel N100 dominated budget Jellyfin servers. Now the N150 and upcoming successors push performance further. Compare specs, transcoding benchmarks, and find out if it is time to upgrade your media server.
The Raspberry Pi 5 with an NVMe HAT finally solves the Pi storage bottleneck. But does it make the Pi 5 a viable Jellyfin server in 2026? We benchmarked library scan speed, metadata loading, Direct Play performance, and compared it head-to-head against the Intel N100 mini PC. Includes NVMe HAT installation, Docker setup, and honest recommendations for when the Pi 5 is enough and when you should spend $50 more on an N100.
How much electricity does your Jellyfin server actually use? We measured real-world power draw with a Kill-A-Watt meter across 8 common setups: Intel N100, N305, Synology NAS, old laptop, desktop PC, Raspberry Pi 5, Nvidia Shield, and a full rack server. Includes idle vs transcoding watts, annual electricity cost, and the break-even point for upgrading hardware.
Which GPU gives the most transcodes per dollar for Jellyfin? Compares Intel Arc A380/A770, NVIDIA GTX 1650 to RTX 4060, and AMD RX 6600 to RX 7600 with real-world benchmarks, tone mapping quality, and AV1 support.
Which NAS should you buy for Jellyfin in 2026? This buying guide compares Synology, QNAP, Asustor, and DIY builds - focusing on hardware transcoding support, Docker compatibility, Intel vs AMD CPUs, and price-to-performance.
Find the perfect mini PC for your Jellyfin server. We compare Intel N100, N150, N305, and Arc-equipped models on transcoding power, 4K HDR support, power consumption, and price.
AV1 promises 30% better compression than HEVC - but is it ready for your Jellyfin library in 2026? This guide covers which GPUs decode and encode AV1, real quality comparisons vs HEVC, client compatibility gaps, and the honest verdict: stay with H.265 for most users, use AV1 only if all clients support it.
CPU vs GPU? Intel vs NVIDIA? AV1 vs HEVC? Learn how to configure the perfect transcoding setup for smooth 4K HDR playback anywhere.
