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Tips, updates, and guides from the JellyWatch team.

173 articles

Best NAS for Jellyfin in 2026: Synology vs QNAP vs Asustor vs DIY (Buying Guide)
2 min read 1482

Best NAS for Jellyfin in 2026: Synology vs QNAP vs Asustor vs DIY (Buying Guide)

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.

Jellyfin Scheduled Tasks: Stop Background CPU Spikes (Optimization Guide 2026)
2 min read 382

Jellyfin Scheduled Tasks: Stop Background CPU Spikes (Optimization Guide 2026)

Jellyfin runs dozens of background tasks that can spike CPU and cause buffering during playback. This guide explains every task, which to disable, how to reschedule heavy tasks (Trickplay, Intro Skipper, chapter extraction) to run overnight, and how to monitor their impact.

Jellyfin Fail2Ban Setup Guide (2026): Block Brute-Force Login Attacks Automatically
2 min read 71

Jellyfin Fail2Ban Setup Guide (2026): Block Brute-Force Login Attacks Automatically

Protect your internet-exposed Jellyfin server from brute-force login attacks with Fail2Ban. Covers installation, Jellyfin log parsing, jail configuration, Docker setup, and Cloudflare integration.

Jellyfin on Windows 2026: Install, Hardware Transcoding & Run as a Service (Windows 10/11)
3 min read 85

Jellyfin on Windows 2026: Install, Hardware Transcoding & Run as a Service (Windows 10/11)

Run and optimize Jellyfin on Windows 10/11 in 2026. Covers installation as a Windows Service, Intel QSV and NVIDIA NVENC hardware transcoding, firewall rules, Windows Defender exclusions, sleep prevention, and remote access via Cloudflare Tunnel or Tailscale. Not to be confused with Windows Server - this guide targets home desktop PCs.

Fix Jellyfin Slow UI: Dashboard Lag, Library Loading Issues, and Metadata Browsing Speed (2026)
3 min read 669

Fix Jellyfin Slow UI: Dashboard Lag, Library Loading Issues, and Metadata Browsing Speed (2026)

Jellyfin dashboard taking forever to load? Library browsing feels sluggish? This guide covers the real causes - slow metadata storage, EF Core 10.11 regressions, large library enumeration, plugin overhead, and database bloat - with proven fixes.

Fix Jellyfin Not Connecting: Connection Refused, Server Unreachable, and Network Issues (2026)
2 min read 615

Fix Jellyfin Not Connecting: Connection Refused, Server Unreachable, and Network Issues (2026)

Cannot connect to your Jellyfin server? This troubleshooting guide covers firewall rules, Docker networking, port conflicts, SSL certificate errors, DNS issues, and reverse proxy misconfigurations - with step-by-step fixes.

Fix Jellyfin No Sound: Audio Not Working, Missing Audio Tracks, and Codec Issues (2026)
3 min read 111

Fix Jellyfin No Sound: Audio Not Working, Missing Audio Tracks, and Codec Issues (2026)

Jellyfin playing video but no audio? This guide covers every cause - unsupported codecs like TrueHD and DTS, wrong audio track selection, client compatibility, transcoding failures, and passthrough settings - with fixes for each scenario.

Fix Jellyfin Not Finding Media: Library Empty, Missing Movies, and Scan Issues (2026)
4 min read 877

Fix Jellyfin Not Finding Media: Library Empty, Missing Movies, and Scan Issues (2026)

Jellyfin library showing empty after adding media? Movies not appearing after a scan? This complete troubleshooting guide covers every cause - file permissions, naming errors, Docker volume mapping, NAS mount issues, and metadata scan failures - with step-by-step fixes.

Best Free Media Server Software in 2026: Jellyfin and 7 Alternatives Compared
3 min read 2842

Best Free Media Server Software in 2026: Jellyfin and 7 Alternatives Compared

Looking for the best free media server in 2026? Compares Jellyfin, Plex free tier, Emby free tier, Kodi, Dim, Universal Media Server, Stremio, and Navidrome - features, limitations, and recommendations.