From Plex to Jellyfin: A decade of media streaming migration
Tech journalist shares his decade-long journey with Plex and why he switched to the open-source Jellyfin alternative, finding a more focused local media experience.
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Self Hosting
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I built a 4K Jellyfin server from an old gaming PC, and it transcodes everything I throw at it
A tech journalist repurposes an old gaming PC into a Jellyfin server that smoothly transcodes 4K media for home streaming.
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The best home server OS in 2026 isn't trying to be a NAS at all
Proxmox emerges as the top home server OS in 2026, offering versatility beyond traditional NAS systems through virtualization and container support.
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Most Pi-hole setups leak your browsing to your ISP — here's the encryption layer that stops it
Most Pi-hole setups only block ads locally but leave DNS traffic visible to ISPs. Learn how to add encryption with a self-hosted dnscrypt-proxy solution.
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Open-source app Zublo lets users see exactly how much they spend on subscriptions
Zublo is a self‑hosted open‑source app that lets users track every recurring expense, offering a private dashboard, multi‑currency support and optional AI insights.
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Your old laptop is a decent entry-level Proxmox server – if you respect its limits
Revive your old laptop as a Proxmox server for home lab projects, but respect its thermal and power limitations to avoid damage.
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I tried running a full desktop OS inside a browser tab, and it actually works for real work
Puter is a free, open-source project that lets you run a full desktop OS inside a web browser, complete with file management, apps, and tools for real work.
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I've stopped recommending Plex to newcomers, because Jellyfin is ready for families now
Jellyfin has added hardware transcoding, offline downloads and multi‑user support for free, narrowing the gap with Plex, which still offers smoother remote access and a polished experience for a monthly fee.
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Immich is the first self-hosted app I've used that actually feels better than its cloud alternative
Immich proves self-hosted software can outperform cloud alternatives with faster UI, better privacy, and no subscription fees for unlimited photo storage.
