Turning Raspberry Pi into Jellyfin Media Player Box?

https://lemmy.ml/post/1728887

Jellyfin Media Player is the main desktop app, but if I were you I’d probably set it up with LibreElec and use the Jellyfin Kodi plugin, since you’re looking for sort of a console-ized setup for your non-techie friend.

Now all that said, the Roku app is great and you could definitely just get your friend a Roku Streaming Stick+ and set up the JF app on it for them.

This approach seems like it will get me close to what I’m trying to achieve.
It’s probably the best solution. Unfortunately you won’t have access to the real jellyfin UI

True, though you could grab a Kodi theme that’s “close enough” if you’re so-inclined.

For instance, if you use a version of LibreElec with Kodi 19 “Matrix” on it, you could grab the Embuary skin for it, which is based on the Emby web-ui, which Jellyfin is forked off of originally

Embuary (Matrix) | Nexus | Addons

Embuary skin by Sualfred

I found the DietPi OS to be great for getting a media server going. Alternatively, just install a lightweight OS, install docker, then set up Sonarr / Radarr / Prowlar / Overseerr (or Jellyseerr) / a torrent client / Jellyfin using docker. Make sure you transfer the OS off the memory card though, they eventually corrupt if you run the OS off them. Not sure about a remote, Plex let’s you use the android app to fling media to another Plex app on the same network, maybe Jellyfin has similar?
If I’m not mistaken, this post isn’t asking about setting up a separate server instance, but setting up a Pi as a dedicated client for OP’s friend to access OP’s server.
Precisely. I made an edit earlier to clear that up.
If you’re using a 3b just be aware that hevc and x265 files won’t play properly.

FYI, hevc is a name for the codec and x265 is just a name for one of the encoders into hevc (AKA h265) format.

They’re kinda-sorta the same thing.

TIL. Thank you.
You’re welcome! It’s relatively niche stuff and the naming is pretty much a hot mess lol

libreelec.tv/downloads/

osmc.tv/download/

These both run Kodi which can run Jellyfin

Downloads - LibreELEC

Just enough OS for KODI

Which one of those do you suggest over the other?
LibreElec is lighter, so I’d generally agree with GPT4 on this one. It can be slightly more involved to set up, but there’s good documentation for the Pi in particular, so it’s not like it’s hard to pull off.
take one of the mediaplayer distos. they are easy to set up and quite robust. there are jellyfin plugins for kodi. but you probably won’t have exactly the same ui with kodi.