How To Create A Media Streaming Server Using An Old Computer

Building your own media server is one of the most rewarding home tech projects you can do. With a media server, you can store movies, TV shows, music, and photos in one place and stream them to devices anywhere in your home or even remotely.

Two of the most popular media server platforms are Jellyfin and Plex. While both accomplish similar goals, Jellyfin is fully open-source and free, whereas Plex offers additional premium features through a paid subscription.

This guide will show you how to build a Jellyfin media server on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS, explain why you might want to do it, and discuss the hardware requirements for a smooth experience.

Why Build Your Own Media Server?

Before diving into installation steps, it’s helpful to understand why people build media servers instead of using streaming services.

1. Own Your Media Library

Streaming platforms constantly remove content or rotate catalogs. A personal media server allows you to:

  • Keep permanent access to your movies and shows
  • Organize your own library
  • Stream media without internet dependency

2. No Subscription Fees

With Jellyfin, there are:

  • No monthly fees
  • No feature paywalls
  • No account tracking or analytics

Everything runs locally on your own hardware.

3. Stream Anywhere

A Jellyfin server allows you to watch your media on:

  • Smart TVs
  • Phones
  • Tablets
  • Computers
  • Streaming devices

There are official apps for platforms like Jellyfin Mobile, and clients for devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Roku Streaming Stick.

4. Privacy

Unlike commercial services, Jellyfin does not collect analytics or track your viewing habits.

Your server stays entirely under your control.

Hardware Requirements

Your server hardware will determine how many users can stream simultaneously and whether video transcoding is possible.

Minimum Hardware (1–2 users)

  • CPU: Dual-core processor
  • RAM: 4 GB
  • Storage: 500 GB or more
  • Network: Gigabit Ethernet recommended

This setup works for direct play streaming where the client device supports the video format.

Recommended Hardware (3–5 users)

  • CPU: Quad-core CPU (Intel i5 or Ryzen equivalent)
  • RAM: 8–16 GB
  • Storage: Multiple terabytes
  • GPU: Optional hardware acceleration

Hardware transcoding can significantly improve performance.

Common CPUs used in home servers include:

  • Intel Core i5‑12400
  • AMD Ryzen 5 5600G

These processors provide enough power for multiple streams.

Storage Considerations

Media collections grow quickly.

Typical sizes:

  • Movie: 5–30 GB
  • TV season: 20–100 GB
  • 4K movie: 50–100 GB

A typical home server may use:

  • 4 TB – Small library
  • 8 TB – Moderate library
  • 20+ TB – Large collections

Popular storage drives include the Seagate IronWolf NAS Hard Drive and Western Digital Red Plus.

Installing Ubuntu 24.04

First, you need a server operating system.

Download Ubuntu 24.04 LTS from Ubuntu’s official website and install it on your machine.

Recommended installation options:

  • Install OpenSSH server
  • Enable automatic updates
  • Create a non-root admin account

After installation, update the system.

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade -y

Keeping the system updated ensures compatibility and security.

Installing Jellyfin

Now you can install the media server.
The best way is through the official Jellyfin repository.

Step 1: Install Required Dependencies

Install necessary packages:

sudo apt install apt-transport-https ca-certificates curl gnupg -y

These allow Ubuntu to access secure repositories.

Step 2: Add the Jellyfin Repository Key

Next, import the repository signing key.

curl -fsSL https://repo.jellyfin.org/jellyfin_team.gpg.key | sudo gpg –dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/jellyfin.gpg

This ensures packages are verified and trusted.

Step 3: Add the Repository

Create a repository source file.

echo “deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/jellyfin.gpg] https://repo.jellyfin.org/ubuntu $(lsb_release -cs) main” | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/jellyfin.list

This tells Ubuntu where to download Jellyfin packages.

Step 4: Install Jellyfin

Update the package index again.

sudo apt update

Then install the server.

sudo apt install jellyfin

Ubuntu will download and install the full media server.

Starting the Jellyfin Server

After installation, the service starts automatically.
You can confirm the server is running.

sudo systemctl status jellyfin

If necessary, start it manually:

sudo systemctl start jellyfin

Enable auto-start on boot:

sudo systemctl enable jellyfin

Your server will now launch automatically whenever Ubuntu starts.

Accessing the Jellyfin Web Interface

Once the server is running, open a web browser on any device connected to your network.

Navigate to:

http://SERVER-IP:8096

Example:

http://192.168.1.50:8096

You will see the Jellyfin setup wizard.

Initial Server Setup

The first launch includes a guided configuration process.

Step 1: Create Administrator Account

Choose:

  • Username
  • Password

This account controls the entire server.

Step 2: Configure Media Libraries

Media libraries organize your content.

Common libraries include:

  • Movies
  • TV Shows
  • Music
  • Photos

Example directory structure:

/media/movies
/media/tv
/media/music

Add each directory to the corresponding library.
Jellyfin will automatically scan files and download metadata.

Step 3: Configure Metadata

Jellyfin pulls movie posters, cast lists, and descriptions from online databases.
These include providers like The Movie Database and TheTVDB.
Metadata makes your server look like a professional streaming service.

Organizing Your Media Files

Proper file naming helps Jellyfin detect media correctly.

Examples:

Movies:
Movies/
  Inception (2010).mkv
  Interstellar (2014).mp4

TV shows:
TV Shows/

  Breaking Bad/
  Season 01/   
  Breaking Bad – S01E01.mkv

Clear naming ensures correct metadata matching.

Enabling Hardware Acceleration

Hardware acceleration improves streaming performance.
This allows video transcoding to use your GPU instead of the CPU.

If using Intel graphics:
Install drivers:

sudo apt install intel-media-va-driver

Then enable hardware acceleration inside Jellyfin settings.
This can dramatically reduce CPU load during streaming.

Allowing Remote Streaming

By default, Jellyfin works only on your home network.
To stream outside your home, you must configure port forwarding.

Forward port:

8096

From your router to the server’s internal IP address.
For secure connections, consider setting up HTTPS using a reverse proxy such as Nginx.

Installing Jellyfin Apps

Clients allow you to watch media on other devices.

Popular options include:

  • Jellyfin Mobile (Android/iOS)
  • Jellyfin Media Player (desktop)
  • Smart TV apps

After logging in, your media library will appear automatically.

Comparison: Jellyfin vs Plex

While both are excellent platforms, there are key differences.

Jellyfin

Advantages:

  • Completely free
  • Open source
  • No tracking
  • Unlimited streaming

Disadvantages:

  • Smaller ecosystem
  • Fewer official apps

Plex

Advantages:

  • Polished interface
  • Many client apps
  • Strong remote streaming tools

Disadvantages:

  • Paid features
  • Requires account registration

Many users choose Jellyfin because it gives them full control over their server.

Maintaining Your Server

Running a home server requires occasional maintenance.

Update the server

sudo apt update
sudo apt upgrade

Monitor disk space

Media libraries grow quickly.
Check available storage:

df -h

Backup metadata

Jellyfin stores metadata in:

/var/lib/jellyfin

Backing this directory preserves user accounts and settings.

Expanding Your Media Server

Once your server is running, you can enhance it with additional tools.

Popular additions include:

  • Sonarr – TV show automation
  • Radarr – Movie automation
  • Bazarr – Subtitle management

These tools automatically organize and update your media collection.

Setting up a media server with Jellyfin on Ubuntu 24.04 LTS is a powerful way to take control of your digital media library. With relatively inexpensive hardware and open-source software, you can create a personal streaming platform that rivals commercial services.

Once configured, your server allows you to:

  • Stream movies and TV shows anywhere
  • Organize massive media libraries
  • Avoid subscription costs
  • Maintain full privacy and ownership

With the right hardware, proper storage planning, and regular maintenance, a Jellyfin server can run reliably for years and become the central hub of your home entertainment system.