Leaving Plex? Keep the easy parts.
Jellyfin, set up right. In one click.
Get the ease you're used to on free, open-source Jellyfin. Reelhost sets up watching away from home, logins for your family, your folders and live TV, and fixes what's wrong in plain words. Every change is previewed, backed up and reversible.
Works with Jellyfin on Windows 10/11. Scanning and previews are free; pay only when you want Reelhost to apply the fixes.
- PreviewedSee every change, and the file it touches, first.
- Backed upThe old settings are saved before anything changes.
- ReversibleRestore any fix from its backup in one click.
- Hands off the restPlex, Emby and your media files are never modified.
The problem
Jellyfin is free and excellent. Setting it up is the hard part.
Plex does the setup for you. Jellyfin leaves it to you: firewall rules, router settings, certificates, DNS, power settings, video acceleration and XML files.
None of this is hard for a network engineer. Reelhost is for everyone else.
Trying Jellyfin next to Emby on the same PC? It gets worse: both servers want the same port, both answer on your network, and both write artwork into the same folders. Reelhost sorts that out too.
- Write a firewall rule that allows only your home network
- Buy a domain, point DNS home, get a certificate, forward a port
- Stop Windows sleeping, without breaking battery settings
- Turn on hardware acceleration and pick the formats your GPU decodes
- Change the account the Jellyfin service runs as
- Find a TV guide and match it to your tuner's channels
- Find what owns port 8096, then edit network.xml
- Turn off discovery so apps stop finding the wrong server
- Find the DLNA plugin setting that clashes with Emby
- Change each library so it stops writing into media folders
What it fixes
Ten checks. Each one is a bar in the strip.
A broken check shows no signal. Reelhost tells you what's wrong in two sentences, shows exactly what the fix will change, and lights the bar when it's done.
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Firewall
Windows Firewall quietly blocks phones and TVs at home from reaching Jellyfin.
The fix: adds one rule that lets in devices on your home network, and nobody else.
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Watching away from home
Remote access usually means port forwarding, certificates, DNS and a reverse proxy.
The fix: private access with Tailscale, or a public address at yourname.watchhome.app. How it works
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Sleep settings
Plugged in, Windows often sleeps after 30 to 45 minutes. Then nobody can watch, at home or away, and recordings are missed.
The fix: stops sleep when plugged in. The screen can still turn off, battery settings stay as they are, and Restore puts the old timer back.
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Video speed
Out of the box, Jellyfin converts video for phones and viewers away from home on the processor, which stalls and buffers.
The fix: finds your graphics (Intel Quick Sync, NVIDIA NVENC or AMD AMF), tests that it really works with Jellyfin's own video engine on this PC, and only then turns it on, with the formats it can decode.
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Network drives
Jellyfin's Windows service can't see mapped drives like Y:, so libraries on a NAS or another PC come up empty.
The fix: runs Jellyfin as you, so it sees the same drives you do.
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Antenna TV
Your HDHomeRun tuner works, but Jellyfin doesn't have it, or its guide is empty.
The fix: adds the tuner with SiliconDust's free two-day guide, matched to every channel and kept up to date. More
Running Emby on the same PC?
Four more checks keep the two servers out of each other's way. Without Emby, they show as not needed.
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Web port
Emby and Jellyfin both want port 8096, so each device reaches one or the other depending on how it connects.
The fix: moves Jellyfin to a free port, so both servers run side by side.
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Server discovery
When an app searches your network, Emby and Jellyfin both answer, so apps can find the wrong server.
The fix: turns off Jellyfin's discovery. You type its address into each app once.
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TV media list (DLNA)
Both servers show up in your TV's media list and compete for the same network port.
The fix: turns off Jellyfin's DLNA and leaves Emby's in place. You can choose to keep it.
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Artwork in media folders
When Emby and Jellyfin share folders, both write artwork and info files there and overwrite each other's.
The fix: keeps Jellyfin's artwork inside Jellyfin, library by library.
Coming next Coming soon
- One-click Jellyfin upgrade
- Mac and Linux
Beyond the check-up
Everything else, without Jellyfin's dashboard.
The everyday jobs that send people digging through settings pages, done in Reelhost with a form or two.
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People
Add family members in one form. Reelhost suggests an easy-to-type password, and you choose home only or away too, and all libraries or just some.
Then it makes a card with their address, user name and a QR code to send them.
Signing in a TV? Type the 6-digit Quick Connect code it shows into Reelhost. No typing passwords with a remote.
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Folders
Pick a folder on this PC, an external drive or a network drive.
Reelhost works out whether it's movies, shows, music or photos, makes sure Jellyfin is allowed to read it, checks it isn't already added, and adds it.
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Free TV
Live channels that broadcasters stream for free, like news, public TV, science and weather, added to Jellyfin with a TV guide. No antenna needed.
Official streams only: every channel links to the broadcaster's own page.
Reelhost's service keeps it current: channels that stop working drop out, guides refresh, and new channels can arrive on their own. Numbers start at 101, so they never clash with antenna channels.
Watch anywhere
Your own web address. Nothing to buy, nothing to configure.
Reelhost gives your server an address like yourname.watchhome.app and does everything behind it. Open it on your phone at work, on hotel Wi-Fi or on 5G, and your library is there.
- The addressyourname.watchhome.app, ready to use. No domain to buy.
- DNS that follows youWhen your home internet address changes, your web address follows it.
- An HTTPS certificateIssued and renewed automatically, so browsers show the lock.
- Your router, opened for youReelhost opens the port on your router automatically (UPnP).
- A check from outsideReelhost confirms the address works before it calls the job done.
watchhome.app points your name at your home. It never sees your video.
Your video, straight from your PCName lookup only
Just my devices
Private, with Tailscale
- Install the free Tailscale app on each phone, tablet or laptop
- Works on 5G and any Wi-Fi
- Nothing on your PC is reachable from the internet
- Best for you and your household
A web address you can share
yourname.watchhome.app
- Works in any browser and in the Jellyfin apps
- Nothing to install on the devices
- Address, DNS, certificate and router handled for you
- Best for family and friends in other homes
No video passes through our servers. It streams straight from your PC.
Antenna TV
Live TV, with a guide that fills itself in.
Got an HDHomeRun? Reelhost finds it on your network, adds it to Jellyfin, and fills the guide with SiliconDust's free two-day listings, matched to every channel. Then it keeps the guide fresh on its own, even with Reelhost closed.
Measured on our own test PC with an HDHomeRun CONNECT 4K. Your channels depend on where you live. Guide data comes from SiliconDust, the maker of HDHomeRun.
No antenna? Free TV adds live channels over the internet, numbered from 101 so they sit beside antenna channels without clashing.
How it works
Scan, review, apply. Undo anytime.
Scan
Open Reelhost and the check-up runs in a few seconds. Free, and it changes nothing.
Review
See every change in plain words, with the file it touches, before anything happens.
Apply
Reelhost stops Jellyfin, backs up its settings, writes the fix, restarts Jellyfin and confirms it answers.
Restore anytime
Every Apply makes a backup. Restore puts Jellyfin's settings back exactly as they were.
Safety
Careful by design.
Reelhost only changes what you approve, writes it down first, and can put it all back.
- PreviewedEvery change is listed, with the file it touches, before anything runs.
- Backed up and reversibleEach Apply saves the old settings first. Restore puts them back, firewall rule and sleep timer included.
- Checked afterwardsReelhost restarts Jellyfin and waits until it answers before saying it's done.
- Plex, Emby and your media are never modifiedReelhost changes Jellyfin's settings, Windows' plugged-in sleep timer, its own firewall rule and its own helpers. Nothing else.
- Works offlineAfter you activate it once, fixes and restores need no internet connection.
- Jellyfin stays free and untouchedReelhost is a separate tool that works with Jellyfin. It doesn't include or change Jellyfin's program.
Pricing
Look for free. Pay when you want it fixed.
Download Reelhost and run the check-up. You'll see every problem and every change it would make before you pay anything.
Free check-up
See exactly what's wrong before you spend anything.
$0
No account, no card.
- The full check-up scan
- Every problem explained in plain words
- A preview of every change and the file it touches
Yearly
Everything Reelhost does, while you're subscribed.
$15a year
Cancel anytime.
- Every fix, applied in one click
- People, folders and Free TV
- Your yourname.watchhome.app address
- Backups and one-click restore
- New fixes and updates as they ship
Lifetime
Pay once. Keep everything for the life of the product.
$49once
The same as 3.3 years of Yearly. Then it's free.
- Every fix, applied in one click
- People, folders and Free TV
- Your yourname.watchhome.app address
- Backups and one-click restore
- Updates for the life of the product
Each license works on two computers. Prices in US dollars. Sales tax or VAT is added at checkout where it applies.
Reelhost, doing it yourself, or Plex Pass
Three ways to get a home media server that just works, including away from home.
| Compare | Reelhost | Doing it yourself | Plex Pass |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you pay | $49 once, or $15 a year | Nothing, plus a domain name if you want a public address | $69.99 a year, or $749.99 for lifetime |
| Your server | Keep Jellyfin and your libraries | Keep Jellyfin and your libraries | Move to Plex Media Server |
| Watching away from home | Private with Tailscale, or yourname.watchhome.app, set up for you | Port forwarding, DNS, an HTTPS certificate and a reverse proxy, by hand | Included with Plex Pass, or a separate Remote Watch Pass |
| Time it takes | A few minutes | An evening or more, plus upkeep when certificates expire or your IP changes | Mostly automatic |
| If a change goes wrong | Restore it from its backup in one click | Whatever copies you remembered to make | Not applicable |
Plex prices are Plex's US list prices as of October 2026.
FAQ
Questions, answered plainly.
Is it safe?
Yes. Nothing changes until you review and apply. Before each Apply, Reelhost backs up the settings it's about to change. Afterwards it restarts Jellyfin and checks that it answers. If you don't like a change, Restore puts it back from the backup.
I'm moving from Plex. Does Reelhost touch it?
No. Reelhost never modifies Plex, Emby or your media files, so you can keep Plex running while you try Jellyfin. When Jellyfin and Emby share a PC and clash, Reelhost changes Jellyfin's side, so Emby carries on exactly as before.
What exactly does it change?
Jellyfin's settings, plus its users and libraries when you add people or folders. Outside Jellyfin, only the plugged-in sleep timer of your Windows power plan, one Windows Firewall rule of its own, and its own helpers, such as the scheduled task that keeps your TV guide fresh. The Review screen lists every change and what it touches before you apply.
Can I use one license on more than one PC?
Yes, each license works on two computers at once. Moving to a new PC? Choose "Move to another computer" in Reelhost on the old one to free its place.
What if I stop paying?
Every fix you've applied keeps working. They're settings on your PC, and Reelhost never takes them back. The free check-up keeps working too.
Applying new fixes needs an active plan. On the yearly plan, your yourname.watchhome.app address keeps following your home for 30 days after the plan ends, then stops updating. Private watching with Tailscale doesn't depend on us at all.
Are the free TV channels legal?
Yes. Reelhost only lists channels whose broadcasters publish the stream for anyone to watch for free, and every channel links to its official source. We don't host or relay any video: Jellyfin plays each stream straight from the broadcaster.
Do I need an antenna for Free TV?
No. Free TV comes over the internet. Antenna TV is separate: if you have an HDHomeRun tuner, Reelhost sets that up too, and the two never clash because Free TV channels start at 101.
What happens to Free TV if I stop paying?
Channels you've already added keep working, guide included. Adding Free TV or changing which channels you get needs an active license.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. Ask within 30 days of buying and you get a full refund, no questions asked. See the refund policy.
Which Jellyfin versions does it work with?
Reelhost is tested on Jellyfin 12.1. It also understands the older settings layout used before Jellyfin 10.9. Run the free check-up first: it shows what Reelhost finds on your PC before you pay.
Is it Windows only? What about Mac and Linux?
For now, Reelhost runs on Windows 10 and 11. Mac and Linux versions are coming next. We'll announce them here.
Do I need to open ports on my router?
Not by hand. Private watching with Tailscale opens no ports at all. For a public yourname.watchhome.app address, Reelhost opens the port for you using UPnP, which most home routers support, then checks the address works from outside.
If your router has UPnP turned off, or your internet provider doesn't give your home its own public address (common with 5G home internet and satellite plans), Reelhost tells you, and the private route through Tailscale still works.
Does my video go through your servers?
No. Video streams straight from your PC to your device. Our servers only keep your watchhome.app name pointed at your home.
Do I need a Tailscale account?
Only for private watching. Tailscale has a free personal plan. You sign in once on the PC and once on each device, and Reelhost does the rest on the PC.
Is Reelhost made by the Jellyfin team?
No. Reelhost is an independent app from Wizzered Inc. It works with Jellyfin, which is free, open-source software, and it doesn't include or change Jellyfin's program.
Does it need the internet?
Only to activate your license, check for updates and, if you use them, keep your watchhome.app address current and fetch Free TV channels. The fixes themselves work offline. See the privacy policy for exactly what's sent.
Find my key
Lost your license key? Enter the email you bought with and we'll send it again. Or sign in to your account to see it, along with your computers, billing and address.
See what's wrong with your setup in a few seconds. Free.
Download Reelhost, run the check-up, and read exactly what it would change. Pay only if you want it to apply the fixes.