I was very much an early adopter of streaming services, especially once I found out that Netflix existed. I was a happy customer for years before the streaming market became congested with too many other options attempting to emulate Netflix’s success, which it no doubt enjoys and continues to enjoy. Getting rid of cable and not having to buy physical media were actually positives for me, especially the former.
But as a society, we’ve collectively shifted toward a streaming-first mindset, and I’ve become disillusioned with the whole thing. Like cable before it, streaming has become too big and too expensive to hold the lines. Which is why I was so happy to discover Jellyfin earlier this year, and the great features that finally made me switch to it. I’m happy to report that, though I still pay for a select few streaming services, Jellyfin is slowly becoming my main source of media streaming, and I don’t plan for that to change.
Ballooning streaming costs are untenable
Seriously, it’s no different from cable now
I get that the cost to run premium streaming networks has increased over the years, with hundreds of millions of dollars being spent on original content, licensing agreements, and the overhead of running a streaming site. But it’s just all going up too fast for what feels like not enough value. Netflix’s highest tier costs $25, which is a staggering price. This feels especially true when it is constantly canceling shows after a season or two. Then you add other streaming services on top of it, and I’m wondering why I just don’t pay for cable again.
Really, though, between using Jellyfin for my own personal collection, as well as free, ad-supported streaming services like Tubi, Pluto TV, or Roku channels that offer more than you’d think, there’s a big part of me that wonders: why pay for Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+ at all at this rate? If a new show or movie I’m very interested in comes along, maybe I’ll throw down the cash for a month to watch it, but then it’s back to other options. And now, with HBO Max following in Netflix’s footsteps and cracking down big time on password sharing, it no longer feels like these streaming networks have the best interests of their current users in mind.
My Blu-rays can finally stop collecting dust
I’ll admit that once I started watching more media on streaming services, I stopped really caring about my physical discs. Which is a shame, because at one time I had well over 200 Blu-ray discs. I don’t have nearly that many now, because I didn’t have the foresight to keep most of them, but I have enough to make it worth my time.
I’ll admit that the process of transferring these movies and shows to my PC and then onto my Jellyfin personal library can be time-consuming, but thus far, it has been worth it. I know that I will eventually have to expand my hard drive space to make this a realistic option moving forward, but I can just use the money I’m not spending on streaming to pay for a hard drive. I’ve even started hunting down old DVDs and Blu-rays at garage sales and pawn stores to expand my collection again. Jellyfin’s features make this worth it.
Beyond any built-in features, the prospect of having access to all of my media whenever I want is just refreshing to me. I don’t need to worry about disappearing content or relying on the randomness of expiring license deals when I’m in the middle of binge-watching a show. Finding cheap physical media and adding it to my collection on my own private digital server is just a better option, and I can’t believe it took me this long to accept it as an alternative.
Jellyfin isn’t perfect, but it’s good enough for me
It can be a lot of work
I won’t lie and say that there aren’t times when I miss the ease of streaming on a premium service, where the content is just already waiting for me. The setup for Jellyfin can be a bit of a headache, especially at first, if you’re not tech-savvy. For me, though, having access to my own content when I want is worth the effort it takes.
But if you don’t have much hard drive space or you’re not working with more modern technology, I would get it if you want to hold off for now. Even on my gaming PC with wired internet, I still experience lag at times. Definitely more than I would have with something like Netflix or Hulu. But again, it’s worth it to me to have access to my content whenever I want.
Jellyfin can still improve
The great thing is that Jellyfin can still improve in so many ways, and it definitely will. It’s free, and it’s open source, and there are a lot of smart users making their own amazing plugins. As someone who’s on board for the long haul now, I can’t wait to see where it’s at in even a year’s time. Especially since alternatives like Plex just aren’t what they used to be. I don’t think I’ll ever go back to premium streaming services full-time, and I’ve made peace with that. My belief is that others will eventually follow suit.
But if you’re looking to make your smart TV function even better, here’s a guide to getting started with Kodi.
