🎬 Jellyfin IPTV Setup — Live TV + DVR

Build your own IPTV server with free Jellyfin (open source Plex alternative). Live TV, DVR recording, EPG, transcoding — all included, no paywall.

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Diagram: IPTV source to Threadfin to Jellyfin to clients
The self-host IPTV architecture: provider → Threadfin → Jellyfin → all your devices

🤔 Why Jellyfin for IPTV?

  • 100% free — no Plex Pass needed for DVR/transcoding
  • Open source — no telemetry, no accounts required
  • Server-side recording — records without your device on
  • Stream to any device — web, iOS, Android, TV apps
  • Works everywhere — Windows, Mac, Linux, Docker, NAS

📥 Install via Docker

version: "3"
services:
  jellyfin:
    image: jellyfin/jellyfin
    container_name: jellyfin
    ports:
      - "8096:8096"
    volumes:
      - ./config:/config
      - ./cache:/cache
      - /path/recordings:/recordings
    devices:
      - /dev/dri:/dev/dri  # Intel Quick Sync
    restart: unless-stopped
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📺 Connect Live TV (with Threadfin)

  1. Install Threadfin (converts M3U → HDHomeRun format)
  2. Add your M3U + EPG in Threadfin's web UI
  3. Jellyfin → Dashboard → Live TV → Add tuner → HDHomeRun → http://server-ip:34400
  4. Add EPG → XMLTV → Threadfin's XMLTV URL
  5. Map channels → done

💾 DVR recording

  1. Dashboard → Live TV → DVR → set recording path
  2. Padding: 2 min before, 10 min after
  3. Open Guide → click program → Record (or Record Series)

🆚 Jellyfin vs Plex vs Emby

JellyfinPlexEmby
PriceFreeFree + Pass $5/mFree + Premiere
DVR free✅❌ Pass❌ Premiere
HW transcoding free✅❌ Pass❌ Premiere
Open source✅❌❌

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