I replaced Netflix with Jellyfin, and this app changed everything

abdulmanannet77@gmail.comFebruary 3, 2026

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If you’re considering ditching Netflix and other streaming services for a self-hosted Jellyfin server, you’re not alone. I’ve been doing this for years and just started using a new video client on my Chromecast TV that I’m excited to show you.

No longer having to pay for a streaming service, I started backing up my physical media collection a few years ago. To make viewing these digital copies easier, I set up a Jellyfin server.

If you’re familiar with Plex, Jellyfin is often compared to Plex. In fact, Jellyfin is similar to Plex in that it lets you stream your media wherever you are. The difference is that Jellyfin is completely free and open source. No functionality is locked behind a subscription. This is why I opted for Jellyfin instead of Plex.

5 Reasons Why I Use Jellyfin Instead of Plex

The price of Jellyfin is not the only advantage.

Where functionality tends to vary is in the client software. Each has its own look and some add small quality of life improvements. With some Jellyfin extensions, you’ll find some clients that support them and some that don’t. That’s why you need to examine what’s out there and why you might be missing out.

Wholphin beats the standard Jellyfin client on Android TV

Once you have set up a Jellyfin server, the conventional thing to do is install the standard Jellyfin client on your smart TV. However, you don’t have to go the conventional route. The alternative third-party client called Wholphin is, in my opinion, a much better app on an Android TV, Google TV, or Fire TV streaming device.

Wholphin is a much more robust and comprehensive Jellyfin streaming app. It is also completely free and open source with several active contributors providing updates frequently. This is something I look for when I want a good and modern open source alternative.

On the one hand, the user interface will be much more familiar to anyone using Netflix or HBO Max. There is a navigation drawer on the left with quick access to libraries, search, settings and much more. It seems basic, but it’s something that’s completely missing from the regular Jellyfin Android TV client. Wolphin also generates recommendations and showcases top-rated content on library home pages, making browsing by genre much more intuitive.

Wholphin also supports integration with several powerful Jellyfin plugins, such as Jellyserr, Intro Skipper, Theme Music, etc. If you have the OpenSubtitles plugin, Wolphin allows you to search and download them within the app. Plus, you can even customize the appearance of plain text subtitles.

Speaking of customization, you can make Wolphin your own with its many configuration options. You can choose a theme color, adjust the library grid layout, change the skip behavior, and choose which “next” content categories will appear on the home page.

There are also small improvements in quality of life. You can lock profiles with a PIN if you want to prevent other users from editing your monitoring history. There is also “transmission protection” to prevent content from being played indefinitely. Under the hood, there is additional support for direct playback and software decoding, which can be very useful depending on your server’s transcoding capabilities.

A person's hands holding an Anrdoid phone with the Finamp application in front of a computer screen.

This third-party app made Jellyfin my favorite music player

Spotify who?

Of course, the standard Jellyfin client for Android TV works great, and I even recommend installing it as a fallback or test bed if you’re having issues with the Wholphin app. Yet Wholphin elevates the experience and gives you a lot more power over your streaming media that will be hard to walk away from.

You don’t have a Jellyfin server? Start now

If you want to start using Jellyfin to watch your own media collection, to get started, simply go to the Jellyfin server download page, download and install the software for your platform and point the Jellyfin server at your media files. Assuming your media is well labeled and organized, Jellyfin will retrieve the metadata, making it easier to navigate using Wholphin or any other client.

See the official Jellyfin documentation for complete installation instructions. While you can technically run Jellyfin on just about any type of computer, I recommend a mini PC with a 7th generation Intel Core processor or newer. Then you’ll be ready to stream videos to Wholphin or any other Jellyfin client you decide to use.

Processor: Celeron FCBGA1264 3.6GHz
Chart: Intel integrated graphics 24EUs 1000 MHz

The Beelink Mini S13 Pro desktop PC is an ultra-compact computer powered by the Intel N150 processor. Coming with 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a 500GB SSD, this desktop microcomputer is perfect for a variety of workloads. From running simple server programs to replacing your old PC, the Beelink S13 Pro delivers.