Jellyfin playback

Troubleshooting for stream.saxobroko.com on TrueNAS — buffering, transcoding, black screen, remote play, and client issues. For missing titles see Jellyfin library.

JFY-001: Video keeps buffering on my phone over mobile data?

1. Check you are in Australia — stream.saxobroko.com blocks most traffic from overseas.
2. In the Jellyfin app, open Settings → Playback and lower the max streaming bitrate (try 4 Mbps).
3. Try the same title on home Wi‑Fi. If Wi‑Fi works, the issue is your mobile connection, not the server.
4. If it buffers everywhere, check status.saxobroko.com or dash.saxobroko.com for Jellyfin being down.

JFY-002: Playback spins forever and never starts?

1. Hard-refresh the page (Ctrl+F5) or force-close and reopen the Jellyfin app.
2. Try a different movie or episode you know worked before.
3. Confirm home internet works — open google.com on the same device.
4. If only one title fails, the file may be corrupt — check Sonarr/Radarr import or re-request via Overseerr.

JFY-003: Black screen but I can hear audio?

1. This is usually a video codec the client cannot decode. Try the Jellyfin web player on a PC first.
2. On TV apps, update the Jellyfin app from the store.
3. In Jellyfin playback info (gear icon), note if it says Direct Play or Transcode.
4. If Direct Play fails, enable transcoding in user settings or pick a lower quality stream.

JFY-004: Movie plays but subtitles are missing?

1. Open the subtitle menu during playback and pick an available track.
2. If none appear, the file may have no embedded subs — check whether an external .srt exists in the folder on A:/Media.
3. Burned-in subs require transcoding — expect slightly slower start on weak clients.
4. Admin can enable subtitle download plugins in Jellyfin Dashboard if configured.

JFY-005: Remote play works at home but not on phone data?

1. Confirm you are physically in Australia — Cloudflare WAF blocks most non-AU access.
2. If in Australia on mobile data, try toggling aeroplane mode off and on.
3. Check dash.saxobroko.com — if Jellyfin tile is red, cloudflared may be down; see home-restart-cloudflared guide.
4. Do not use an old Plex bookmark — use https://stream.saxobroko.com only.

JFY-006: Jellyfin says server unavailable?

1. Wait 10 minutes if the NAS just rebooted — apps need time to start.
2. Open dsm.saxobroko.com — if TrueNAS loads, the NAS is on.
3. If NAS is on but Jellyfin fails, a technical person can restart Jellyfin under TrueNAS → Apps.
4. See Guides → When media won't play for the full walkthrough.

JFY-007: Video stutters only on the living room TV?

1. Update the Jellyfin app on the TV from the Play Store or TV app store.
2. Try Jellyfin Web in the TV browser as a test — clunky but diagnostic.
3. On LAN, prefer the native app with Direct Play enabled in client settings.
4. 4K HEVC on older TVs may force heavy transcoding — try 1080p version if available.

JFY-008: Transcoding icon shows and quality looks soft?

1. Transcoding lowers quality to match your device or bandwidth — this is normal for remote play.
2. On home Wi‑Fi with a capable client, check playback info for Direct Play.
3. Disable burn-in subtitles if enabled — they force transcode.
4. Multiple simultaneous transcodes stress the NAS CPU — limit remote streams if needed.

JFY-009: 4K movie won't play on my laptop?

1. Many laptops lack HEVC hardware decode — Jellyfin will transcode to 1080p.
2. Wait 30–60 seconds for transcoding to start on first play.
3. Check Dashboard → Playback on the server if transcodes fail instantly (may need HW accel).
4. Try the 1080p release if Radarr grabbed both and you only need one.

JFY-010: Audio is out of sync with video?

1. Stop playback, wait five seconds, and press Play again.
2. Try a different client (browser vs app) on the same device.
3. If only one file is affected, the source file may be bad — note the title for re-grab.
4. Disable any client-side audio processing (night mode, spatial audio) and retest.

JFY-011: Login page loops forever?

1. You may hit Authentik first — sign in at auth.saxobroko.com, then retry Jellyfin.
2. Clear browser cookies for saxobroko.com or use a private window.
3. Credentials are in Vaultwarden — search Jellyfin, not TrueNAS.
4. If loop persists, check Authentik app provider callback URLs (technical).

JFY-012: Wrong user profile or kids seeing adult content?

1. Sign out and sign in with the correct Jellyfin account.
2. Admin: Dashboard → Users → select user → Parental Control → max rating.
3. Disable access to unwanted libraries per user under User → Library access.
4. Do not share admin accounts on shared TVs.

JFY-013: Direct Play works on PC but TV forces transcode?

1. TV may not support the file codec (often HEVC or high-profile H.264).
2. Check TV app Settings → Playback → prefer Direct Play if available.
3. LAN traffic should not need transcoding for common 1080p H.264 — verify file codec in Jellyfin media info.
4. Update TV firmware and Jellyfin app.

JFY-014: Playback stops after a few minutes on mobile?

1. Disable battery saver for the Jellyfin app on Android/iOS.
2. Keep screen on during test — some phones kill background streams.
3. Lower streaming quality to reduce buffer stalls.
4. Switch from mobile data to Wi‑Fi to isolate the link.

JFY-015: Error: playback failed — no compatible stream?

1. Client cannot play or transcode the format — try web player on PC.
2. Check Jellyfin server logs in TrueNAS app logs for ffmpeg errors.
3. Verify the media file is not zero bytes on A:/Media.
4. Re-scan the library after confirming the file is valid.

JFY-016: Chromecast or cast button missing?

1. Not all Jellyfin clients support cast — try official Android app or web on Chrome.
2. Ensure phone and Chromecast are on the same Wi‑Fi network.
3. Remote casting from outside home may not work — expected limitation.
4. Use Jellyfin on Android TV directly instead of casting when possible.

JFY-017: Samsung TV Jellyfin app crashes on start?

1. Clear app cache in TV settings → Apps → Jellyfin.
2. Reinstall Jellyfin from Samsung app store.
3. Fallback: open stream.saxobroko.com in TV browser.
4. Confirm server URL is exactly https://stream.saxobroko.com with no trailing path.

JFY-018: Android TV says cannot connect to server?

1. Verify server URL: https://stream.saxobroko.com
2. Test the same URL in a phone browser on the same Wi‑Fi.
3. If LAN only fails, tunnel may still work — try phone on mobile data (in Australia).
4. Check date/time on TV is automatic — SSL fails on wrong clocks.

JFY-019: iOS app won't play anything?

1. Update Jellyfin from the App Store.
2. Sign out and sign back in with Vaultwarden credentials.
3. Test music.saxobroko.com separately — video is Jellyfin only.
4. On cellular, confirm you are in Australia for geo rules.

JFY-020: Web player works but desktop app does not?

1. In Jellyfin Media Player, remove and re-add the server.
2. Match server URL to https://stream.saxobroko.com
3. Check Windows firewall is not blocking the desktop app on 192.168.2.200.
4. Update or reinstall Jellyfin Desktop from official releases.

JFY-021: Live TV or tuner not relevant — seeing tuner errors?

1. This homelab does not use Jellyfin Live TV — ignore tuner setup prompts.
2. Hide Live TV from the home screen in user display settings if shown.
3. Focus troubleshooting on Movies/Shows libraries only.

JFY-022: Hardware transcoding — how do I know if it is on?

1. Admin: Jellyfin Dashboard → Playback → Transcoding → hardware acceleration.
2. During playback, Dashboard → Active Devices shows transcode method.
3. If CPU spikes to 100% on multiple streams, HW accel may be off — technical fix on TrueNAS.
4. Single remote 1080p transcode is fine on CPU for short sessions.

JFY-023: Multiple people streaming — second stream fails?

1. NAS CPU may be maxed transcoding — ask remote users to lower quality.
2. Prefer Direct Play on LAN TVs to leave transcode headroom.
3. Check TrueNAS CPU in dashboard during peak use.
4. Stagger 4K plays — four simultaneous 4K transcodes will choke most NAS boxes.

JFY-024: Fast forward or skip intro not working?

1. Feature depends on client — web and some apps support chapter skip.
2. Transcoded streams may seek slower — wait a few seconds after scrubbing.
3. Try Direct Play if seeking is sluggish while transcoding.
4. Intro skip plugins require server-side setup — may not be installed.

JFY-025: Volume quiet on one device only?

1. Check TV/system volume separately from in-app slider.
2. Some clients normalize audio — toggle loudness settings in app.
3. Test same title on PC browser to compare.
4. File may have low gain — not a server bug if all devices are quiet.

JFY-026: Dolby Atmos or surround wrong on soundbar?

1. Client may downmix to stereo over transcode — check Direct Play in playback info.
2. HDMI ARC limitations on TV apps often force stereo.
3. Use a client that bitstreams passthrough if server and file support it (advanced).
4. Stereo downmix is normal for remote transcodes.

JFY-027: Picture looks cropped or wrong aspect ratio?

1. Set client aspect to Auto, not Zoom or Fill.
2. Verify source is not anamorphic in media info.
3. Try different client to rule out TV overscan.
4. Re-encode is last resort — usually a client display setting.

JFY-028: Playback starts then immediately exits?

1. Check client logs or try web player.
2. File may be incomplete — verify download finished in qBittorrent and imported in Sonarr/Radarr.
3. Clear app cache and retry.
4. Restart Jellyfin app on TrueNAS if all titles fail.

JFY-029: Authentik login works but Jellyfin shows blank home?

1. Confirm Jellyfin user exists and is linked — admin creates users in Jellyfin separately.
2. Check user has library access enabled.
3. Hard refresh after first login.
4. Admin: verify libraries are not empty due to scan failure.

JFY-030: Using VPN outside Australia and get 403?

1. Expected — block no aus WAF rule rejects most non-Australian IPs.
2. Disconnect VPN or use an Australian endpoint if you must access remotely.
3. SaxDocs may work publicly; media apps generally do not.
4. This is intentional security, not a Jellyfin bug.

JFY-031: LAN direct play still buffers on gigabit Wi‑Fi?

1. Verify client shows Direct Play — transcode on LAN suggests codec mismatch.
2. Check UniFi Wi‑Fi signal on the device — weak RSSI causes rebuffer.
3. Test wired Ethernet on same TV/device if possible.
4. NAS disk slow during scrub or heavy torrent IO can stall reads — check pool load.

JFY-032: Jellyfin web on Firefox stutters?

1. Try Chrome or Edge for comparison.
2. Disable strict tracking protection for stream.saxobroko.com temporarily.
3. Enable hardware decode in Firefox settings if available.
4. Lower quality if remote.

JFY-033: Resume playback starts from the beginning?

1. Ensure you are signed in — resume is per user.
2. Some clients need Play state sync enabled in server settings.
3. Mark watched/unwatched only after fully stopping playback, not force-kill.
4. Clear client cache if resume stuck on old position.

JFY-034: Cannot change audio language on dual-audio file?

1. Open audio track picker during playback.
2. If only one track shows, file truly has one audio stream.
3. Transcode may lock tracks — try Direct Play.
4. Remuxed releases from Radarr should expose both if present in source.

JFY-035: HDR looks washed out on SDR TV?

1. TV or client may tonemap poorly — try SDR release if Radarr has one.
2. Disable HDR in client if forced.
3. Direct Play HDR on SDR panels often looks wrong — prefer 1080p SDR for older TVs.
4. This is display capability, not server failure.

JFY-036: Spinner on intro logos forever on one series?

1. Try next episode — isolate bad file.
2. Check file size on A:/Media — partial download shows as playable but hangs.
3. Sonarr Activity → check import completed for that episode.
4. Re-request or manual re-grab if file corrupt.

JFY-037: Remote quality setting — where is it?

1. Mobile app: Settings → Playback → Internet streaming quality.
2. Web: user menu → Playback settings.
3. Set Auto for home Wi‑Fi, capped bitrate for cellular.
4. Admin can set global remote bitrate caps per user.

JFY-038: Error after server update?

1. Wait 5 minutes post-update for Jellyfin first boot.
2. Clear browser cache.
3. Admin: check TrueNAS app logs for migration errors.
4. Rollback Jellyfin app version on TrueNAS if broken release — snapshot first.

JFY-039: Dashboard shows active transcode but nothing playing?

1. Ghost session — stop playback on all clients and wait 30 seconds.
2. Admin: Dashboard → Active Devices → kill stale sessions.
3. Restart Jellyfin container if sessions stuck.
4. Check no browser tab paused mid-stream.

JFY-040: Bluetooth headphones delay on phone?

1. Bluetooth adds latency — use wired or speaker for test.
2. Some Jellyfin clients have audio offset settings.
3. Transcoded streams add more delay than Direct Play.
4. Not fixable fully on all BT codecs.

JFY-041: Play button greyed out on a title?

1. User may lack permission for that library.
2. File missing on disk — library entry exists but path broken.
3. Admin: scan library and check path in media info.
4. Verify A:/Media still mapped on PC — server uses pool path, not A:.

JFY-042: Everything worked yesterday — sudden failure for all users?

1. Check power outage recovery — NAS and apps may need full boot wait.
2. Visit dash.saxobroko.com for red tiles.
3. Test dsm.saxobroko.com and home internet.
4. Restart cloudflared then Jellyfin on TrueNAS if tunnel up but app down.