First HomeLab/ Media Server

[Xxu]

I’m building a Jellyfin-first home media/server setup and would like advice mainly on the HTPC / streamer client side, especially whether I should stick with a normal streaming box or consider a mini-PC/HTPC as a premium client.

Current goal

I want a setup that feels more reliable and polished than my current Stremio/TorBox setup, while still keeping Stremio as a fallback. The main aim is:

Jellyfin as the main family-friendly media server

Local 1080p library for reliable family/simple playback

Selective local 4K for favourite films/shows and personal use

Wider “soft library” through TorBox STRM/virtual library where practical

Stremio/AIOStreams/TorBox/Easynews retained as fallback/search/emergency layer

Private access only, preferably through Tailscale, not public port forwarding

Low-maintenance, stable, and quiet

A key secondary purpose of the setup is also learning, experimentation, and tinkering. I don’t currently have a proper home desktop. My Steam Deck covers most of my basic personal computing/gaming needs, but part of the appeal of this server/possible HTPC setup is having a proper Linux/home-lab style environment to learn with.

Server hardware already bought

Core server:

Dell OptiPlex 5090 Micro / USFF

Intel Core i5-10500T

16GB DDR4 RAM

512GB M.2 SSD

Windows 11 Pro included, but likely replacing with Ubuntu Server

Gigabit Ethernet

Small office/mini-PC form factor

Bought used/refurbished for about £190

Storage:

WD Elements AE 5TB portable external HDD

Intended for media library, STRM folders, downloads/import staging, transfers, Steam Deck archive/offload, and backups where appropriate

Likely base:

Ubuntu Server

Docker / Docker Compose

Jellyfin

Tailscale

Basic monitoring/logging/backups:

Uptime Kuma

Homepage

ntfy

Dozzle or similar

SMB/SFTP/Syncthing or similar for file transfers

Later: Sonarr/Radarr/Prowlarr/Jellyseerr/Decypharr-style automation if useful

Later: possible self-hosted AIOStreams, Gelato/AIOStreams inside Jellyfin, TorBox STRM lifecycle cleanup

Later non-media tinkering/learning projects are possible, but media stability is the priority first

I’m trying to build in stages and avoid overcomplicating the first setup.

Current playback clients

Existing clients:

Fire TV Stick HD, older 1080p model

Fine for basic family 1080p testing

Not suitable as a serious 4K/Kodi client

Hisense Roku 4K TV

This is my personal TV

I have Jellyfin and Moonfin installed for testing

Could act as a free 4K test client for now

Unsure how good Roku will be long-term for Jellyfin/Kodi-style use

What I want from the future client

I’m looking for advice on the best eventual main/premium client for my personal TV. Priorities:

Strong Jellyfin playback support

Good 4K local playback

Good codec support where possible

Reliable subtitles

Smooth UI

Preferably good Kodi support, as I may use Kodi as my power-user front end

Quiet / living-room friendly

Not too much bloat or ads

Good value in the UK used/new market

Ideally not wasting money if Roku/Firestick is already “good enough”

Client options I’m considering

Normal streamer options:

Fire TV Stick 4K / 4K Max

Google TV Streamer 4K

Nvidia Shield TV / Shield Pro

Other Android TV boxes if genuinely reliable

HTPC / mini-PC option:

Intel N100 / N150 / N305 mini-PC

Possibly a used mini-PC if it is genuinely better value than a streamer

Could potentially run Linux, Windows, LibreELEC, Kodi, Jellyfin client, etc.

Would also give me another proper general-purpose machine for tinkering/desktop-style use, since I don’t currently have a home desktop

I’m interested in whether this is actually better for my use case or just unnecessary complexity

My main question

For this setup, would you recommend:

Using my current Roku TV / Firestick HD for now and only upgrading if I hit limitations?

Buying a dedicated 4K streamer, and if so which one?

Considering a mini-PC/HTPC client for better Kodi/Jellyfin performance and as a secondary tinker/desktop machine?

Avoiding HTPC entirely because it adds complexity and a good Android/Google TV streamer is enough?

I’m especially interested whether an HTPC gives any real-world benefit over a good streamer for Jellyfin/Kodi, or whether it is mostly overkill for my setup and overall is this a reasonable base for a longterm plan? 

[DraconisMaximus]

It is a terrible idea to store your library on a USB drive, especially an HDD. Performance and reliability issues are all but guaranteed. They are fine for backups but you generally should not be run things off of them.

 

For a NAS / streaming server, something of similar power but with extra SATA / m.2 ports and space in the case to actually use them would be ideal. Or you could go with a “prebuilt” NAS like a UGreen, Ubiquiti, Synology, ASUSTor, etc.

 

The OptiPlex would actually be a perfect HTPC device if you want to go that route. It’s a pretty poor option for a storage server though due to the lack of SATA and m.2 expansion. The “T” CPU is actually a power optimized model even.

 

That said unless you are planning on couch gaming, the extra power of an HTPC is not going to benefit you over a decent Android TV or Apple TV. The other big reason to use an HTPC would be if you just want more control of your devices.

 

Also, if you want to use streaming services like Netflix / Hulu in addition to Jellyfin / Plex / etc. note that while Windows has native apps for these services, Linux generally does not. An HTPC will generally be far less energy efficient as well though the “T” CPU you have is actually a power optimized model.

 

The best available prebuilt streaming devices today are easily the Shield TV and the Apple TV lineups. While the higher end Rokus (Ultra, etc.) are great for traditional streaming, the “Home Server” apps for them are generally far inferior to those for Android  / Apple / Windows devices. The 100 Mbps network limit becomes a real pain when self hosting as well. Fire TV is straight garbage.

[Xxu]

Thanks, that’s helpful feedback and probably confirms the main limitation I was partly expecting.

 

Just to clarify, I’m not really treating the OptiPlex Micro + USB HDD as my ideal long-term NAS/storage setup. It’s more of a starter home server so I can learn and test the stack before spending more. The Dell would mainly run Ubuntu Server, Docker, Jellyfin, Tailscale, monitoring, backups, and later some automation. The USB HDD would mostly hold media files, STRM/virtual-library folders, download/import staging, and archive-type storage.

 

I’d keep the OS, Docker configs, app data, Jellyfin database/metadata, etc. on the internal SSD, not the USB HDD. Anything important would also need a separate backup, so I’m not relying on a single external drive as proper protected storage.

 

Longer term, I’m not sure whether the Dell stays as the main compute/server box or gets repurposed. My current thinking is that it remains the “brain” running Jellyfin/Docker/automation, while storage gets upgraded separately later if needed with a NAS, DAS, or multi-drive server. If I eventually buy or build a proper NAS that also takes over the server role well, then the Dell could be repurposed as an HTPC or general tinker box.

 

For now though, I’m trying to avoid buying a NAS, server, and HTPC all at once before I know where the real bottlenecks are. So I agree it’s not the ideal final NAS/storage design, but I’m treating it as a reasonable first-phase setup to prove the software side before committing to a bigger storage/server build.

 

I’m very open to being corrected on any of this, especially if there are obvious failure points I’m underestimating. I’m mainly trying to avoid unnecessary spending now while keeping a sensible upgrade path later.

[LIGISTX]

Nvidia shield tv pro is the best option for the client side device. You get full android TV, can integrate it into home assistant which you will likely want to do if you get deeper intochimelabbing (home assistant is the way to automate your life, it’s great), and the shield has the best codec support which is needed for streaming media to it. 

[DraconisMaximus]

2 hours ago, Xxu said:

Just to clarify, I’m not really treating the OptiPlex Micro + USB HDD as my ideal long-term NAS/storage setup. It’s more of a starter home server so I can learn and test the stack before spending more. The Dell would mainly run Ubuntu Server, Docker, Jellyfin, Tailscale, monitoring, backups, and later some automation. The USB HDD would mostly hold media files, STRM/virtual-library folders, download/import staging, and archive-type storage.

 

I’d keep the OS, Docker configs, app data, Jellyfin database/metadata, etc. on the internal SSD, not the USB HDD. Anything important would also need a separate backup, so I’m not relying on a single external drive as proper protected storage.

That is what I figured you meant.

 

A USB HDD like that is not suitable to keep an active media library on. Active meaning you are going to be playing files directly off of it as opposed to cold storage / backups.

 

The CPU, RAM, etc. are more than sufficient to run those apps but you will need a system with SATA / m.2 connections for the media storage. It does not need to be fancy. A 10 year old Dell / HP tower with a 2-4 core i5 and 8 GB of RAM will do. Almost everything from that time will have several spare SATA ports and HDD bays. To be clear the USB connection is the issue here. You could probably even shuck the external drive if you have a system that can hold it. 

[Xxu]

Thanks, that’s really helpful. Im still learning so I appreciate the advice from people with more experience.

 

I understand the issue now: the OptiPlex is fine for the compute/software side, but the USB HDD is not a good long-term foundation for an active always-on media library.

 

I’ll treat the external drive as a temporary starter/learning setup rather than the proper storage plan, and I’ll move to a compact NAS/DAS or other SATA/M.2-based storage solution as soon as possible/practical. A tower probably isn’t realistic for me space-wise, so compact storage is likely the best plan for me.

 

I also appreciate the Shield TV Pro recommendation. I’ll keep that in mind as my likely choice.

 

Thanks again — this has definitely changed how I’m thinking about the storage side of the build

[LIGISTX]

1 hour ago, Xxu said:

Thanks, that’s really helpful. Im still learning so I appreciate the advice from people with more experience.

 

I understand the issue now: the OptiPlex is fine for the compute/software side, but the USB HDD is not a good long-term foundation for an active always-on media library.

 

I’ll treat the external drive as a temporary starter/learning setup rather than the proper storage plan, and I’ll move to a compact NAS/DAS or other SATA/M.2-based storage solution as soon as possible/practical. A tower probably isn’t realistic for me space-wise, so compact storage is likely the best plan for me.

 

I also appreciate the Shield TV Pro recommendation. I’ll keep that in mind as my likely choice.

 

Thanks again — this has definitely changed how I’m thinking about the storage side of the build

You can build a small form factor machine with a few harddrive slots and use that as the server which can have NAS functionality. My homelab is all virtualized under a single proxmox host machine, and truenas is a VM and provides bulk storage for myself and all the VM's/containers on the homelab. So at some point, that can be your plan... no need to have a "Server" and a "nas", it can all be the same machine.