Plex alternative: Jellyfin installation guide on WD NAS

If you are looking for a Plex alternative for your WD NAS, Jellyfin is worth considering. Jellyfin is an open-source media server that lets you organize and stream movies, TV shows, music, and personal videos across compatible devices. Unlike many commercial media platforms, Jellyfin does not require a subscription for its core server functionality.

Installing Jellyfin on a WD NAS can be useful because the NAS can store your media files while Jellyfin provides the interface for browsing and streaming them.

Check Your WD NAS First

Before installing Jellyfin, identify the exact WD NAS model and operating system. This is important because Jellyfin does not have identical installation support for every WD NAS generation. 

Older WD My Cloud models may use operating systems that do not support modern Jellyfin packages. Newer WD NAS devices may offer more flexibility through Docker or other supported application methods.

Also check the available CPU architecture, RAM, storage capacity, and operating-system version. Transcoding high-resolution video can require significantly more processing power than simply serving compatible video files.

Back Up Your NAS

Before making software or configuration changes, back up important data stored on the NAS.

Although installing a media server should not normally affect your personal files, having a separate backup is important if something goes wrong during configuration.

If your WD NAS contains your only copy of important photographs, documents, or videos, do not rely on the NAS itself as the backup.

Install Jellyfin

The installation method depends on your WD NAS model.

If your NAS supports Docker, running Jellyfin in a container can be a convenient approach. Docker keeps the application and its dependencies relatively isolated from the main NAS operating system.

For support systems, you generally create persistent storage locations for Jellyfin's configuration and cache data, then map your media folders into the container.

A typical setup involves:

Jellyfin configuration storage

Jellyfin cache storage

Movies folder

TV shows folder

Music folder

Other personal media folders

The exact paths depend on how your WD NAS organizes shared folders.

Do not give the Jellyfin application more permissions than necessary. Ideally, Jellyfin should have read access to media libraries unless you specifically need it to modify files.

Open Jellyfin in Your Browser

After Jellyfin starts successfully, open a web browser on a computer connected to the same network.

Enter the Jellyfin server's local network address and the port configured during installation. The exact address depends on your NAS and installation method.

The first-time setup wizard normally asks you to create an administrator account and configure language and media libraries.

Add Your Media Libraries

During setup, create libraries that correspond to the folders on your WD NAS.

For example, you could create:

Movies → /media/movies

TV Shows → /media/tv

Music → /media/music

The actual paths will be different depending on your NAS configuration and Docker volume mappings.

Jellyfin will scan these locations and organize compatible media into a searchable library.

Install Jellyfin Apps

Once your server is configured, you can use Jellyfin clients on supported devices. Depending on your setup, you may stream from a computer, smartphone, smart TV, streaming device, or web browser.

Start by testing playback on your local network.

If a video plays smoothly without transcoding, your WD NAS may not need to perform much additional processing. If Jellyfin needs to convert the video or audio format while streaming, the NAS's CPU becomes much more important.

Consider Transcoding Performance

One of the biggest considerations when using Jellyfin on a WD NAS is transcoding.

Direct Play is generally the easiest workload because the client can play the original file. Transcoding requires the server to convert the media into a format the receiving device supports.

Older WD NAS hardware may struggle with high-resolution or high-bitrate transcoding. If playback is unreliable, try using media formats supported directly by your devices.

Final Thoughts

Jellyfin can be an excellent Plex alternative on a WD NAS, particularly for users who prefer open-source software and want to keep control of their media library.

However, compatibility varies considerably between WD NAS models. Before installing Jellyfin, identify your exact WD NAS model, check its operating-system and CPU architecture, back up important data, and choose an installation method supported by the device.

For newer compatible NAS systems, Docker can provide a convenient installation approach. Once installed, configure Jellyfin to access your media folders and test local streaming before attempting remote access or demanding transcoding workloads.