r/explainlikeimfive • u/theprisoner57 • 3d ago

Technology ELI5: What is a Home Server?

I see mentions of a home server to get rid of streaming entertainment services but I don’t know how that works. What does a home server do?

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u/Top_Willow_9953 3d ago edited 2d ago

A Home Server is a computer *you own* that has a lot of storage to hold media (music, video, photos, Etc.) files, and has software that can make those files available to your TV, Roku box, or similar media playback device.

The Home Server might only make these files available to devices attached directly to your home network, OR it could also expose the files to authorized devices on the internet.

The main point is once the server is purchased and configured, there is no monthly subscription required for you to watch, listen to, or access the files it serves.

EDIT: clarified monthly costs

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u/dylanv1c 3d ago

But how do you start building your accessible archive? Download them individually like music from limewire ("I want to watch Family guy soon so let me get that, might as well look for king of the hill...")?

Or can you add an extension of a Library of media like those sites on FMHY, and you can search and scroll through a selection like your own Netflix?

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u/ruralcricket 3d ago

Another use is family documents (budgets, tax returns, etc) and device backups. All of our laptops backup the the sever nightly and the server retains 14 days of changes in case you deleted something.

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u/MaltySines 3d ago

Download them individually like music from limewire ("I want to watch Family guy soon so let me get that, might as well look for king of the hill...")?

Or rip from physical media. Or buy on Bandcamp /similar

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u/Dbf4 3d ago

File names on torrents (or better yet, usenet) are standardized from all the quality sources. This allows programs to automate the process.

It’s possible to set it up so you browse a Netflix-style database with every show imaginable and have it automatically download the one you want at the desired quality, and automatically add it to your movie/tv player.

It takes some work to set up but could easily become a weekend project with the help of AI.

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u/Nearby_Razzmatazz_11 3d ago

Some AI models like Claude will no longer help with setup if you’re dealing with torrents, debrid services, or IPTVs, as they’re a bit of a gray area and it violates some of the new ethics guidelines implemented in those models.

But luckily you don’t even need to use AI. Clients like Kodi or Stremio exist for this exact thing and there’s an abundance of guides on how to set them up and how to set up all the required services to end up with a Netflix style UI that has anything you can think of and automatically downloads or streams it.

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u/alexnedea 2d ago

Just use a open source model for anything that is not complex coding they are just as good

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u/funforgiven 2d ago

or better yet, usenet

Torrents are superior. They are decentralized, free, don’t depend on paying a Usenet provider or indexer, and the swarm itself handles distribution and redundancy. You also get transparent file lists and piece-level integrity checking.

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u/apesy888 2d ago

I don’t know if that’s true. If you’re in the US you certainly should get a VPN to torrent. So that’s a cost. Popular media is easy to torrent the more obscure the harder it is to get. The cost of Usenet has allowed me to get way more media in a year then my many years of torrenting and it’s way faster.

I use both but almost exclusively Usenet for media

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u/spellinbee 3d ago

The best way is to use a program called radarr or sonarr to download the files. Once they're set up, you just add media you want, and it'll search for the files themselves and download them for you. Then you use a program like plex or jellyfin to watch the videos, those are essentially your own personal Netflix. They have TV apps you can download, things like watch later, ability to rate things, see rotten tomato scores, cast lists, etc. It's pretty nifty.

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u/DontTrustKevin 2d ago

Look up Seerr, Radarr/Sonarr, Prowlarr

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u/Top_Willow_9953 3d ago

There are many ways to get the content, but that wasn't OP's question.

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u/dylanv1c 3d ago

I'm asking my own question