Emby

Feature-rich media server with live TV and DVR

Emby Server is a client-server media system that lets you host your personal multimedia library—movies, TV shows, music, and photos. With built-in live TV and DVR capabilities, mobile sync, and cross-platform apps, Emby provides a feature-rich media experience. QuickBox Pro installs Emby from official releases with per-user systemd services, auto-incremented ports, self-signed SSL certificates, and optional beta branch access.

Installation

Basic Installation

Install Emby for a specific user:

qb install emby -u username

Beta Installation

Install latest beta version for early features:

qb install emby -u username --beta

Advanced Installation Options

# Install with custom domain and SSL
qb install emby -u username -d 'emby.yourdomain.com'
 
# Install beta with custom domain
qb install emby -u username --beta -d 'emby.yourdomain.com'

CLI Commands

Accessing Emby

After installation, access Emby at:

https://your-server-ip/username/emby

Or via direct port access:

http://your-server-ip:8000

First-Time Setup:

1. Create your admin account (no Emby.media account required initially)
2. Set up your media libraries (Movies, TV Shows, Music)
3. Configure metadata providers and language preferences
4. (Optional) Sign in with Emby Connect for remote access

Initial Configuration

1. Create Admin Account

On first access, create your local admin account:

1. Enter username (no email initially required)
2. Set password for admin account
3. Click Next to continue setup wizard
4. (Optional) Sign in with Emby Connect later for remote features

2. Add Media Libraries

Set up libraries for your media:

1. Click Add Media Library button
2. Select library type:
   • Movies - Feature films and home videos
   • TV Shows - Television series and episodes
   • Music - Audio files and albums
   • Books - eBooks and audiobooks
3. Add folder paths:
   • /home/username/media/movies
   • /home/username/media/tv
   • /home/username/media/music
   • Or custom paths you’ve configured
4. Configure metadata providers:
   • The Movie Database (TMDb) - Movies and TV shows
   • The TVDB - Television series
   • MusicBrainz - Music metadata
5. Set language preferences for metadata
6. Click OK to save library

3. Configure Hardware Transcoding

Enable GPU acceleration for transcoding:

1. Go to Settings → Transcoding
2. Configure hardware acceleration:
   • Hardware acceleration: Select your GPU type (Intel QuickSync, NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF)
   • Enable hardware encoding: Toggle on
   • Enable hardware decoding: Toggle on
3. Set transcoding quality preferences:
   • Max simultaneous video streams: Number of concurrent transcodes
   • Hardware transcoding threads: CPU core count
4. Save settings

Service Management

Emby runs as a per-user systemd service.

systemctl status emby-server@username     # Check status
systemctl restart emby-server@username    # Restart service
journalctl -u emby-server@username -f     # View live logs
systemctl enable emby-server@username     # Start on boot (already enabled)
systemctl disable emby-server@username    # Prevent auto-start

Troubleshooting

Emby Won’t Start

journalctl -u emby-server@username -f

Check data directory permissions:

ls -la /home/username/.config/Emby
# Should be owned by username:username
sudo chown -R username:username /home/username/.config/Emby

Can’t Access Web Interface

Hardware Transcoding Not Working

Hardware transcoding requires compatible GPU and drivers:

# Check GPU availability (Intel, NVIDIA, AMD)
lspci | grep -i vga
 
# Verify emby user is in video and render groups
groups emby username
# Should include: video render
 
# Add to groups if missing
sudo usermod -a -G video emby
sudo usermod -a -G render emby
sudo usermod -a -G video username
sudo usermod -a -G render username
sudo systemctl restart emby-server@username
 
# Check /dev/dri device access
ls -la /dev/dri
sudo chown -R root:render /dev/dri

Library Not Scanning

# Manual library scan via web interface
# Settings → Library → Scan All Libraries
 
# Check file permissions
sudo chown -R username:username /home/username/media
 
# Verify Emby can access media directory
ls -la /home/username/media
 
# Check scanning logs
journalctl -u emby-server@username -f | grep -i "scan"

Live TV / DVR Issues

# Verify tuner device permissions
ls -la /dev/dvb
sudo usermod -a -G video emby
sudo systemctl restart emby-server@username
 
# Check EPG data source configuration
# Settings → Live TV → TV Guide Data Provider
 
# Verify recording path permissions
sudo chown -R username:username /home/username/recordings

Configuration Reset

# Backup current configuration
cp -r ~/.config/Emby ~/.config/Emby.backup
 
# Stop service
systemctl stop emby-server@username
 
# Reset configuration (keeps libraries and database)
rm ~/.config/Emby/config/system.xml
 
# Restart service (will regenerate config file)
systemctl start emby-server@username

Best Practices

Use Cases

Live TV and DVR

• Built-in support for TV tuners and recording
• Electronic program guide (EPG) integration
• Time-shifting and scheduled recording
• Perfect for cord-cutters with antenna TV

Feature-Rich Media Server

• More advanced features than free Jellyfin
• Less expensive than Plex Pass for similar functionality
• Mobile sync and cloud sync with Emby Premiere
• Cinema Mode with trailers and intros

Multi-User Family Server

• Create separate accounts for family members with access controls
• Parental controls and content ratings
• Individual watch history and recommendations
• Share libraries while controlling access levels

Related Applications

Additional Resources