Luke 42077 Posted July 23, 2025 Posted July 23, 2025 Welcome back to our Emby Community Spotlight series where we showcase real users and the powerful, creative, and often surprising ways they use Emby across different environments. In this edition, we’re featuring everything from a professionally calibrated home theater server to a budget friendly setup that just works. Whether you're building a server in your basement or streaming from a single-board computer, there's something to learn from each one of these users. 1. Modular, Scalable, and Always Moving Forward This user built their Emby setup with future expansion in mind, combining Unraid with Docker-based services, remote access capabilities, and a clean, efficient hardware layout. Motherboard: ASRock B550 Extreme4 CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X RAM: 32GB GPU: NVIDIA Quadro P620 (for transcoding) Storage: 250GB SSD for Docker containers and VMs 4.5TB SSD media cache pool 4x12TB HDD array (36TB usable) HBA: LSI 9211-8i Chassis: Inter-Tech 4U-4410 Power: Corsair RM750i PSU Remote Access: Sipeed NanoKVM PCIe OS: Unraid Clients include a NVIDIA Shield TV for local playback, Emby for PC, Infuse for mobile, and Chromecast for travel. About 10 remote users also access the server via web and TV apps. “I’ve been using Emby for about five years. I chose it over other platforms because it had the right balance of app support and flexibility.” 2. Professionally Tuned and Built for Total Reliability This setup blends enterprise-grade storage, a calibrated video pipeline, and TrueNAS reliability — all focused on delivering uncompromising playback quality through a single, optimized client device. CPU: Intel Xeon E-2124G RAM: 96GB ECC DDR4 Motherboard: Supermicro X11SCH-LN4F Storage: Boot OS (TrueNAS 25.04.1): 2x WD Red 500GB SATA SSD (mirrored) Emby App Storage: 2x WD Red 1TB NVMe SSD (mirrored) Media Storage: 6x 8TB WD Ultrastar DC HC510 SAS HDDs in RAID-Z2 HBA: IBM M1215 (IT firmware) Network: LACP trunked to switch, isolated subnet Power: Platinum Seasonic PSU + UPS Location: Basement, rack-mounted with adjacent core network gear Client: One — but it’s a serious one. A NVIDIA Shield TV Pro (2019) connects to a Lumagen Radiance Pro video processor, which handles upscaling, tone mapping, and color calibration before outputting to a professionally calibrated Panasonic 4K OLED. “Of all the solutions I’ve tried — madVR HTPCs, Oppo players, Dune boxes — Emby with Shield is the only one that just works. I finally get to enjoy my media instead of constantly troubleshooting. It’s peace of mind.” 3. Small Footprint, Big Results Proof that a setup doesn’t have to be expensive or complex to be effective, this user keeps it simple — and functional — with a low-cost SBC and NAS combo. Server Device: OrangePi 5+ Storage: 256GB eMMC CPU: 8-core RAM: 16GB Storage Backend: Synology DS224+ (2x 8TB WD Red drives) Networking & Extras: Ubiquiti UCG Ultra External backup drive System76 Meerkat for other services Clients: Android phones and tablets Roku Chromecast Web browsers No frills, just dependable performance for in-home and personal streaming needs. This setup is lightweight, quiet, and gets the job done with minimal power and space requirements. Have a Setup Worth Sharing? We’re always on the lookout for more community submissions. Whether your Emby server is built for performance, portability, or just personal fun, we’d love to feature it in an upcoming spotlight. Submit your setup on the forums or reach out directly to be considered for a future blog post. View the full article 3
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