Network storage

A library can live on another machine and still behave like a normal library. Add the storage, pick the folders, and the server lists, scans and plays them without you mounting anything. Network storage libraries are free. The server keeps a small local copy of the folder tree (a mirror), so scanning and browsing stay fast, and the video itself is only fetched when you play it.

Each storage account has a type. Today the type is WebDAV, which is what a NAS, a file sync server, a rclone or OpenList gateway all speak, so one setup covers all of them. More types can follow; the steps below stay the same, and only the fields of the account depend on the type.

Add a network storage library#

1. Open Libraries and choose Add library. Under Folders, choose Network storage.
2. The first time, add a storage account with Add account (you can also do it under System → Network storage). The account has a Type, then the fields that belong to it. For WebDAV: - Address: http:// or https://, host, port and path, for example https://nas.local:5006/ or http://192.168.1.10:5244/dav/. Do not put the user name and password in the address; they are rejected. - User name and Password: leave both empty for a server that needs none. Basic and Digest sign-in are picked automatically. - Name: only for display; the host name by default.
3. Choose Test connection. The server asks the address once for its root folder and tells you in one line what it found: whether you can seek in a video, whether the server hands the player on to a direct link, and whether the account is read-only. The test never writes a file.
4. If the server uses a self-signed HTTPS certificate, the test shows its fingerprint. Compare it with the one on your server and choose Trust this certificate to pin it. Unpin removes the pin again. There is no switch that turns certificate checks off.
5. Choose the account, browse its folders one level at a time and choose Pick this folder for each root of the library. A library can have several roots, and local and network folders can be mixed. Roots may not sit inside each other.
6. On the Basic tab, set Storage to Local or Cloud drive. It only sets recommended values, and you can change each of them afterwards. A server that answers quickly and does not redirect suits Local; a gateway in front of a cloud drive suits Cloud drive.

One account can serve several libraries and roots. Requests are paced per account, not per library.

Library options#

• Download remote images: on for the local preset, off for the cloud preset, and yours to change. When it is off, images come from the metadata plugins and nothing is downloaded from the storage. Turning it on downloads the missing images at the next sync; turning it off removes the downloaded ones (images the server wrote itself stay).
• Write back NFO and images: off for a new library, like any library. When you turn it on, the server uploads the files to the storage. It never overwrites a file that someone else changed there; it asks first. If you would rather the server cannot write at all, create a read-only account for it on the storage side.
• Playback → Direct to the storage PRO · MAX: the server asks the storage once and hands the player a direct link when the storage answers with one, so the video does not pass through your server. Through the server is the default, free, and works everywhere. Without PRO, or when the storage does not redirect, the server forwards the video itself. The web player, HLS and casting always use the server.

Manage accounts#

System → Network storage lists the accounts with their state and the libraries that use each:

You can change the password, pin the certificate again and rename an account here. Saving never starts a sync.

Mirror location#

The mirror is stored in the server data folder (storage) by default. To use another disk, enter the new folder under System → Network storage → Mirror location, pick Move or Rebuild, and choose Move here; a confirmation shows the size first. Use the default switches back. You choose how:

• Move (default): copies the mirror to the new place, checks the files, then switches over. Nothing is asked of the storage.
• Rebuild: syncs again from the storage into the new place. It makes as many requests as a first sync, which can take hours through a gateway. The old mirror keeps working until the new one is complete. Choose this when the old disk is gone.

While it runs, sync and write-back pause and playback continues. If the new disk is not mounted at start-up, the account shows that the mirror is unavailable and nothing is rebuilt into an empty folder. In a container, mount the disk into the container before you pick it.

Connect common WebDAV servers#

Things to know#

• Blu-ray ISOs and folders, embedded subtitles, intro and credits detection, split videos (CD1 / CD2) and external audio tracks work on network storage as they do on local files. Each reads from the storage, so the library settings decide how much (see Storage: local or cloud drive).
• A storage that answers a range request with the whole file cannot seek to the middle; the test says so and playback is slower.
• Scanning lists each folder once and downloads only small files (NFO, subtitles) that changed. Reading media info makes a few small range requests per video.
• A storage that cannot be reached, or suddenly lists far fewer files, never deletes the mirror or marks titles missing.
• The server never deletes, renames or moves your files on the storage. It only uploads the files you allowed under Write back NFO and images.
• The password is stored encrypted and is not shown again after saving.