🎬 Family Media Server Guide

How to Request & Watch Movies and TV Shows

Available Storage

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🎬 Movies (1080p)

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🎬 Movies (4K)

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more movies

📺 TV Episodes (1080p)

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more episodes

📺 Complete Seasons

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more seasons

⚡ Quick Start (TL;DR)

  • Want something to watch? Go to Overseerr, search for it, click Request
  • Watch your content? Open Plex and it'll be there (usually within 15-30 minutes)
  • Pick quality? 1080p is fine for most things. 4K uses 5-10x more space
  • Check status? Look at the storage bar above - keep it below 80%

📝 What Is This?

We have a home media server that automatically downloads and organizes movies and TV shows. You request what you want, and it appears in Plex for everyone to watch.

Two Tools:
  • Overseerr - Where you request movies/shows
  • Plex - Where you watch them

🎯 Using Overseerr (Requesting Content)

Getting Started

  1. Open Overseerr in your browser (ask for the link if you don't have it)
  2. Log in with your Plex account
  3. You'll see a homepage with popular/trending content

Requesting a Movie or Show

  1. Use the search bar at the top to find what you want
  2. Click on the movie or show from the search results
  3. Click the "Request" button
  4. For TV shows, you can choose:
    • All seasons
    • Specific seasons
    • Latest season only
  5. Click "Request" to confirm
  6. Wait 15-30 minutes (sometimes up to a few hours for large content)
  7. Check Plex - it'll appear automatically when ready
Tip: You can see the status of your requests in Overseerr by clicking on your profile icon and selecting "Requests"

📺 Using Plex (Watching Content)

Accessing Plex

  1. Go to app.plex.tv or open the Plex app on your device
  2. Sign in with your Plex account
  3. Select our home server from the list

Finding Your Content

  1. Browse by library: Movies, TV Shows, etc.
  2. Use the search bar to find specific titles
  3. Recently added content appears at the top

Watching

  1. Click on what you want to watch
  2. Click the Play button
  3. Plex will remember where you left off if you stop mid-way
Multiple Devices: You can watch on phones, tablets, smart TVs, computers, and more. Download the Plex app from your device's app store.

⚖️ Understanding Quality vs. Storage Space

Higher quality = bigger files = less storage space. Here's what you need to know:

Quality Comparison

Quality Movie Size Episode Size When to Use
720p (HD) 2-4 GB 800 MB - 1.5 GB Phones, tablets, smaller screens
1080p (Full HD) 4-8 GB 1.5-3 GB Most TVs, computers - recommended default
4K (Ultra HD) 25-60 GB 8-15 GB 4K TVs only - uses 5-10x more space
Important: The system defaults to 1080p for movies and TV shows. This is the best balance of quality and storage. Only request 4K if you have a 4K TV and it's a movie you really care about looking perfect.

Real Capacity Numbers

The capacity estimates shown at the top of this page are calculated in real-time based on:

  • Current available space on the server
  • Average file sizes from our existing library
  • Typical episode counts per season (20 episodes)
Best Practice: Keep an eye on the storage indicator at the top of this page. If we're above 80% full, consider:
  • Deleting content you've finished watching
  • Avoiding 4K requests unless necessary
  • Requesting only seasons you'll actually watch

Why Does Quality Matter?

  • Viewing Experience: 4K looks amazing on large 4K TVs but makes no difference on smaller screens or non-4K devices
  • Bandwidth: Streaming 4K requires faster internet. 1080p works better on moderate connections
  • Storage Efficiency: 1080p gives excellent quality at 1/6th the file size of 4K

❓ Common Questions

How long does a request take?

Most requests complete in 15-30 minutes. Large content (4K movies, complete TV series) can take several hours.

Can I request the same thing someone else requested?

No need! If it's already requested or available, you'll see that in Overseerr.

What if something isn't available?

Some content might not be available to download. Overseerr will show an error. Try requesting something else or ask about it.

Can I delete content?

You shouldn't need to manually delete anything. Content automatically gets removed when storage fills up, starting with the oldest watched items.

Why isn't my 4K movie playing in 4K?

4K requires: a 4K TV, 4K content, fast internet (25+ Mbps), and proper Plex settings. If your device or connection can't handle it, Plex automatically downgrades to 1080p.

What if Plex is buffering or slow?

This usually means your internet connection is too slow for the quality. Plex will automatically adjust, but you can also manually select a lower quality in the video settings (click the settings gear while playing).

🚨 Things to Avoid

  • Don't request entire TV series unless you plan to watch them - request season by season
  • Don't request 4K for everything - it fills up storage fast
  • Don't request duplicates - check Plex first to see if it's already there
  • Don't let storage go above 90% - performance degrades