Install Jellyfin for Samsung TV

This project makes it easy to install Jellyfin for Samsung TV by automating the environment configuration with Docker.

Samsung TVs have been running Tizen OS since 2015, and while the Jellyfin app is stable & officially supported, the app has yet to make it onto the Samsung app store since efforts began in late 2021.

Install Jellyfin to your TV with just one command once your computer and TV are configured as described below.

Configure Computer (PC, Laptop, etc...)

• Follow Docker Installation Instructions
• Enable any necessary Virtualization features.
• Ensure you are on the same network as the TV you are trying to install the app to.

Configure Samsung TV

Place TV in Developer Mode

Note

If the TV is set to use a Right-to-left language (Arabic, Hebrew, etc). You need to enter the IP address on the TV backwards. Read more.

• On the TV, open the "Smart Hub".
• Select the "Apps" panel.
• Press the "123" button (or if your remote doesn't have this button, long press the Home button) before typing "12345" with the on-screen keyboard.
• Toggle the Developer button to On.
• Enter the Host PC IP address of the device you're running this container on.

  Troubleshooting Tip: If the on-screen keyboard will not pop up or if it does pop up but nothing is being entered while typing then please use either an external Bluetooth keyboard or follow these instructions to utilize the virtual keyboard from the Samsung SmartThings app (available on iOS or Android). Download the SmartThings app from your app store. Sign into your Samsung account on your TV and SmartThings app. Open the SmartThings app. Grant the requested permissions. On the bottom toolbar select Devices, select the + icon, select Samsung Devices Add, select TV then wait and select your TV (it may hang during pairing but still work if you navigate back to Devices). Select your TV widget (the widget may briefly display 'downloading') and the virtual remote should appear shortly. Swipe up to maximize the virtual remote—you should see a bottom section appear. Swipe on the bottom section of the virtual device until you find the numeric keypad. Enter the Host PC IP address with the virtual numeric keyboard. Enter the IP address and then select Okay. Now run the docker command described below. (This issue has been documented on the UN43TU7000G/UN55AU8000B and likely exists on other models as well.)

Uninstall Existing Jellyfin Installations, If Required

Follow the Samsung uninstall instructions

Find IP Address

• Exact instructions will vary with the model of TV. In general you can find the TV's IP address in Settings under Networking or About. Plenty of guides are availble with a quick search, however for brevity a short guide with pictures can be found here.

• Make a note of the IP address as it will be needed later.

Install Jellyfin

Installation

• Run the command below, replacing first argument with the IP of your Samsung TV
  • If you just want to install the default build, do not put anything after the IP address.
  • (Optional) You can provide preferred jellyfin-tizen-builds option (Jellyfin / Jellyfin-TrueHD / Jellyfin-master / Jellyfin-master-TrueHD / Jellyfin-secondary) as second argument. By default, Jellyfin option is used.
  • (Optional) You can provide preferred jellyfin-tizen-builds releases release tag URL as third argument. By default, latest version is used. This is useful if you want to install older Jellyfin Tizen Client version.
  • (Optional) You can provide a custom Samsung certificate by mounting the .p12 files at /certificates/ and providing the certificate password as fourth argument.
  • If you do not want to use either of these options and just install the default build, do not put anything after the IP address.

docker run --rm ghcr.io/georift/install-jellyfin-tizen <samsung tv ip> [build option] [tag url] [certificate password]

Examples:

docker run --rm ghcr.io/georift/install-jellyfin-tizen 192.168.0.10 Jellyfin-TrueHD "https://github.com/jeppevinkel/jellyfin-tizen-builds/releases/tag/2024-05-13-0139"

docker run --rm -v "$(pwd)/author.p12":/certificates/author.p12 -v "$(pwd)/distributor.p12":/certificates/distributor.p12 ghcr.io/georift/install-jellyfin-tizen 192.168.0.10 Jellyfin "" 'CertPassw0rd!' # Third argument empty to use latest tag

Validating Success

Common Errors

• library initialization failed - unable to allocate file descriptor table - out of memory

  Add --ulimit nofile=1024:65536 to the docker run command:

  docker run --ulimit nofile=1024:65536 --rm ghcr.io/georift/install-jellyfin-tizen <samsung tv ip> <build option> <tag url>

• install failed[118, -11], reason: Author certificate not match :

  Uninstall the Jellyfin application from your Samsung TV, and run the installation again.

Success

If everything went well, you should see docker output something like the following

Installed the package: Id(AprZAARz4r.Jellyfin)
Tizen application is successfully installed.
Total time: 00:00:12.205

At this point you can find jellyfin on your TV by navigating to Apps -> Downloaded (scroll down), there you'll find Jellyfin.

Supported Platforms

At the moment, these steps should work on any amd64 based system. Platforms like the Raspberry Pi, which run ARM chips, are not yet supported, but we might have some progress soon..

Additional Required Commands: ARM (MacOS M Chips and higher)

• Firstly make sure that you have the Experimental "Virtualization Framework" enabled.
• Verify that docker on your M series has qemu installed. You can do this by running: docker run --rm --platform linux/amd64 alpine uname -m

If it outputs: x86_64 you're good. If not, reinstall docker, with the needed requirements.

Then use the --platform linux/amd64" argument on the original command. This should look something like this: docker run --rm --platform linux/amd64 ghcr.io/georift/install-jellyfin-tizen <samsung tv ip> <build option> <tag url>

• install failed[118, -12], reason: Check certificate error : :Invalid certificate chain with certificate in signature.

  Recent TV models require the installation packages to be signed with a custom certificate for your specific TV.

  See official documentation on creating your certificate and use the custom certificate arguments.

Credits

This project is possible thanks to these projects:

• jellyfin-tizen
• jeppevinkel/jellyfin-tizen-builds for providing development builds
• vitalets/docker-tizen-webos-sdk for a docker container preinstalled with the Tizen SDK