Jellyfin's latest Roku app update aims to convince Plex users to switch

Jellyfin, the top open source Plex media server alternative right now, just dropped a big update to its Roku app that includes a notable visual redesign and revamped navigation features.

Key improvements include navigation shortcuts, playback stability fixes, and a refreshed user interface tied to Music and TV features. While the information you'll see on the Music Album and TV screens looks the same, it's been rearranged to look more streamlined and modern, according to the update notes. There are also new menu options for Recently Added Music, Play Instant Mix and Go To Genre.

With this update, users can also now customize settings like content poster orientation, and whether details appear after an episode of a TV show ends. In terms of bugs, the update fixes an .strm issue tied to incorrect playback reporting on the server admin dashboard. Other fixes include solving a glitch where Jellyfin's screen saver wasn't working when its audio player is running.

Plex now requires a Remote Watch Pass ($2/month, $20/year) or Plex Pass ($7/month, $70/year, $250 for a lifetime license) to stream content remotely to its Roku app and on other platforms, leading many to ditch the platform for open source alternatives like Jellyfin or Emby. In other Jellyfin-related news, the open source app recently launched an update to its desktop app called Jellyfin Desktop 2.0.

If you're already a Jellyfin user on Roku, the update should already be installed on your device.