Plex Media Server

Self-hosted media server

August 2024; Revamped November 2025

Project Overview

Self-hosted 4K Plex Media Server running on TrueNAS with a fully automated media management pipeline. The system leverages the *arr suite (Sonarr, Radarr, Prowlarr) running in Docker for content monitoring, Overseerr for user requests, qBittorrent for downloads, and Trakt for watch history syncing.

Current Library Stats Live library stats via Plex API

Movies Loading...
TV Series Loading...
TV Episodes Loading...
Users Loading...

The Complete Automation Pipeline

The media acquisition workflow is fully automated from request to library:


  1. Trakt Lists → Monitored watchlists sync to Radarr/Sonarr
  2. Seerr → User requests auto-approved and sent to appropriate *arr
  3. Radarr/Sonarr → Monitors for new releases and triggers search
  4. Prowlarr → Unified indexer that searches configured sources
  5. qBittorrent → Download client
  6. Hard Links → Used for efficient library organization (same file, multiple locations)
  7. Plex → Auto-scans and adds to library
  8. Trakt Scrobble → Auto-tracks what's watched from Plex
  9. Maintainerr → Automated cleanup of unwatched/stale content based on rules

The *arr Stack Configuration

Bazarr (Subtitle Manager)

  • Platform: Docker container
  • Function: Automatically downloads subtitles for movies and TV shows
  • Integration: Monitors Radarr and Sonarr downloads via API and searches automatically

Maintainerr (Automated Cleanup)

  • Platform: Docker container
  • Function: Automated library cleanup based on viewing patterns and rules
  • Rules Configured:
    • Remove movies unwatched for 35+ days after being added
    • Remove TV show episodes with no plays in 28+ days
    • Exclude content from deletion if added to user collections
    • Exclude certain collections (Harry Potter, Spider-Man, Studio Ghibli, etc.)
  • Integration: Pulls watch statistics from Plex and Tautulli, removes content from Radarr/Sonarr
  • Benefit: Automatically manages storage by removing stale content, keeps library fresh and relevant

Prowlarr (Indexer Manager)

  • Platform: Docker container
  • Function: Centralized indexer management - one place to configure all search sources
  • Benefit: Add an indexer once in Prowlarr, automatically syncs to Sonarr and Radarr
  • Efficiency: Eliminates need to configure same indexers in multiple *arr apps

qBittorrent (Download Client)

  • Platform: Docker container
  • Integration: Sonarr and Radarr send downloads directly to qBittorrent
  • Storage: Downloads to designated ZFS dataset for organization, uses hardlinks for efficiency
  • Configuration: Optimized settings for performance and seeding requirements on private trackers

Radarr (Movies)

  • Platform: Docker container
  • Function: Monitors movies, handles release date tracking, manages quality upgrades
  • Integration: Connected to Prowlarr for indexers, qBittorrent for downloads
  • Automation: Monitors Trakt lists for new movies, searches immediately on release

Sonarr (TV Shows)

  • Platform: Docker container
  • Function: Monitors TV shows, handles season/episode tracking, triggers downloads
  • Integration: Connected to Prowlarr for indexers, qBittorrent for downloads
  • Automation: Monitors Trakt lists for new shows, automatically searches for new episodes on release

Unpackerr (Archive Extractor)

  • Platform: Docker container
  • Function: Automatically extracts compressed downloads (RAR, ZIP, 7z) from qBittorrent
  • Integration: Monitors qBittorrent download folder and extracts archives automatically
  • Benefit: Eliminates manual extraction step for archived releases, seamless import to Plex
  • Process: Download completes → Unpackerr extracts → Radarr/Sonarr imports → Plex sees new content

Request Management

Seerr

Seerr provides a Netflix-style interface for browsing and requesting content:

Features


  • Platform: Docker container
  • Auto-Approval: Requests automatically approved and sent to appropriate *arr app
  • Discovery: Browse trending, popular, and recommended content across movies and TV
  • Integration: Seamlessly connects to Radarr for movies, Sonarr for TV shows
  • Workflow: User requests → Auto-approval → Radarr/Sonarr → Prowlarr search → qBittorrent download → Plex import

Benefits


  • Non-technical users can request content without direct access to Radarr/Sonarr
  • Intuitive, Netflix-style interface for easy browsing and discovery
  • Real-time availability status (already in library, downloading, or available to request)
  • Automatic notifications when requested content arrives in Plex
  • Reduces manual intervention by auto-approving requests based on configurable rules
  • Request history and tracking for all users on the server

Trakt Integration

Features


  • Plex Scrobbling: Automatically marks content as watched in Trakt when viewed in Plex
  • Trakt → Radarr/Sonarr: Syncs specific Trakt lists to monitor for new content
  • Auto-Discovery: When new episodes or movies are added to monitored lists, automatically triggers search
  • List Management: Keep multiple lists organized by genre, priority, or viewing intention
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