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Welcome! You've been given access to The Pond — a personal streaming service run by Hayden. Think of it like a private Netflix: movies and TV shows you can stream to your TV, phone, tablet, or computer, plus a way to request things that aren't in the library y...

Access is by account — there's no sign-up button. Ask Hayden ([CONTACT]) and he'll create a username and password for you. Once you have it: Go to https://jellyfin.theduckynerdball.com in any browser. Sign in with the username and password Hayden gave you. Tha...

Short list, honor system: Don't share your login. Accounts are per-person. If someone else in your house wants in, ask — additional accounts are easy to make. Be patient with requests. New requests usually arrive on their own within minutes to hours. Requestin...

The service is called Jellyfin (that's the app you'll look for in app stores). It works basically everywhere: In a web browser (easiest) Go to https://jellyfin.theduckynerdball.com and sign in. Works on any computer. On your phone or tablet Install the free Je...

Jellyfin apps have a video quality setting. Please leave it on Auto or the maximum setting — don't turn it down. This sounds backwards, but here's why: the server sends you the original file as-is, and your device plays it directly. That's what makes the pictu...

Subtitles and audio: while something is playing, look for the speech-bubble icon (subtitles) and the audio-track icon. Many files include multiple languages and subtitle options — pick what you want, and the app remembers your preference per show. Multiple ver...

Work down this list — it solves almost everything: Pause for 30 seconds, then resume. Lets the stream buffer on a slow connection. Check your quality setting is Auto/Max (see The one setting that matters). This is the #1 cause of problems. Try a different movi...

Want something that isn't in the library? You can add it yourself — no need to ask anyone. Go to https://requests.theduckynerdball.com Sign in with the same username and password you use for watching. Search for the movie or show. Click Request. For TV shows, ...

After you request something, it shows a status: Status What it means Requested / Pending Waiting for approval (usually automatic and fast) Processing The system found it and is downloading — almost there Available It's in the library — go watch it Typical timi...

A few asks, to keep things running smoothly: Check the library first — the search on the requests site shows a "available" badge if it's already there. Big shows: a season at a time is kinder than requesting fifteen seasons of something you might not finish. Y...

Does this cost anything? No. It runs on my hardware, my electricity, and my refusal to have normal hobbies. If gratitude strikes, I take payment exclusively in snacks and good movie recommendations. The exchange rate is generous. Can my partner / kid get their...

One thing won't play, everything else works: That file is probably bad. Tell Hayden ([CONTACT]): what you were watching, what device, and what happened. It's usually replaced quickly. Everything is down (site won't load at all): The house internet or the serve...

This is a home lab — a small collection of always-on computers I run at home for learning, tinkering, and running useful services for myself, my household, and a few friends. It started as a way to sharpen skills I use professionally (infrastructure, automatio...

A rough tour of what runs in the lab, in plain terms: Media. A personal media server so my household can watch our own library on any screen in the house, plus a self-service way for the household to add to it. (If you have an account, the other books here cov...

People are sometimes surprised that a home setup can be run responsibly, so here's the philosophy in non-technical terms: The front door is tiny. The vast majority of the lab is reachable only from inside my own network. The few things friends can reach from o...

A fair question, since most of this replaces things you could get for free or cheap from a big company. A few honest reasons: Privacy. The voice assistant, the automation, and the AI all run at home. That's genuinely rare, and it's worth something to me that t...

No, and it never will. This is a hobby, not a business, and money is never part of it. Snacks, however, are always accepted. Preferred denominations: chips, gummy candy of any nationality, and anything your grandmother makes. Payable in person only. Good movie...