Add and manage your media sources

What a source provides

A source is a service or library that Odyssey can connect to for media. Odyssey supplies no media of its own. Connecting a source does not give you a subscription, remove provider restrictions or create permission to share its programmes.

This guide covers the setup decision and the source-management workflow. For exact Jellyfin, Emby and Silo fields, use Connect a media server.

Choose where to add it

The native app offers Add Source on the Add your sources screen and Add Source from Sources settings. Its source types have individual forms. Managed sources can also be configured in Manage player, where the combined connection type for Jellyfin, Emby and Silo is called Media server.

You need connection details supplied by the service owner and a profile allowed to use that source. Protected account changes may require owner approval. Keep tokens, passwords and management codes private.

Add a source on the website

1. Open Manage player and sign into the intended player using its existing access method.
2. In the source section, choose Add source.
3. Choose the appropriate Connection type. Use Media server for Jellyfin, Emby or Silo; choose the matching separate option for an Xtream connection, M3U playlist or Plex server.
4. Enter a useful Display name, such as “Home library”.
5. Enter the source address and the required fields shown in the form. Do not substitute your Odyssey management code for a provider token.
6. Choose Save source. Check that the source appears in your list.
7. Open or refresh Odyssey on the connected device and confirm that the intended profile can browse the source.

For a connection the form recognises automatically, follow the fields and status actually displayed. Do not add credentials to a form that says no sign-in details are required.

Add a source in the app

1. Choose Add Source on the Add your sources screen, or open Settings → Sources and choose Add Source.
2. Select your actual source type and complete its connection form.
3. Use a recognisable Source Name. Check the server or playlist address carefully, including its port and connection scheme.
4. For the standard connection form, choose Test & Save and allow the initial catalogue operation to finish. Read any error shown before trying again.

Native forms differ from the web form. Silo’s native sign-in, for example, accepts its compatibility-account credentials, while web setup uses an access token. This is why copying field-by-field instructions between the two can fail.

Connect a Synology NAS by IP address or domain

The newer native source setup also offers Synology NAS, using File Station access. You need a reachable NAS and an account permitted to browse the intended shared folders. This is a separate setup flow from Media server on the website.

1. Choose Synology NAS and set a recognisable Source Name.
2. Under Connect Using, choose IP address or domain, then enter the matching address, protocol, optional port and NAS account details. Supply the one-time code only if your NAS requires it.
3. Choose Connect. Browse an authorised shared folder and the folder you intend to use.
4. Set Library Name and Contains: Movies, Series, or Movies and Series. Choose Use This Folder.
5. After selecting at least one library folder, choose Save. Test a known permitted title on the device you intend to use.

QuickConnect is unavailable. Choosing it shows a message directing you to IP address or domain. Do not substitute a QuickConnect identifier into another address field. This source review establishes the implemented setup, not successful access to every NAS or network.

Test one source before adding another

For a home library, first open a title that is already known to work on the server. For a Live source, select a channel you know is currently available. Successful catalogue loading is a useful first check; successful playback confirms that the media connection works too.

Then inspect the intended profile’s access. If your own profile can see a new source but another cannot, review that profile’s selected source access in Manage player rather than assuming the source failed to save.

Edit, cancel or remove

Cancel closes the web source form without submitting it. Use a source row’s Edit action for changes to an existing connection. Remove removes that saved source and should not be used as a routine refresh button.

Deleting and recreating a source can give it a different source identity. Saved Channel Studio recipes may still refer to the old connection. If you replace a source, read Reconnect saved channel sources before recreating channels or removing their recipes.

Common problems and questions

The address works only at home: confirm the device is on a network that can reach the server. Odyssey does not make a private server publicly reachable.

Authentication fails: check the source type, token or account details with the service owner. An email password, API token and user ID are different values.

Can I add several sources? You can connect multiple sources. Each source and profile still needs valid access. Does a saved source immediately appear on every device? Managed changes depend on the connected device starting or refreshing and on the service being reachable; do not assume instantaneous delivery.