Get started with Odyssey

What you will accomplish

You will connect media you already have permission to access, understand the main destinations and find help when you need it. Odyssey organises and plays media from sources you connect. It supplies no channels, films or series, so installing the app alone does not create a playable library.

Start with one source and one title you know should work. A small, successful first test is easier to understand than several new connections arriving together.

Before you begin

You need Odyssey on a supported device and the connection details for your media service. These might be a server address and access token, or a playlist address. Ask the person who manages that service for the appropriate details; an Odyssey management code is a different credential.

If you already use Odyssey elsewhere, have your existing management code ready. It connects the new device to that managed setup. Use an adult profile with the appropriate approval when changing protected account settings.

Connect your first source

1. On the Add your sources screen, choose Add Source. A returning welcome screen can instead say Add a Source. To restore an existing managed setup, choose Connect sources via management code.
2. Select the actual source type and enter its address and required fields. The media-server guide explains the Jellyfin, Emby and Silo forms.
3. Choose Test & Save in the standard connection form. Synology’s separate folder-selection flow uses Save. Allow the initial operation to finish.
4. When shown, choose Continue to profiles and select or set up the intended profile.
5. Complete the onboarding steps offered for Sources, Home, Watch History and Ready. Optional history services are separate connections.
6. If the app asks for access, review the available subscription or eligible trial and confirm with Apple, or use the offered restore action for an eligible existing purchase. Adding a source or entering a management code does not start a trial or activate a subscription.
7. Once setup and access are ready, open Movies, Series or Live according to your source. Try one title or channel you recognise.

You can also configure managed sources in Manage player. The browser form and native app have different labels and authentication flows. Keep the app open while the initial source addition is committed.

Find your way around

Home brings together available shelves. Movies and Series are useful when you know the kind of programme you want; Live is for channels and programme schedules. Library contains personal collections such as favourites and recent viewing. Use Search when you have a title in mind.

On compact layouts, some destinations sit under More. On wider iPad and Mac layouts, navigation can use a sidebar. Apple TV uses remote focus and its own navigation panel. A menu position on one device is not a promise that another device uses the same position.

A first-evening example

Suppose your household has a Jellyfin library. Connect that server, choose your own profile and open a film you have already played successfully on the server. Check picture, sound and an embedded subtitle track before exploring further. Then add a favourite or another personal selection so there is an easy starting point next time.

When you move to a second Odyssey device, connect the existing managed setup and choose the same profile. Confirm that the source is reachable from that device as well. A server reachable on home Wi-Fi may need a separately configured, authorised connection when you are away.

If something is missing

No titles: first check the selected profile and whether that profile can access the source. Then check that the source completed loading. A source can also provide only one kind of media.

A title is visible but will not play: catalogue access and stream access are different checks. Confirm that the source still works and try another known title. Record the exact error rather than repeatedly deleting and adding the source.

A feature is absent: look in Settings → Discover Odyssey and check your version in Settings → Help & About. Availability can depend on the build, profile, platform or connected service. Check the availability notes in the relevant guide.

Change your setup later

Use Settings → Sources to inspect your sources, and the website for managed source changes. Read Add and manage sources before removing a connection. Replacing a source can require saved Channel Studio channels to be reconnected.

Do I need to add the same service repeatedly? Use the existing managed setup where appropriate, then check its sources before creating duplicates. Does Odyssey include a subscription to media? No. Your access comes from the services you connect.