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Overview

The media stack provides automated content acquisition, organization, and streaming. Services are split between Unraid (Plex for hardware transcoding) and docker-prod-01 (ARR automation stack).

Plex

Media server with hardware transcoding

ARR Stack

Automated content management

Torrents

VPN-protected downloading

Requests

User request interface

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Plex Media Server

Location: nas-prod-01 (Unraid native Docker) IP Address: Accessible via Traefik at 192.168.30.11 Why Unraid?
  • Direct access to i5-13400 Intel UHD 730 iGPU for QuickSync hardware transcoding
  • No NFS hop - Plex reads media directly from local filesystem
  • No iGPU passthrough complexity
  • QuickSync on 12th/13th gen Intel handles 2+ simultaneous 1080p transcodes

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Hardware Transcoding

iGPU: Intel UHD 730 (i5-13400) Capability:
  • 2+ simultaneous 1080p transcodes
  • Hardware-accelerated H.264 and HEVC
  • Tone mapping for HDR content
  • Low power consumption vs dedicated GPU
Configuration:
  • Settings → Transcoder → Use hardware acceleration when available: Enabled
  • Transcode temp directory: Local Unraid directory (not NFS)

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Library Structure

Media paths (NFS from Unraid): 
/mnt/user/media/movies/1080p/    # Radarr 1080p library
/mnt/user/media/movies/4k/       # Radarr 4K library  
/mnt/user/media/tv/              # Sonarr TV library
/mnt/user/media/anime/           # Sonarr Anime library
/mnt/user/media/books/audiobooks/# Audiobookshelf library
Plex libraries:
  • Movies (1080p) - Shared with all users
  • Movies (4K) - Local viewing only (Apple TV 4K via Infuse)
  • TV Shows
  • Anime
  • Audiobooks

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External Access

Method: Direct port forwarding (NOT Cloudflare Tunnel) Configuration:
  • UDM-SE port forward: 32400 → nas-prod-01
  • Plex handles TLS natively
  • Remote access enabled in Plex settings
Cloudflare ToS prohibits video streaming through tunnels. Plex requires direct port forward for external access.

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Backup

Plex database backup script:
  • Runs nightly via cron on nas-prod-01
  • Stops Plex service
  • Backs up /opt/appdata/plex/ to NAS /backups/plex/db
  • Restarts Plex service
  • Uses EXIT trap to ensure service restart even on failure
Access:
  • Internal: https://plex.giohosted.com
  • External: https://app.plex.tv
  • Configuration: Unraid Docker settings

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ARR Stack

Location: docker-prod-01 (192.168.30.11) Stack: /opt/stacks/arr/compose.yaml

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Services

Sonarr (TV)

Regular TV show automation

Sonarr (Anime)

Anime-specific automation with custom profiles

Radarr (1080p)

1080p movie automation for shared users

Radarr (4K)

4K WebDL automation for local viewing

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Sonarr (TV)

Purpose: Automate TV show downloads and organization Access: https://sonarr.giohosted.com Configuration:
  • Root folder: /data/media/tv/
  • Download client: qBittorrent
  • Indexer management: Prowlarr
  • Quality profiles: TRaSH Guides recommendations
Download workflow:
  1. Sonarr monitors RSS feeds via Prowlarr
  2. Selects release matching quality profile
  3. Sends to qBittorrent (via Gluetun VPN)
  4. qBit downloads to /data/downloads/tv/
  5. Sonarr detects completion
  6. Hardlinks file to /data/media/tv/ (atomic move, no copy)
  7. Plex detects new file and updates library
  8. Original file remains seeding in /data/downloads/tv/
Hardlinks require downloads and media to be on the same filesystem. Both are on Unraid parity array with no cache involvement.

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Sonarr (Anime)

Purpose: Separate instance for anime with specialized profiles Access: https://sonarr-anime.giohosted.com Why separate instance?
  • Anime release groups use different naming conventions
  • Quality profiles focus on fansub groups vs WEB-DL
  • Different preferred words and must-not-contain filters
  • Separate library organization
Configuration:
  • Root folder: /data/media/anime/
  • Custom quality profiles for anime releases
  • Preferred release groups configured per TRaSH Guides anime section

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Radarr (1080p)

Purpose: Automate 1080p movie downloads for shared users Access: https://radarr.giohosted.com Configuration:
  • Root folder: /data/media/movies/1080p/
  • Quality profile: 1080p WebDL/Bluray
  • Optimized for streaming without transcoding
  • Shared with all Plex users

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Radarr (4K)

Purpose: 4K WebDL movies for local high-quality viewing Access: https://radarr-4k.giohosted.com Configuration:
  • Root folder: /data/media/movies/4k/
  • Quality profile: 4K WebDL (not remux - file size balance)
  • Target: Apple TV 4K direct play via Infuse
  • Not transcoded for remote users
Why separate instance?
  • Different quality requirements (4K WebDL vs 1080p)
  • Separate library in Plex
  • Prevents accidental 4K downloads for shared library
  • Isolated indexer priorities for 4K releases
4K content should be direct played, not transcoded. Ensure clients support 4K HEVC playback or restrict 4K library access.

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Prowlarr

Purpose: Centralized indexer management for all ARR instances Access: https://prowlarr.giohosted.com Connected instances:
  • Sonarr (TV)
  • Sonarr (Anime)
  • Radarr (1080p)
  • Radarr (4K)
Configuration:
  • Indexers automatically synced to all ARR apps
  • Single point of indexer management
  • Add indexer once, available everywhere
  • Flaresolverr integration for Cloudflare-protected indexers

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Bazarr

Purpose: Automated subtitle downloads Access: https://bazarr.giohosted.com Configuration:
  • Syncs with Sonarr and Radarr libraries
  • Preferred languages configured
  • Subtitle providers: OpenSubtitles, Subscene, etc.
  • Automatically downloads missing subtitles
  • Upgrades to better quality subtitles when available

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Supporting Services

Profilarr:
  • Manages quality profiles across Sonarr/Radarr instances
  • Syncs TRaSH Guides recommendations
  • Access: https://profilarr.giohosted.com
Maintainerr:
  • Media lifecycle visibility
  • Shows watched/unwatched statistics
  • Identifies content for potential removal
  • Note: Configured for visibility only, no automatic deletion
  • Access: https://maintainerr.giohosted.com
Tautulli:
  • Plex analytics and monitoring
  • Play statistics and user activity
  • Newsletter generation
  • Access: https://tautulli.giohosted.com
Flaresolverr:
  • Cloudflare bypass for Prowlarr
  • Proxies requests to Cloudflare-protected indexers
  • Runs as supporting service (no direct access needed)

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Torrent Stack

Location: docker-prod-01 Stack: /opt/stacks/torrent/compose.yaml

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Architecture

qBittorrent ←→ Gluetun (VPN killswitch) ←→ ProtonVPN
     ↑
   qBitrr (management)

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Gluetun

Purpose: VPN killswitch for qBittorrent Configuration:
  • VPN provider: ProtonVPN
  • Server: Chicago (port forwarding support)
  • Protocol: WireGuard
  • Killswitch: Enabled (blocks all traffic if VPN drops)
Network mode: 
qbittorrent:
  network_mode: "service:gluetun"
qBittorrent shares Gluetun’s network namespace - all qBit traffic forced through VPN. Verification: 
# Check public IP from qBittorrent container
docker exec qbittorrent curl ifconfig.me
# Should show ProtonVPN Chicago IP, not residential IP

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qBittorrent

Purpose: Torrent download client Access: https://qbittorrent.giohosted.com Configuration:
  • Download path: /data/downloads/
  • Categories:
    • tv → /data/downloads/tv/
    • movies → /data/downloads/movies/
    • anime → /data/downloads/anime/
    • books-ebooks → /data/downloads/books/ebooks/downloads/
    • books-audiobooks → /data/downloads/books/audiobooks/downloads/
Port forwarding:
  • Automatic via Gluetun integration with ProtonVPN
  • Verified as “Fully Connectable” on private trackers

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qBitrr

Purpose: Torrent lifecycle management for all ARR instances Replaces: Custom qbit-automation sidecar from v2 Access: https://qbitrr.giohosted.com Features:
  • Single installation manages all 4 ARR instances
  • Seeding time enforcement (14 days minimum for MAM ebooks/audiobooks)
  • Failed torrent detection and redownload triggering
  • Stalled torrent monitoring
  • Web UI for troubleshooting
Connected ARR instances:
  • Sonarr (TV)
  • Sonarr (Anime)
  • Radarr (1080p)
  • Radarr (4K)
MAM compliance: 
seeding:
  categories:
    books-ebooks: 14d      # 14 day minimum seed
    books-audiobooks: 14d  # 14 day minimum seed
    tv: 7d
    movies: 7d
    anime: 7d

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Seerr (Request Interface)

Purpose: User-facing request portal for movies and TV shows Access:
  • Internal: https://request.giohosted.com
  • External: https://request.giohosted.com (via Cloudflare Tunnel)
Integration:
  • Connects to Sonarr (TV), Sonarr (Anime), Radarr (1080p), Radarr (4K)
  • Users request content via web interface
  • Requests automatically sent to appropriate ARR instance
  • Status tracking and notifications
Access control:
  • Protected by Cloudflare Access
  • Users authenticated via Authentik OIDC

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Critical Design Requirement

Downloads and media MUST be on the same filesystem for hardlinks to work. Both are on Unraid parity array with cache disabled.
Why hardlinks matter:
  1. qBittorrent downloads file to /data/downloads/tv/show.mkv
  2. Sonarr creates hardlink at /data/media/tv/Show/show.mkv
  3. Same file, two paths - zero additional disk usage
  4. File continues seeding from original download location
  5. Deleting either path does not affect the other until both are removed
What breaks hardlinks:
  • Downloading to cache pool while media is on array
  • Copying instead of moving/hardlinking
  • Crossing filesystem boundaries

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Directory Structure

On docker-prod-01 (/data = NFS mount to nas-prod-01 /mnt/user): 
/data/
├── media/
│   ├── movies/
│   │   ├── 1080p/        # Radarr 1080p library
│   │   └── 4k/           # Radarr 4K library
│   ├── tv/             # Sonarr TV library
│   ├── anime/          # Sonarr Anime library
│   └── books/
│       ├── ebooks/
│       └── audiobooks/
└── downloads/
    ├── movies/         # qBit movie staging
    ├── tv/             # qBit TV staging
    ├── anime/          # qBit anime staging
    └── books/
        ├── ebooks/downloads/
        └── audiobooks/downloads/
Verification: 
# Check if two paths are hardlinked
stat /data/media/tv/Show/episode.mkv
stat /data/downloads/tv/episode.mkv
# If inode numbers match, they are hardlinks to the same file

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Migration Notes

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4K Movie Migration (Phase 4)

Existing 4K movies previously managed by single Radarr instance need migration to Radarr (4K):
  1. Use Radarr (4K) Movie Editor to bulk-select existing 4K titles
  2. Assign correct root folder: /data/media/movies/4k/
  3. Trigger library rescan in Radarr (4K)
  4. Existing files re-pathed and monitoring assigned
  5. No re-download required - files already in correct location
Hardlinks not working:
  1. Verify both downloads and media are on same share: df -h /data/downloads /data/media
  2. Check Unraid share settings: Downloads and media shares must have “Use cache: No”
  3. Verify ARR using “Hardlink” or “Move” not “Copy”
  4. Test manually: ln /data/downloads/test.txt /data/media/test.txt
Downloads not importing:
  1. Check qBittorrent category matches ARR instance download folder
  2. Verify file permissions: Should be 2000:2000
  3. Check ARR logs for import errors
  4. Verify NFS mount is healthy: mount | grep /data
VPN not working:
  1. Check Gluetun logs: docker logs gluetun
  2. Verify public IP: docker exec qbittorrent curl ifconfig.me
  3. Should show ProtonVPN IP, not residential
  4. Check port forwarding status in qBittorrent settings
qBitrr not managing torrents:
  1. Verify ARR API keys in qBitrr config
  2. Check qBitrr web UI for connection status
  3. Ensure categories in qBittorrent match qBitrr config
  4. Review qBitrr logs for errors

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