Run Quven, end to end.
Install the server, connect your devices, and stream your library the way you set it up. Everything below reflects what ships today — clearly flagged where something is on the way.
Overview
Quven is a self-hosted media server for your movies, TV shows and documentaries. You install it on a machine you own, point it at your folders, and stream to native and web apps on your devices — at home and, optionally, from anywhere. Your library stays on your hardware.
Install the server
Download the installer for your platform from quven.tv/download. FFmpeg and the database are bundled — there's nothing else to install.
.exe Windows 10 and 11. One-click installer with automatic updates. .pkg Signed and notarized. Intel and Apple Silicon. AppImage Portable single file — no package manager needed. - Install and launch. The server starts automatically in the background.
- Open a client. The desktop app finds your server on the local network — no address to type.
- You're the owner. The first user on a fresh server becomes the admin; no account is required for home use.
- Add a library. Point Quven at your media folders and run a scan (below).
Connect your devices
The native apps are the premium path; the web client reaches everything else.
Native desktop app
Windows, macOS and Linux. It discovers your server on the LAN automatically and connects in one tap. Full direct play, hardware decoding, HD audio passthrough and advanced subtitles.
Web client
Served by your server and opened in any modern browser — the universal fallback for guests, work machines or quick access without installing. Cinematic UI, with playback handled over HLS.
On a different subnet or VPN? Enter the server address manually instead of relying on automatic discovery. Native mobile and Smart-TV apps are on the way in later releases; until then, the web client runs in any device browser.
Libraries & scanning
Add a folder, pick a type, and let Quven match it against TMDb. Scans are always started by you.
Add a library
In server settings, create a library of type Movies, TV Shows or Documentaries and point it at a folder on the server machine. Run a scan; progress shows live and a cancelled scan can be resumed.
Matching & metadata
Each file is matched against TMDb from its name. Optional AI disambiguation resolves tricky cases. If a match is wrong, open the item and Fix match to pick the right title.
Avatar (2009).mkv— include the yearBreaking Bad/Season 1/S01E01.mkv— episodes by seasonInception/Inception.2010.2160p.mkv+Inception.2010.1080p.mkv— variants of one title
Multiple files per title. 4K + 1080p, different audio languages, theatrical and extended cuts all live under one entry — the detail page shows a Sources picker to choose at play time.
Playback
Quven plays the original file untouched whenever the client can handle it, and transcodes only when it must.
Direct play
Streams the source as-is over the network — lowest latency, no transcoding. Used when the client supports the video, audio, container and subtitles natively, which the desktop apps do for far more formats than browsers.
Hardware transcoding
When direct play isn't possible, FFmpeg transcodes on the fly, using your GPU where available (NVIDIA, Intel, AMD, Apple). HDR sources are tone-mapped to SDR for clients that need it.
- Subtitles — text tracks (SRT, ASS, VTT) and image tracks (PGS) — burned in when a stream can't carry them.
- Audio passthrough — HD audio (DTS-HD, TrueHD, Atmos) passed to your receiver on native clients; AC3/EAC3 passthrough on supported paths.
- HDR tone-mapping — HDR10 sources mapped to SDR with GPU acceleration where supported.
- Resume — picks up where you left off, per user, including the next episode of a show.
Account & plans
A Quven Account is optional — it's only needed for cloud-anchored features. One subscription covers every server you link to it.
The complete self-hosted experience, forever: native and web apps, hardware transcoding, matching, multi-file variants and do-it-yourself remote access.
Everything in Free, plus the zero-config managed relay for access from anywhere and unlimited user profiles.
Everything in Pro, plus on-demand AI subtitle translation and the upcoming creator features.
Founders. The first 500 accounts to activate at launch get Pro free until a published close date, then convert at a permanent Founder discount. See the plans for the full breakdown.
Remote access
Reach your server from outside your home two ways — one you run, one we run.
Do-it-yourself · Free
Open a port, use a reverse proxy, or a tunnel like Tailscale. Quven never charges you to reach your own server — this stays free.
Managed relay · Pro
Sign in with your account and the client dials your server through Quven's relay — no port-forwarding, no DNS, works behind strict NAT. A fair-use bandwidth allowance applies.
Supported formats
Native clients direct-play a wide range; browsers receive a transcoded stream when they can't decode the source.
MKV, MP4, WebM and more. Disc sources (ISO, BDMV, VIDEO_TS) play full-fidelity on native clients and are remuxed to HLS for browsers.
H.264, HEVC, AV1, VP9 direct-play on native clients. Browsers get H.264 (or HEVC where supported) via transcode. VVC sources play through transcode.
AAC, AC3, EAC3, DTS, TrueHD and FLAC on native clients, with HD passthrough to a receiver. Browsers fall back to stereo/AAC where passthrough isn't possible.
SRT, ASS and VTT text tracks; PGS image tracks burned in when needed. Advanced ASS styling is preserved on native clients.
Streaming DRM (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay) is out of scope. Quven serves your own files.
Privacy & diagnostics
Local-first by design. Telemetry is opt-in and off by default.
- Off by default — nothing leaves your server unless you turn diagnostics on.
- Scrubbed — if enabled, crash and playback reports have file paths, addresses and emails removed before sending.
- Never sent — your library contents and watch history are never collected.
Languages
The apps and localized metadata ship in three languages today.
Troubleshooting & FAQ
The quick answers to the things that come up most.
Setup & libraries
A scan didn't find my files, or matched the wrong title.
Check the naming first: include the year, e.g. "Avatar (2009).mkv", and for episodes use "Show Name S01E01.mkv" or season folders. Make sure the account running the server can read the folder. If a single item matched the wrong title, open its detail page and use Fix match to pick the correct result from the search. Scans are always started by you — re-run the scan after renaming.
I have the same movie in 4K and 1080p — will I get two entries?
No. Multiple files for the same title (4K + 1080p, different audio languages, theatrical + extended cuts) live under one library entry. The detail page shows a Sources picker so you choose the variant at play time.
Does Quven keep scanning my folders in the background?
No. Scans are user-initiated, so nothing touches your disks unless you ask. Start a scan after you add files; progress shows live and a cancelled scan can be resumed.
Playback
My browser can't play a file — is something broken?
No. Browsers can't decode every container and codec, so when direct play isn't possible the server transcodes the file on the fly to a browser-friendly HLS stream. For full-fidelity playback (direct play, HD audio passthrough, advanced subtitles) use the native desktop app.
What's the difference between direct play and transcoding?
Direct play streams the original file untouched — lowest latency, no extra CPU. It's used when the client can handle the video, audio, container and subtitles as-is (the native apps handle far more than browsers). When it can't, the server transcodes with FFmpeg, using hardware acceleration where available.
Playback buffers when I watch from outside my home.
Remote playback is limited by your home upload speed. Lower the quality in the player settings, or watch on the native app which can direct-play instead of transcoding. The managed relay (Pro) removes the network setup, but bandwidth is still bound by your connection.
Accounts, plans & privacy
Do I need an account to use Quven?
No. A single-home install needs no account — the apps find your server on the local network automatically. A free Quven Account is only needed for cloud-anchored features such as the managed remote relay.
Is Quven really free?
Yes. The complete self-hosted experience — native and web apps, hardware transcoding, library matching, multi-file variants and do-it-yourself remote access — is free for home use, forever. Paid tiers only add features that run on Quven's cloud and carry an ongoing cost, like the managed relay and AI subtitle translation.
What does Quven collect about me?
Nothing, unless you opt in. Diagnostics are off by default. If you enable them, the app reports crashes and playback failures with personal data (file paths, addresses, emails) scrubbed out — never your library contents or watch history.
Platforms & roadmap
Are there mobile and TV apps?
The native desktop apps (Windows, macOS, Linux) and the web client ship with v1. Native mobile apps (iOS, Android) and Smart-TV apps follow in later releases. On any device today you can use the web client in a browser.
Can I move my library from Plex or Jellyfin?
The folder layout is the same idea: point Quven at your existing media folders and it scans and matches them. Watchlists and ratings are re-added in Quven rather than imported in v1.
What about music and photos?
v1 focuses on Movies, TV Shows and Documentaries. Music comes in a later release; photos are further out.
Still stuck?
Visit support