Top 10 Plugins and Add-ons for Emby Theater

Emby Theater on Fire TV and Android TV: Installation WalkthroughEmby Theater is a full-featured media center client that connects to your Emby Server to stream movies, TV shows, music, and photos with rich metadata and remote playback controls. This walkthrough will guide you through installing and configuring Emby Theater on both Fire TV (including Fire TV Stick) and Android TV (including NVIDIA Shield, Sony, Xiaomi, and other Android TV boxes). It covers prerequisites, step-by-step installation, initial setup, common issues, performance tips, and optional tweaks for the best experience.

Before you begin — prerequisites

• Emby Server: Ensure you have a running Emby Server on a PC, NAS, or compatible device. Server version should be reasonably recent (within the last year) for best compatibility.
• Network: Both your TV device and Emby Server should be on the same local network for initial discovery and best performance. Wired Gigabit Ethernet is recommended for servers and TV boxes where possible.
• Account: Create an Emby account (optional for local-only use). A server admin user is needed to manage libraries and settings.
• Storage & Media: Your media files should be organized and accessible to Emby Server (correct folder structure and naming conventions improve metadata matching).
• Optional — Emby Premiere: Some features (hardware transcoding, DVR, mobile sync) require an Emby Premiere subscription.

Installing Emby Theater on Fire TV

Fire TV devices (including Fire TV Stick, Fire TV Cube) run a forked version of Android and use Amazon’s Appstore. Emby Theater isn’t always in the Amazon store in all regions, so there are two common methods: installing from the Amazon Appstore or sideloading the Android APK.

Method A — From Amazon Appstore (if available)

1. Open the Fire TV home screen and go to “Find” → “Search”.
2. Search for “Emby Theater” (or just “Emby”).
3. If Emby Theater appears, select it and choose “Get” or “Download”.
4. Once installed, open Emby Theater and proceed to initial setup (see Setup section below).

Method B — Sideloading the APK (if not available)

Warning: Sideloading requires enabling apps from unknown sources and installing APKs obtained from third-party sources. Use the official Emby website or trusted repositories to download APKs.

1. On your Fire TV, go to Settings → My Fire TV → Developer options → Enable “Apps from Unknown Sources” (or for newer firmware, enable for specific installer apps like Downloader).
2. Install the “Downloader” app from the Amazon Appstore.
3. Open Downloader and enter the direct URL to the Emby Theater APK from the official Emby downloads page. Alternatively, download to a PC and host locally, or transfer via adb.
4. Follow Downloader’s prompts to fetch and install the APK.
5. After installation, open Emby Theater and proceed to initial setup.

Installing Emby Theater on Android TV

Android TV devices use Google Play Store. Emby Theater may be listed as “Emby Theater” or simply “Emby”. If it’s not visible due to device compatibility, sideloading is an option.

From Google Play Store

1. Open the Google Play Store on your Android TV device.
2. Search for “Emby Theater” or “Emby”.
3. Install the app directly.
4. Open Emby Theater and follow the initial setup.

Sideloading on Android TV

If the Play Store marks the app as incompatible:

1. Enable Developer Options: Settings → About → highlight Build → press OK repeatedly until developer mode is enabled.
2. Enable USB debugging and allow installation from unknown sources for the file manager you’ll use (e.g., File Commander).
3. Transfer the APK via USB, network share, or use a downloader app.
4. Use a file manager to locate the APK and install it.
5. Open Emby Theater and complete setup.

Initial Setup and Connecting to Emby Server

1. Launch Emby Theater on your Fire TV or Android TV.
2. The app should attempt to discover Emby Servers on your local network automatically. If it finds your server, select it.
3. If automatic discovery fails, choose “Manual Connect” and enter your server’s local IP address and port (default port 8096 for HTTP or 8920 for HTTPS if enabled). Example: 192.168.1.100:8096.
4. Log in with your Emby server user credentials (or create a new user if you’re setting up on the server side).
5. Once connected, the app will load libraries; your metadata and posters should display.

Recommended Settings for Best Playback

• Use a wired Ethernet connection on the server and, if possible, the TV device for large 4K files.
• In Emby Server settings, enable hardware transcoding if your server CPU is weak and the client needs format conversion. This requires appropriate hardware and drivers (Intel Quick Sync, NVIDIA NVENC, AMD VCE).
• On the client app, enable “Direct Play” and “Direct Stream” to avoid transcoding when formats are compatible.
• For remotes with no mouse, enable “Show On-Screen Keyboard” or pair a simple Bluetooth keyboard to enter text easily.
• For HDR content on Android TV, ensure your TV and device support the HDR type (HDR10, Dolby Vision) and that the server delivers compatible streams — sometimes passthrough is needed on devices that support it.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

• App not in store: Sideload the APK from official Emby sources.
• Server not discovered: verify both devices are on same subnet, disable VPNs, check firewall on server (allow port ⁄₈₉₂₀).
• Playback stutters: try wired connection, lower streaming bitrate in client settings, or enable server hardware transcoding.
• Audio/video sync issues: try different playback options in player settings (audio passthrough on/off), or adjust sync in server playback settings.
• Remote navigation problems: enable “Use simplified remote navigation” or pair a Bluetooth remote/keyboard.

Performance & Optimization Tips

• Transcoding is CPU-heavy. Prefer Direct Play by matching container, codecs, and bitrates.
• Store metadata on a fast disk (SSD) if you have large libraries to reduce library scan times.
• Keep Emby Server and client apps updated for bug fixes and performance improvements.
• Use separate libraries for different content types (Movies, TV, Music) to speed UI and metadata fetching.
• For 4K streaming, use Ethernet and ensure your router/switch supports high throughput.

Optional Enhancements

• Install subtitle manager plugins on the server for automatic subtitle downloads.
• Use Emby Premiere for DVR, hardware-accelerated transcoding, and mobile sync.
• Integrate with remotes and home automation via Emby API for advanced setups.
• Try alternative frontends or skins if you prefer a different UI experience.

Conclusion

Installing Emby Theater on Fire TV and Android TV is straightforward via official stores where available; sideloading offers a reliable fallback. Prioritize Direct Play, wired networking, and appropriate server hardware for smooth playback. With these steps and optimizations, you’ll have a polished media center experience on your TV device.