A long-time self-hosting enthusiast explains why and how he moved almost entirely off commercial streaming and cloud services toward a compact home server setup. Motivated by cost, privacy, and a desire to avoid algorithmic recommendations for his son, he runs a Beelink S12 Pro (Intel N100, 16 GB RAM, 512 GB SSD) with a 6 TB media disk, keeps services off the public internet except for an IPv6-only VPN on the router, and prefers native single-binary apps where possible. He rejects Docker in favor of Podman + systemd, favors low-resolution media (generally 720p) to save CPU, memory, and disk, and values being able to control when and whether to upgrade software rather than accept cloud-driven changes.
The setup includes Jellyfin for movies/TV, Immich for photos, Home Assistant for home automation, Frigate NVR managing eight IP cameras with low-res RTSP substreams for detection, and a mix of native and containerized tools: Caddy for HTTPS/reverse proxy, Forgejo for git hosting, Audiobookshelf, Automatic Ripping Machine for DVDs, Gonic and MPD for music, Backrest atop Restic for backups with Gotify alerts, Beszel for basic monitoring, Cockpit for server status, and a homepage dashboard. Choices emphasize simplicity, resource efficiency, and local control, trading convenience of cloud services for predictable stability and privacy.
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