CineDock user guide

From first launch
to film night.

Connect your media server, choose a profile, learn the remote and get CineDock ready for film night.

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In this guide

01

Start here

CineDock gives the Plex, Emby or Jellyfin library you already run a new way to browse in a browser, on Windows or Intel Mac, or on Amazon Fire TV and NVIDIA Shield TV. Your media server still manages the files, users, permissions, streaming, transcoding, watched titles and resume points. CineDock keeps a separate Watchlist for each profile.

DESKTOP

Windows or Intel Mac

Install the Windows or Intel Mac beta. CineDock runs locally and connects directly to your existing media server. Docker is not required.

Desktop beta downloads ↗
BROWSERS & STREAMING DEVICES

Browsers, Fire TV & NVIDIA Shield

Run the CineDock container on your server or NAS, open it in browsers, then connect Amazon Fire TV or NVIDIA Shield TV.

Container instructions ↓

What you need

  • A working Plex, Emby or Jellyfin server.
  • An account that can access the libraries you want to see.
  • For a desktop install: a Windows PC or Intel Mac. For browsers, Amazon Fire TV or NVIDIA Shield TV: a server or NAS that can run the CineDock container.
  • Optional: a TMDB API key for fuller cast biographies and library filmographies.

02

Windows & Intel Mac

Windows 10 or 11

1

Download the beta

Download the Windows x64 executable and its SHA-256 checksum from the desktop beta release.

2

Open CineDock

Run the executable. Windows may show SmartScreen because the beta is not yet code-signed. Check that the filename and SHA-256 checksum match the official release before you run it.

3

Complete setup

CineDock starts on your computer and opens in your browser. Choose Plex, Emby or Jellyfin and enter the connection details described below.

4

Leave it running

Closing the browser does not quit CineDock. Use the CineDock tray icon to reopen it, open Settings or quit. Double-clicking the executable again opens the existing CineDock rather than starting another copy.

Intel Mac

1

Check compatibility

The current beta is for Intel x86_64 Macs and has been tested on macOS Monterey. It is not an Apple Silicon build.

2

Verify and extract

Download the Mac ZIP and checksum. Verify the checksum, then extract CineDock.app.

3

Open safely

Because the beta is unsigned and not notarised, Control-click CineDock.app, choose Open, then confirm. Do not disable Gatekeeper.

4

Use the menu bar

Closing the browser leaves CineDock in the macOS menu bar. Use the menu-bar icon to reopen CineDock, open Settings or quit the app.

03

Container, Fire TV & NVIDIA Shield

Unraid

  1. Find CineDock in Community Applications.
  2. Choose any unused port on the Unraid server. CineDock suggests 8945, but you can use another free port.
  3. Keep /config mapped to persistent appdata. This preserves your settings, Watchlists and caches when the container is updated.
  4. Install, then open http://YOUR-UNRAID-IP:HOST-PORT.

Docker, Portainer or another NAS

CineDock listens on port 8945 inside its container. Map any free port on the host to that internal port. This example uses host port 8955:

docker run -d --name cinedock -p 8955:8945 \ --restart unless-stopped \ -v /path/to/cinedock-config:/config \ ghcr.io/cinedock/cinedock:latest
8955Example host port8945CineDock container port

You would then open http://YOUR-SERVER-IP:8955. Replace 8955 with whichever free host port you choose.

The same host-to-container mapping applies to Docker Compose, Portainer, Synology Container Manager and QNAP Container Station.

TrueNAS Apps

The TrueNAS app uses the same CineDock 4.2.0 container, but TrueNAS handles its port differently from the Docker example above:

31080TrueNAS WebUI and CineDock port
  1. Once the app is available, open Apps, find CineDock and choose Install.
  2. Leave WebUI Port at the default 31080, or replace it with another unused port. TrueNAS gives that port directly to CineDock. Unlike the Docker example above, you do not need a separate HOST-PORT:8945 mapping.
  3. For CineDock Configuration Storage, keep the default ixVolume for the simplest setup, or choose an existing Host Path. TrueNAS prepares /config for the app's fixed 568:568 identity.
  4. The standard resource defaults are 2 CPUs and 4096 MB memory. Leave them in place for the initial installation.
  5. A TMDB API key is optional. It adds fuller biographies, library filmographies and improves Spotlight selection; CineDock works without it.
  6. Install the app, then use its Web Portal, or open http://YOUR-TRUENAS-IP:31080 when using the default port.

Add CineDock to Fire TV or NVIDIA Shield

  1. First confirm CineDock works in a computer browser.
  2. Follow the Fire TV Stick and Cube instructions below, or sideload the signed TV APK on an NVIDIA Shield TV.
  3. Open the app and enter the complete CineDock address using your chosen host port, such as http://192.168.1.50:8955.
  4. Choose Connect. The address is remembered on that device.
Get CineDock for Fire TV and NVIDIA Shield ↗

FIRE TV

Install on Fire TV Stick or Cube

Allow about ten minutes. These instructions work on compatible Fire OS-based Amazon Fire TV Sticks and Fire TV Cubes; the wording of one or two menus can vary by Fire OS version.

1

Reveal Developer Options

  1. From the Fire TV Home screen, move to the gear icon and open Settings.
  2. Open My Fire TV. On some devices it is called Device & Software.
  3. Open About, then highlight the name of your Fire TV device.
  4. Press the centre Select button seven times. A message confirms that you are now a developer. If it says you are already a developer, simply continue.
  5. Press Back once. Developer Options should now be visible.
2

Install Downloader

  1. Return to the Fire TV Home screen and choose Find, then Search.
  2. Search for Downloader.
  3. Choose the orange Downloader app published by AFTVnews.com, then install it. Do not open it yet.
3

Allow Downloader to install the APK

  1. Return to Settings → My Fire TV (or Device & Software) → Developer Options.
  2. Open Install unknown apps and switch Downloader to On.
  3. Leave ADB debugging off. CineDock does not need it.
4

Download CineDock

Open Downloader. If it asks for permission, choose Allow. Enter this official CineDock address exactly, including the hyphen and capital letters:

https://github.com/cinedock/downloads/releases/latest/download/CineDock-TV.apk

Choose Go and wait for the CineDock installer to appear.

5

Install and tidy up

  1. Choose Install.
  2. When Fire TV says App installed, choose Done.
  3. Back in Downloader, choose Delete, then Delete again. This removes only the downloaded installer file; CineDock remains installed.
  4. When the installation is finished, return to Install unknown apps and switch Downloader back Off. Turn it on again only when installing a future CineDock release.
6

Open CineDock and connect

  1. From Home, open Apps → See all, then choose CineDock. You can press the Menu button and choose Move to place it in your main app row.
  2. Enter the full CineDock address shown in your browser, including http://, the server IP address and your chosen CineDock host port. For example: http://192.168.1.50:8955.
  3. Choose Connect. CineDock remembers the address on that Fire TV.
View the signed CineDock app release ↗
Developer Options did not appear +

Return to About, highlight the device name itself and press the centre Select button seven times. Then press Back once. If it was already enabled, leaving and reopening the menu can make the item appear.

Downloader says installation is not allowed +

Check Settings → My Fire TV → Developer Options → Install unknown apps and confirm that Downloader—not another app—is On.

CineDock cannot connect +

Confirm the same complete CineDock address opens on a computer or phone using the same home network. Check every digit in the IP address and port; do not enter the media-server address.

04

Connect your media server

PLEX

Link your account

Choose Link my Plex account, scan the QR code and approve CineDock on the Plex page. If more than one server is available, select the one CineDock should show. Account linking is preferred to copying a token manually.

EMBY

Use an API key

Enter the Emby server address that CineDock can reach, together with an Emby API key. You can type both in CineDock's setup wizard or supply them through the container settings.

JELLYFIN

Use an API key

Enter the Jellyfin server address that CineDock can reach, together with a Jellyfin API key. You can type both in CineDock's setup wizard or supply them through the container settings.

Create the key in the Emby or Jellyfin server dashboard under API Keys, name it CineDock, and treat it like a password. CineDock does not ask for an Emby or Jellyfin account password.

Enter an address that opens from the device running CineDock. Do not use localhost when the media server is on another computer: localhost always means the device you are currently using.

05

Profiles and personal watch state

Choose the person who is watching before browsing. The profile you choose determines which libraries appear and keeps Continue Watching, watched titles and resume points with the right person. CineDock stores a separate local Watchlist under the selected profile.

  • Emby and Jellyfin: CineDock shows the users returned by that server through the configured API key. Choosing one of these profiles does not ask that person for an Emby or Jellyfin password.
  • Plex Home: the linked Plex account and its managed Home users appear in the profile picker. Protected profiles ask for their PIN.
  • Plex friends: a friend is a separate Plex account, not a Plex Home profile. They should link their own CineDock instance or configuration to their own Plex account.

If Continue Watching belongs to somebody else, check the profile name at the top-right before changing anything else.

06

Browse and use Watchlist

The top navigation begins with Search and Home, followed by the selected user's actual media-server libraries and a Watchlist tab. Library names therefore differ from one CineDock installation to another.

←→Move along a shelfSpotlight also uses Left and Right for previous and next.
↑↓Move between areasMove from navigation to Spotlight, shelves and player controls.
OKOpen or selectOpen More Info or activate the highlighted control.
BackClose one layerReturn to the exact screen and selection underneath.

Open a title's More Info screen to add or remove it from Watchlist. CineDock stores those choices locally and keeps them separate by selected profile; it does not add them to Plex Watchlist, Emby Favourites or Jellyfin Favourites. If the Watchlist is empty, press Up to return to the top navigation.

07

Details, cast and biographies

More Info brings together the synopsis, year, runtime, rating, genres, cast and available extras. Select a cast member to open their page.

  • Without TMDB, CineDock can still show the cast information supplied by your media server.
  • Add a TMDB API key for longer biographies and more reliable cast matching.
  • In the CineDock library shows only the actor's films and programmes available to the selected profile. It is not a complete filmography from the internet.
  • On a cast page, press Up for Read full biography, or Left/Right through their library titles.

08

Playback controls

Press Play from More Info. During playback on Amazon Fire TV or NVIDIA Shield TV, press Up or Down to reveal the player controls. Available choices depend on the title, device and media server.

Audio

Choose from the audio tracks available for that title. Surround sound depends on the source, Fire TV or NVIDIA Shield device, and connected audio equipment.

Subtitles

Turn subtitles off or choose an available track. Plex may transcode or burn certain subtitles to keep them synchronised.

Scenes & chapters

Move across chapter cards and press OK to seek. Server artwork appears when available. If a chapter has no picture, the CineDock container can create one when your media folder is mounted read-only at /media. Without that mount, the chapter still appears as a text card.

Resume & watched

With Remember my place enabled, playback progress returns to the selected media-server user. Mark watched/unwatched also updates that user. CineDock never writes to your media folders.

Enable locally generated chapter pictures

This is optional and applies only when the media server does not already supply chapter artwork. Add the same media root to the CineDock container as a read-only mount:

-v /path/to/your/media:/media:ro

On Unraid, add another Path: set the container path to /media, choose the host folder containing your media, and set the access mode to Read Only. CineDock matches the media paths automatically and keeps a limited chapter-image cache under /config. Text chapters continue to work without this mount.

09

Trailers and extras

CineDock shows trailers and bonus features already recognised by Plex, Emby or Jellyfin. It does not download trailers, and a file is not treated as a trailer simply because “trailer” appears in its filename.

  • Plex: CineDock can use recognised local extras and trailers Plex exposes through its metadata service.
  • Emby and Jellyfin: for reliable playback in Spotlight on Amazon Fire TV or NVIDIA Shield TV, use a local trailer recognised by Emby or Jellyfin. A YouTube link may work in a browser but is not reliable in the CineDock app on those devices.
  • TMDB: the optional key enriches metadata; it does not download or supply trailer files.

The safest cross-server folder arrangement is:

Film Name (2024)/ Film Name (2024).mkv Trailers/ Trailer 1.mp4 Featurettes/ Making Of.mkv Deleted Scenes/ Alternate Ending.mkv
  1. Add only files you have permission to store.
  2. Scan the library and refresh that film's metadata.
  3. Confirm the trailer or extra appears in the normal Plex, Emby or Jellyfin client.
  4. Refresh CineDock or reopen More Info.

If the extra does not appear in Plex, Emby or Jellyfin, it will not appear in CineDock. H.264 video with AAC audio in an MP4 file offers broad compatibility on Amazon Fire TV and NVIDIA Shield TV.

10

Settings and updates

  • Use the gear in CineDock to review or change the connected server.
  • Remember my place controls whether playback progress and resume points are written back to the media server.
  • The optional TMDB key adds fuller cast biographies, library filmographies and better Spotlight ranking. It does not supply trailers.
  • Container editions can show or hide media-server collections and CineDock's locally calculated smart collections where supported.
  • On Amazon Fire TV or NVIDIA Shield TV, the remote's Menu or Settings button returns to the saved CineDock-address screen.
  • On desktop, use the tray or menu-bar icon to open CineDock, Settings or Quit.
  • Container settings, CineDock Watchlists, hidden Continue Watching choices and caches persist beneath /config; preserve that mapping during updates.
  • The desktop app tells you when a newer beta is available but does not install it for you. Download it from the official CineDock release page.
  • The CineDock app on Fire TV or NVIDIA Shield does not update itself. Install a newer signed APK over the existing app when a CineDock release is announced.

Update the container

Updates replace the container image, not your persistent /config data. In Unraid, use the normal container update action. With Docker Compose, run:

docker compose pull docker compose up -d

If you originally used docker run, pull the new image and recreate the container with the same port and volume mappings. Do not delete the host folder mapped to /config.

If you connect CineDock to a different media server, its profiles, libraries, Continue Watching and watched titles may also be different.

11

Remote access and privacy

For access away from home, prefer a private network such as Tailscale. If you already know how to secure a reverse proxy or access gateway with proper authentication, you can use that instead. The viewing device must be able to reach both CineDock and the media server address used for playback.

CineDock stores connection settings, its per-profile Watchlist, hidden Continue Watching choices and artwork caches. Plex, Emby or Jellyfin still controls account security, library permissions and streaming.

12

Troubleshooting

CineDock cannot reach the server +

Confirm the server is online and that its exact address opens from the same device. Use the server's LAN address rather than localhost. Check the host firewall and make sure the port is correct.

The wrong library or Continue Watching appears +

Check the selected profile in the top-right corner. For Plex, also confirm CineDock is linked to the intended Plex server and Home user.

A Plex friend is missing from profiles +

Plex friends are separate Plex accounts, not Plex Home users. The friend must link a CineDock configuration or instance with their own Plex account.

There is no biography +

Add a TMDB API key in CineDock Settings or as the TMDB_API_KEY container variable. Cast supplied by the media server can still appear without it.

Chapters have no pictures +

Text chapters remain usable. The media server may supply artwork itself. Otherwise mount the media root read-only at /media in the CineDock container and preserve writable /config storage for the cache. The current TrueNAS app does not yet offer that optional media mount.

A trailer or extra is missing +

First check whether it appears in the normal Plex, Emby or Jellyfin client. Put local trailers in a Trailers subfolder, then scan and refresh the film's metadata.

Browser playback works but Fire TV or NVIDIA Shield does not +

Check that the device can reach both CineDock and the media server. A codec may also require server transcoding. When asking for help, include the device model, operating-system version, server type and exact CineDock version.

I closed the desktop browser and CineDock disappeared +

Look for CineDock in the Windows system tray or macOS menu bar and choose Open CineDock. Closing the browser does not quit the service; use the menu's Quit command when you actually want to stop it.

Still stuck?

Tell us enough to find the problem.

Include your operating system or, for Fire TV and NVIDIA Shield, the device model; your Plex, Emby or Jellyfin version; your CineDock version; how you installed it; and the exact error message.

Open support ↗