Sources

A source is where your films and shows come from. You add one under Settings, Sources, Add source, and pick its type at the top of the form. Every form has Test connection and Save.

Yonto ships with no catalogs, and what you add is your responsibility. Only use sources you are entitled to watch.

Jellyfin

For a Jellyfin media server you control. You are asked for a name, the Server URL, a Username and a Password. There are two optional fields: an API key, and a User id that is only used together with an API key.

Plex

For a Plex Media Server.

1. Choose Log in next to Account.
2. Yonto shows a short code. Go to plex.tv/link on your phone or computer and enter it. A television also shows a QR code you can scan.
3. Yonto shows how long the code has left. When it runs out, Yonto replaces it with a new one, or shows a Get a new code button.

Instead of logging in, you can type your own server’s URL. Leave the URL empty to log in instead. A Plex token is only needed if your server asks for one.

Emby

For an Emby server. Its form is the same as Jellyfin’s. If Emby is not in the type list, your Yonto does not carry its plugin yet: under Settings, Plugins, choose Install from URL and paste https://github.com/kangzj/yonto-plugins/releases/download/emby/emby.zip. After you confirm, Yonto takes you straight to a new source of type Emby.

Custom HTTP

For a service that speaks Yonto’s own HTTP contract. You are asked for a name, the Base URL and, if the service needs one, an Auth token.

Folder on this device

For video files on your phone or on a USB drive. Choose Folder on this device, press Choose folder, pick the folder in the system’s picker and allow Yonto to read it, then save. While this source is selected, Browse shows its folders and videos instead of posters: press a folder to open it, Back to go up, and a video to play it. What you watch shows in History like anything else. A television has no folder picker, so there you choose a storage instead, the box’s own or a USB drive, and allow Yonto to read the videos on it. That needs Android 10 or later, and a USB drive shows up once the box has scanned it. Only the Android apps have this so far.

WebDAV

For video files on a NAS, or on Alist or OpenList, which all serve WebDAV. Choose WebDAV, enter the Server address (the folder to open on, for example http://nas.local:5005/dav) and, if the server asks for one, a username and password, then save. Test connection reads that folder. Browsing and playing work as for Folder on this device. An http:// address is not encrypted, so the password crosses your network in the clear; Yonto says so under the address. The login is sent only to that server.

SMB

For video files on a NAS or a computer sharing a folder over SMB, which is how most NAS boxes and Windows and Mac shares are offered. Choose SMB, enter the Server address as smb://nas.local/media, which is the server and then the share, and then a folder inside it if you want to open there (smb://nas.local/media/Movies). Add a username and password, or leave them empty for a share that lets guests in, and save. Test connection reads that folder, and browsing and playing work as for Folder on this device. Only the Android apps have this: on an iPhone, connect to the share in the Files app and use Folder on this device.

Which video files play

A folder, WebDAV or SMB source lists files ending in mp4, mkv, avi, mov, wmv, flv, ts, m2ts, mpg, mpeg, webm, m4v, rmvb or 3gp. Whether one plays depends on what is inside it, because Yonto uses your device’s own decoders. H.264 and H.265 video with AAC, MP3, Opus, FLAC or AC3 sound, in MP4, MKV, WebM or TS, is the safe choice. Films with DTS or TrueHD sound, and often EAC3, may play with no sound, and AVI, WMV, FLV and RMVB files often do not play at all. 4K HDR and Dolby Vision depend on your device. On an iPhone, MP4, MOV and M4V with H.264 or H.265 play, and MKV does not. Subtitle files beside a video are not picked up yet; subtitles inside the file are, under Subtitles in the player.

MacCMS format

For one MacCMS server’s address, which you supply: Yonto includes no MacCMS server. You are asked for the API address, the format it answers in (API format, JSON or XML) and whether it supports search (Supports search). This form is in English whatever language the app is in. It reaches that one server and nothing else.

Several sources

Open the source chip at the top left of Home to switch between your sources. In Settings, Sources, you can turn a source off without deleting it, and delete one you no longer need. Deleting a source means entering its details again to add it back.

Many at once

A repo is one address that gives you many sources. See Plugins and repos.