I avoided transcoding by making sure to only host videos compatible with all clients. Also, I will spend the time to reencode codes that are too large for my taste. Which happens after a rip of uhd disks.

H265 with slow preset really works wonders for non-grainy film. AV1 is what you have to use when there is grain.

Tailscale is what I do. If you make an exit nice they can forever stay on your VPN… I think…

Yes, I have run wires to a few rooms, but not everywhere and it can be difficult to convince myself to continue down this path. However, it is the more affordable option.

You mean run wires?

While not really for my hosting, I want to upgrade the Wi-Fi speeds in my home, currently running an eero setup that provides good coverage, but the speed seems poor when transferring large files around the home.

Not sure what to get, but this is my goal.