--- {"title": "How to manage household viewing choices in 2026", "description": "Learn how media server families can agree on household viewing choices, with setup steps, a request option, and common mistakes to avoid.", "url": "https://vlcleanplayer.com/how-to-manage-household-viewing-choices-for-media-server-families/", "date": "2026-10-24"} --- Learn how media server families can agree on household viewing choices, with setup steps, a request option, and common mistakes to avoid. Agree on who can suggest titles, pick one place where suggestions go, and write down simple rules for what gets added. The steps below cover the setup, and the tools section lists only what the sources for this page describe. | Option | Request method | Cost details | |---|---|---| | Askarr | Household members search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and the owner's own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1] | The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [^1] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [^1] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [^1] | | Request form | Not described in the sources for this page; check how it takes titles. | not published | | Shared request list | Not described in the sources for this page; check who can add titles. | not published | ## What you need before you start Before you change how your household chooses what to watch, get the media server ready and agree on the rules. Start with a list of the movies and shows already on the server, since many household disagreements are about what is missing. Decide who can suggest titles and who makes the final call, so a suggestion does not sit without an answer. Write down the kinds of titles that fit. For example, decide whether children's shows go into the shared library or are kept separate, and whether adult titles need an adult's approval first. Choose where suggestions will go, such as a request website, a message thread, or a shared list, and tell everyone to use only that place. Radarr and Sonarr are programs that many media server owners run to add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to their library. Check whether your household already uses them before you pick a method. ## Step by step 1. Write one short page of household rules: who can suggest titles, which kinds of titles are allowed, and who makes the final decision. 2. Pick one place for suggestions and tell everyone to use only that place, so requests do not spread across texts, chats and notes. 3. Set a regular check, such as one fixed day each week, when the person in charge reads new suggestions, approves the ones that fit the rules, and removes the rest. 4. Decide how the person who made a suggestion will hear the result, whether that is a note that the title was added or a short reason why it was not. 5. Explain the rules to everyone in a few plain sentences, and give one example of a suggestion that fits and one that does not. 6. After the first two weeks, ask each person what was confusing, and edit the rules to fix those points. 7. Revisit the rules when the household changes, such as when someone moves out, a new child starts watching, or the group's tastes shift. Short rules are easier to follow than long ones. A clear answer to each suggestion also keeps people from asking again for a title that was already declined, so the same question does not return every week. ## Tools that can do it Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site. It is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] Nothing is installed. [^1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr once as an import list, and they read your requests from it. [^1] Household members search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, and the owner's own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. [^1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [^1] A bookmark run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. [^1] A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [^1] Titles can also be found by pasting a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link. [^1] You can try the dashboard with a throwaway demo account and sample data without signing in. [^1] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [^1] For cost, the Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [^1] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [^1] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [^1] No other tool is described in the sources for this page, so no other option is compared here. Before choosing a tool, check how it handles title searches, approvals, updates, and the way requests move into the library workflow. ## Common mistakes to avoid Skipping the rules is the most common problem. If people do not know who can suggest titles or who decides, requests pile up and nobody feels responsible for answering them. Choosing a tool before checking how it fits the library is another mistake. Look at how the tool handles title searches, approvals and updates before you ask the household to use it. Leaving old requests in place makes the list harder to manage. Review the list on your regular day and remove titles that are no longer wanted. Sharing a link or form without a note causes confusion. Say who reads suggestions, what happens after they are approved, and what to expect after a suggestion is sent. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before you share it with other people in the house. ## Frequently asked questions ### How can media server families agree on household viewing choices? Start by agreeing on who can suggest titles and who makes the final decision. Then pick one place where suggestions go, write down the kinds of titles that fit, and set a regular day to review new suggestions. Short rules are easier for everyone to follow, and the steps above show how to set each one up. ### Does Askarr work with Radarr and Sonarr? Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. [^1] You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr once as an import list, and they read your requests from it. [^1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. [^1] Check this setup with your household before you commit to it. ### Does Askarr need to be installed on a media server? Nothing is installed. [^1] Household members request titles on the Askarr website, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds them. [^1] A bookmark run on your Radarr or Sonarr page saves the list and webhook there for you. [^1] The tools section above lists the other points to compare before you choose. ### How much does Askarr cost for a household? The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [^1] Plus costs $3.99 a month for 50 requests a month. [^1] Pro costs $6.99 a month for unlimited requests. [^1] Each friend who signs up through your link adds 10 requests a month to your limit. [^1] Compare these plans against how many titles your household requests in a typical month. ### Can Askarr show whether a requested title was added? A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. [^1] Askarr's plans include a request history with live status. [^1] Check the plan page to see which plans include that history before you choose one. The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. [^1] - [Visit Askarr](/go/start) ## Sources [^1]: Askarr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start)