Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

MPV

MPV is an audio and movie player based on MPlayer and mplayer2. A free, open source, and cross-platform media player.

MPV

MPV Reviews and Details

This page is designed to help you find out whether MPV is good and if it is the right choice for you.

Screenshots and images

  • MPV Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-14

Features & Specs

  1. Cross-Platform Compatibility

    MPV is available on multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and various Linux distributions, making it versatile for users across different platforms.

  2. High Customizability

    MPV offers extensive customization options through its configuration files, allowing users to tailor the player to their specific needs and preferences.

  3. High-Quality Video Playback

    MPV supports a wide array of video codecs and formats out-of-the-box, providing high-quality playback and smooth performance.

  4. Minimalistic Interface

    MPV features a clean and simple interface that focuses on the video content without unnecessary distractions, appealing to users who prefer a minimalist design.

  5. Active Open-Source Community

    As an open-source project, MPV is continuously improved by a dedicated community, which contributes regular updates, new features, and bug fixes.

Badges

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Videos

Best MPVs: Our top 5

Mazda5 MPV review - CarBuyer

MPV - A Lightweight Powerful Video Player for Linux

Social recommendations and mentions

We have tracked the following product recommendations or mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you see what people think about MPV and what they use it for.
  • Show HN: Chawan TUI web browser 0.2.0
    Mpv: https://mpv.io/ Fbida sometimes need the -d option pointing to /dev/drm/something, when using screen or tmux. MPV required for years -vo=drm on the TTY but since some months it always works. Nice improvement :). - Source: Hacker News / 24 days ago
  • How I Built a TUI Without Leaving the Terminal
    The biggest challenge I faced was getting some sort of way to play music. So I picked the easiest route—I directly implemented it with mpv and I channeled logs of mpv (which had timestamps, which I needed) to a log file under the .sparklines folder, and managed it with a socket (a two-way communication endpoint to handle the custom commands). With the power of NodeJS, I made it work out and somehow it turned out a... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
  • Lua scripting in mpv video player
    I checked it and the mpv-cut script turned out to be a Lua script that lets you cut a video fragment directly while watching it in the mpv player. - Source: dev.to / 5 months ago
  • Qubes OS: A reasonably secure operating system
    Mpv is a free (as in freedom) media player for the command line. It supports a wide variety of media file formats, audio and video codecs, and subtitle types.[0] https://mpv.io/. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • Firefox slow to load YouTube? Just another front in Google's war on ad blockers
    Https://mpv.io/ has yt-dlp support, if yt-dlp is installed you just need to throw the URL at it and it plays the video (without download). - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Video stops on furst frame, audio continues to play,seek works
    I apologise for not following procedure. I am in the middle of building mpv 0.37 from source. Irrespective of the outcome I will document what I had to do in addition to the instructions on mpv.io and if the problem perststs, where it happens and where not with kernel version, mpv version taken from the screen, and the terminal output. Source: over 1 year ago
  • S23 8k video freezes when played on VLC computer
    Use MPV. Partticularily shinchiro's builds. Extract the folder where you want its installation directory to be, if you decide to install it. Otherwise, just drag and drop files on top of its window or executable. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Yorick is an interpreted programming language for scientific simulations
    Https://mpv.io played it without fuss. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
  • Google Chrome just rolled out a new way to track you and serve ads
    One example is a script to quickly grab the URL of the current tab and send it to mpv¹ for playing or yt-dlp² for downloading. Or send some JavaScript to that same tab. Or grab the URLs and titles of all tabs in all windows that match a specific domain, close them, and then reopen in a brand new window. Alfred³ has a ton of automations that allow you to do that without having to code it yourself. ¹ https://mpv.io... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Need help on how to repair this issue
    Hi there! Try with VLC or mpv players, and see if they can play the corrupted video. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Why would 4K Video downloader need a bluetooth connection?
    Bonus: install mpv while you're at it. Also available in both Homebrew and MacPorts. It's a fantastic video player that has built-in integration with yt-dlp so you can directly play videos from URLs. Source: about 2 years ago
  • How to use CMD.exe to do this in PowerShell?
    I have been looking for a means to control the video player MPV from a PowerShell terminal. Nothing too fancy just basic functions. For example adding/appending new videos to an existing MPV window. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Need help guys 🙏:
    Overmix is the tool you’re looking for. But before that, your going to need to get screenshot. I suggest mpv, as it allows you to customize and take full quality PNG, frame by frame. Then you can use Overmix to stitch the frame together into a single hi-res screenshot. Here’s an example (not Senko). Source: about 2 years ago
  • All A7 IV video is incredibly choppy and unusable.
    I shoot everything in 10-bit/4k/S-I/Slog3 Gamma, and the only media player I've found to playback smoothly is https://mpv.io/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Terminal music player that supports .lrc?
    Never heard of that file format. But there's a list on https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LRC_(file_format)#Software#Software) and it has mpv on it. Source: about 2 years ago
  • pulling out the old "american website" card on an r/Birmingham post about this sub
    Sounds like you need an adBlocker. And/or alternative ways of watching YT content. Not exactly sure how this works on other OSs, but on Linux I use ytfzf to browse, and mpv to watch by youtube link. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Back to VLC? Alternatives?
    Https://mpv.io is the website, if you're not enough tech savvy you'll have a hard time even installing the program, then I'd recommend that you make a config for mpv to use hardware decoding, that will use less power and will be faster. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Beginner to Linux
    The media player I appreciate most is mpv, successor to the old mplayer and mplayer2, because of its extensive and refined hotkey support. VLC, by contrast, has a very GUI-oriented user interface. Both will play nearly anything. Source: about 2 years ago
  • displaying console prompt inside terminal
    Or at least I would hope it does since mpv.io seems to suggest it does. Source: about 2 years ago
  • PC GPU HDMI out -> Soundbar HDMI input
    For movies/tv shows you will need a media player that supports bitstreaming. I personally use mpv with audio-spdif=ac3,dts,dts-hd,eac3,truehd but there are other free ones that are easier to use e.g mpc-hc, mpc-be, vlc. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Opus support?
    The Plex iOS app uses a custom audio player based on mpv. Prologue just uses Apple's audio APIs. Source: about 2 years ago

Summary of the public mentions of MPV

MPV, positioned as a versatile media player, has gradually carved out a significant niche among its audience, primarily as a competitive alternative to the well-established VLC Media Player. Recognized for its comprehensive feature set and adaptability, MPV attracts a diverse group of users ranging from tech-savvy individuals to professionals leveraging it for advanced media handling purposes.

Open Source and Customization

MPV is a free, open-source media player distributed under the GNU General Public License. Users appreciate its cross-platform availability and the minimalistic, no-frills interface primarily operated through the command line. Notably, MPV's customization capabilities are lauded, allowing users to tailor its functions through scripts and configurations. This adaptability makes it particularly appealing to developers and advanced users who want to integrate or automate media player functionalities within other workflows or environments.

High-Quality Video Playback

The media player's ability to deliver high-quality video rendering and versatile format support has been highlighted frequently. MPV’s implementation of algorithms for video scaling, frame timing, and high dynamic range (HDR) support offers an enhanced viewing experience. These features ensure that MPV handles various video formats, codecs, and resolutions efficiently, outperforming some competitors in specific scenarios, such as playing 8K videos or smoothly rendering 4K/10-bit content.

Integration and Extensibility

MPV is praised for its seamless integration with other tools and technologies. For instance, it supports yt-dlp for playing video URLs directly, making it especially valuable for users seeking to bypass traditional streaming interfaces. Additionally, its scripting capability, exemplified through Lua scripting, allows users to extend MPV's functionality further, whether for simple automations or complex media editing tasks.

Active Community

The platform supports a growing user community, which contributes to its continuous enhancement. Users regularly engage with community forums and repositories, sharing scripts, configurations, and solutions for various use-case scenarios. This collective effort facilitates newcomers' adoption and enables existing users to maximize MPV's potential through shared knowledge and resources.

Performance and Usability

While MPV’s robust feature set attracts technically proficient users, its reliance on configuration files and command-line operations can present an initial learning curve. Some users, especially those seeking a more straightforward, graphical user interface, might find MPV less intuitive compared to alternatives like VLC. However, the performance gains, particularly in hardware-accelerated video decoding, make it a preferable choice for users prioritizing efficiency and low resource consumption.

Conclusion

In essence, MPV stands out in the media player landscape through its emphasis on flexibility and top-tier media playback quality. Although its complexity may deter casual users accustomed to graphical interfaces, its powerful architecture and community support make it a compelling option for users willing to invest time in mastering its capabilities. As MPV continues to evolve, it remains a highly regarded choice among avid media consumers and technology enthusiasts who seek a reliable, customizable media player.

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Is MPV good? This is an informative page that will help you find out. Moreover, you can review and discuss MPV here. The primary details have not been verified within the last quarter, and they might be outdated. If you think we are missing something, please use the means on this page to comment or suggest changes. All reviews and comments are highly encouranged and appreciated as they help everyone in the community to make an informed choice. Please always be kind and objective when evaluating a product and sharing your opinion.