MPV: Difference between revisions

[https://mpv.io/ MPV] is an open-source command line media player known for its high performance, versatility, and minimalist design. It has only a very basic GUI. MPV can be used with a GUI front-end like [[SMPlayer]] (package: smplayer), to have a comparable user interface like other media players for the desktop environment.  

MPV supports a wide range of video and audio formats, ensuring extensive compatibility. It features advanced video rendering capabilities, including high-quality scaling algorithms, color management, and HDR support, which contribute to superior video playback quality. MPV utilizes hardware-accelerated video decoding through APIs such as VA-API, VDPAU, and DXVA2, enhancing performance and reducing CPU usage. The player’s design emphasizes minimalism and efficiency, offering a streamlined user interface with extensive configurability via command-line options and scripting interfaces.   

=== Using <code>nix-shell</code> ===

To use MPV in a temporary environment with <code>nix-shell</code>, run:<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">

=== System-Wide Installation on NixOS ===

To install MPV system-wide, add it to your system configuration. Edit your <code>/etc/nixos/configuration.nix</code> and include MPV in the <code>environment.systemPackages</code> list:<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">

environment.systemPackages = [  

  pkgs.mpv  

</syntaxhighlight>After modifying your configuration, apply the changes by running:<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">

=== User-Specific Installation with Home Manager ===

If you use Home Manager, you can add MPV to your home configuration. Edit your Home Manager configuration file (usually <code>~/.config/nixpkgs/home.nix</code>) and include MPV in the <code>home.packages</code> list:<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">

</syntaxhighlight>After updating your configuration, apply the changes by running:<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">

The recommended way to enable and configure MPV on NixOS is through the <code>programs</code> attribute in your NixOS home configuration.<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">

</syntaxhighlight>A more comprehensive configuration of MPV would look like this.<syntaxhighlight lang="nix">

    package = (

      pkgs.mpv-unwrapped.wrapper {

        # The scripts are defined in the following Nixpkgs directory: https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/tree/master/pkgs/applications/video/mpv/scripts

        scripts = with pkgs.mpvScripts; [

          uosc

          sponsorblock

        ];

        mpv = pkgs.mpv-unwrapped.override {

          waylandSupport = true;

        };

      }

    );

    config = {

      profile = "high-quality";

      ytdl-format = "bestvideo+bestaudio";

      cache-default = 4000000;

    };

}

== Error, unknown format ==

If you get the following sort of error, note that mpv currently uses the small ffmpeg version (ffmpeg_5) instead of the full version (ffmpeg_5-full).  

   package =

     (pkgs.mpv-unwrapped.wrapper {

     });