However, there’s another quite exciting alternative you might have skipped: MPV.
Despite its lack of a proper GUI interface, it’s straightforward to use but also very customizable.
For this article, we used the popularChocolatey program manager, where MPV is also available.
Note that MPV is a straightforward “vanilla” media player.
Its window will pop up almost instantly, playing your media.
Would you prefer to open another file in an existing instance of MPV instead of spawning a new one?
Drag the file from your favorite file manager and drop it on MPV’s window.
Don’t worry if they also contain unsupported files: MPV will skip them.
And you might customize that precisely as you like, binding any function to any single key or combination.
First, though, you’ll need your web client.
It’s in this file where you’re free to map MPVs functions to keys.
Fire up your favorite file manager, and visit MPV’s installation folder.
Since you probably won’t find an input.conf file there, create it from scratch.
How to Get More Out Of MPV
Would you like even more from MPV?
you’re able to find filters that can apply smart sharpening and upscaling to your videos.
However, you could’t use them immediately, nor is there an interface for installing them.
The process is easy, but you’ll have to turn once more to your favorite file manager.
Visit the directoryC:\Users%Username%\AppData\Roaming\mpv.
Create a new folder named “scripts” there if it doesn’t already exist.
That’s it, it’s possible for you to now use scripts!
Note that the script should be a file with a “lua” extension.
Restart MPV if it’s running, and your newly installed script will be active.
You’ll probably have to read the script’s documentation to learn how to use it.
MPV on Windows: Light, Quick, and Awesome!
That’s MPV in a nutshell: the best media player you probably never knew existed.
Its customizability, speed, and broad compatibility with various media files make up for its somewhat lackluster interface.
Admittedly, it feels different compared to most typical GUI-based media players.
It might take a while to get used to its keyboard-centric approach.
