While Ubuntu 16.04’s repository contains the old SMPlayer 15.11 packages, you can easily upgrade to the latest 16.4 release and receive future updates by using the SMPlayer PPA.
Changes in SMPlayer 16.4.0:
- The Windows installer now includes mpv as well.
- Now it’s easier to switch between MPlayer and mpv via Preferences -> General -> select multimedia engine.
- The extrastereo filter works again when using mpv.
- Possibility to use the VLC shortcuts. (Preferences -> Keyboard and mouse, click the load button, select vlc.keys).
- Possibility to enable mouse gestures (when the mouse is dragged up or down in the video window the volume changes, if dragged left or right it changes the time position). You can enable this option in Preferences -> Keyboard and mouse -> Mouse -> Drag function: seek and volume.
- A fix for saving bookmarks.
- The option for streaming sites in Preferences -> Network is different now, and allows these values: disabled, auto, YouTube and mpv+youtube-dl.
- An animated icon has been added in the status bar to indicate when the player is buffering.
- A new layout is used to display the media information (Options -> View info and properties).
How to Install/Upgrade SMPlayer 16.4 via PPA:
NOTE: The current 16.4.0 build available in PPA is based on QT 4.8.7, while the stock version in Ubuntu 16.04 repo is built against Qt5.
1. Add PPA.
Open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T), paste the command below and hit run:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:rvm/smplayer
Type in your password (no visual feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue.
2. Install/Upgrade SMPlayer.
If you have a previous release installed, you can now upgrade the media player by launching Software Updater and installing SMPlayer package updates after checking for updates.
For the first time installing this player, use your favorite package manager or just run the commands below one by one in terminal:
sudo apt update sudo apt install smplayer smtube smplayer-themes smplayer-skins
3. (Optional) To revert back the stock version of SMPlayer in Ubuntu 16.04, install ppa-purge and purge the PPA, which also downgrade the packages installed from that repository:
sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:rvm/smplayer
