Archives For November 30, 1999

MPV, the popular free open-source media player, announced new 0.38.0 release few days ago!

The release improved --deinterlace with auto value, and --deinterlace-field-parity to automatically turn on deinterlacing. It can improve the overall clarity, sharpness of the video, by converting interlaced video (commonly found in analog television, VHS, Laserdisc, digital television (HDTV)) into a progressive form.

Without using config file, users can now press and hold Ctrl key then use mouse wheel scrolling to zoom in or zoom out the video playback.

Ctrl + Mouse Wheel to zoom in/out

Continue Reading…

Celluloid, formerly GNOME MPV, released version 0.26 yesterday.

Celluloid is a free open-source video player uses mpv as backend, and is default in Linux Mint 21 Cinnamon. Since v0.24, it’s been ported to GTK4 and Libadwaita that looks native in modern GNOME desktop environment.

In the new 0.26 release, the ‘About‘ and ‘Preferences‘ dialog are also ported to LibAdwaita to follow GNOME’s step. Which, is adaptive to fit different screen sizes.

The ‘Toggle Playlist‘ option has been removed from the ‘≡’ menu. Instead, it added a new button in bottom right to show/hide the playlist. Though, it has wrong tooltip shows ‘Toggle Fullscreen’.

Other changes in Celluloid 0.26 include:

  • Remove media keys support, since it already uses MPRIS.
  • Remove support for X11 window embedding, since it doesn’t work with GTK4.
  • Fix header bar auto-hiding even when a menu is open.
  • Mark “Extra mpv options” for translation
  • Remove --mpv-options
  • Remove ‘vo‘ from the list of default options.
  • Take screenshots in .PNG file format instead of the previous .jpg.
  • Remove the old GSettings schema file (io.github.GnomeMpv.gschema.xml).
  • Export the Position property
  • Sync translations from Weblate

How to install Celluloid 0.26 in Ubuntu

The video player has an official Ubuntu PPA. Due to updated LibAdwaita library requirement, the new 0.26 release is available in the PPA for Ubuntu 23.04 and Ubuntu 23.10. While 22.04 stuck at v0.24.

1. Firstly, press Ctrl + Alt + T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the command below to add the official PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xuzhen666/gnome-mpv

Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue

2. Then either use “Software Updater” (or Update Manager) to update the player if stock version was installed.

Or, run the command below to install/upgrade the app:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install celluloid

For Ubuntu 20.04 and Ubuntu 22.04 users who want to try the latest 0.26 release, just search for and install the Snap package from Ubuntu Software. Though, it runs in sandbox.

Uninstall:

To uninstall the celluloid video player, just run the command below in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove celluloid

Also remove the Ubuntu PPA by running command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:xuzhen666/gnome-mpv

For the snap package, uninstall it either via Ubuntu Software or by running command:

snap remove celluloid

MPV media player has reached version 0.38.0. Here’s how to install it for those sticking to the classic .deb package format.

MPV does not provide official packages for Ubuntu Linux. It’s however easy to install the latest version via different sources.

Linux Mint 21 can directly search for and install VLC Flatpak package from software manager. And, Ubuntu can install the Snap package from Ubuntu Software. Though, both of them run in sandbox.

For those sticking to the classic .deb package, I’ve upload MPV 0.38.0 into this unofficial PPA. It supports Ubuntu 22.04, Ubuntu 24.04, and Ubuntu 23.10, Ubuntu 20.04 on both x86_64 and arm64/armhf CPU architecture types.

Install MPV 0.38.0 via Ubuntu PPA

NOTE: The PPA also contains MPV 0.36.0 for Ubuntu 20.04.

1. Add the PPA

Firstly, press Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard to open a terminal window. When it opens, paste the command below and hit run:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/mpv

Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue.

2. Update package cache

Since Ubuntu 20.04, it automatically updates the package cache while adding PPA. Though, Linux Mint user needs to do it manually.

To do so, run command in terminal:

sudo apt update

3. Install MPV 0.38.0

Finally, install mpv media player v0.38.0 by running command:

sudo apt install mpv

To verify, run mpv --version command in terminal.

Known Issues

Drag and drop files into mpv app window does not work, due to Wayland. Though, you may right-click on media file to open with mpv.

For hardware video acceleration, first make sure your graphics driver support it, then edit ‘/etc/mpv/mpv.conf‘ file and add hwdec=auto. And, enable classic header bar via gpu-context=x11egl.

Uninstall:

You can choose to purge the PPA repository, which will also downgrade mpv to the stock version in system repository. To do so, open terminal and run command:

sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/mpv

Or, remove PPA by running command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/mpv

To remove the mpv media player, use command:

sudo apt remove --autoremove mpv

By releasing v0.24, Celluloid (formerly Gnome MPV) is now a LibAwaita app. Meaning it works good on any screen sizes, including mobile or tablet devices.

Celluloid is a graphical front-end for MPV, defaults in Linux Mint. As MPV is a command line video player, Celluloid adds graphical controls and options to make the player easy to use.

Now, the app has ported to GTK4 plus LibAwaita. Which makes it look modern and stylish, and works good on small screen sizes.

MPV was just OK when it was in Ubuntu 20.04. But in Ubuntu 22.04, it lacks window border due to switch to Wayland (though there are workarounds). And, the UI looks outdated as more and more apps ported to GTK4.

If you’re going to make a switch, then Celluloid is really a good choice, especially for Gnome desktop Linux, such as Ubuntu, Fedora Workstation.

How to Install latest Celluloid in Ubuntu 22.04 / 22.10

1. Firstly, press Ctrl + Alt + T on keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the command below to add the official PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xuzhen666/gnome-mpv

Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it asks and hit Enter to continue

2. Then either use “Software Updater” (or Update Manager) to update the player if stock version was installed.

Or, run the command below to install/upgrade the app:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install celluloid

For other Linux, go to the project page.

Enable Hardware Acceleration

The player in my case does not use GPU rendering out-of-box. However, it’s easy to enable the features.

Simply click the hamburger menu and go to “Preferences”. Under “Miscellaneous” tab, add --hwdec in the ‘Extra MPV options’ box.

Uninstall Celluloid

To remove the software package, simply run command in terminal:

sudo apt remove --autoremove celluloid

And, remove the Ubuntu PPA either via the command below:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:xuzhen666/gnome-mpv

Or use the ‘Software & Updates’ utility under ‘Other Software’ tab:

Celluloid, formerly Gnome MPV, released version 0.20 a few hours ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 20.04 via PPA.

Celluloid is a simple GTK+ frontend for mpv media player. The latest 0.20 release features:

  • Make it possible to activate context menu when the playlist is empty.
  • Prevent constant resizing of the seek bar due to timestamp label resizing as its value changes.
  • Only show a single error dialog when a large number of errors occurs in rapid succession.
  • Add menu item for opening folders.
  • Adjust position of UI elements of modal dialogs in non-CSD mode to be more consistent with CSD mode.
  • Add support for loading external video tracks.
  • Make playlist shuffle toggleable.
  • Make arrow key bindings work with arrow keys on numpad.

How to Install Celluloid 0.20 in Ubuntu 20.04:

Celluloid media player is available to install via Flatpak package in Flathub repository.

For those prefer apt repository, the formerly Gnome MPV PPA has made the new release packages for Ubuntu 20.04, Linux Mint 20.

1.) Open terminal either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard or by searching for ‘terminal’ from application menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:xuzhen666/gnome-mpv

Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it prompts and hit Enter to continue.

2.) Then install the media player via command:

sudo apt install celluloid

For Ubuntu derivatives, you may need to run sudo apt update to refresh package cache first.

Uninstall Celluloid:

To remove the media player, open terminal and run command:

sudo apt remove celluloid

And remove the PPA repository via command:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:xuzhen666/gnome-mpv

SMPlayer, complete front-end for MPlayer and mpv, released version 20.6.0 a day ago. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 16.04, Ubuntu 18.04, Ubuntu 19.10, and Ubuntu 20.04.

SMPlayer 20.6.0 is a small release contains following changes:

  • The internal YouTube code has been removed. Now SMPlayer uses an external application to get the video URLs.
  • The shuffle option in the playlist does shuffle the items of the playlist.

How to Install the latest SMPlayer via PPA in Ubuntu:

The official SMPlayer PPA contains the latest packages for all current Ubuntu releases, as well as Ubuntu 12.04, Ubuntu 14.04.

1. Search for and launch “terminal” from ‘Show Applications’ menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:rvm/smplayer

Type user password (no asterisk feedback while typing) when it asks and hit Enter.

2. Then upgrade SMPlayer using Software Updater (or Update Manager):

or run commands in terminal to install (or upgrade) the media player:

sudo apt-get update

sudo apt-get install smplayer smtube smplayer-themes

Uninstall:

To remove SMPlayer, run command in terminal:

sudo apt-get remove --autoremove smplayer smtube smplayer-*

And remove the PPA via “Software & Updates” utility under “Other Software” tab.

MPV media player released version 0.32.0 today with some new features and various bug-fixes.

MPV 0.32.0 features RAR5 support and initial implementation of bash completion. Other changes include:

  • add support for forcing the dedicated GPU for rendering
  • add pinch to resize window gesture
  • support minimizing/maximizing using osc window controls
  • add a playlist-unshuffle command
  • add osd-dimensions property
  • new PLAYONLY and PAUSEONLY keycodes
  • various fixes for wayland
  • usability improvements for osc window controls
  • To install the latest MPV 0.32.0 in Ubuntu, besides building from the source, you may keep an eye on the Doug McMahon’s PPA, which will built the new release packages for Ubuntu 18.04, Linux Mint 19.x.

    Just open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run following command to add the PPA. And new MPV packages will be available in Software Updater after the maintainer updating the PPA.

    sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mc3man/mpv-tests

    Type user password (Ctrl+Alt+T) when it prompts and hit Enter to continue.

    To remove the PPA, either open Software & Updates and remove the repository line from ‘Other Software’ tab,

    or run previous command with --remove flag:

    sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:mc3man/mpv-tests

    MPV media player 0.31 Released (Ubuntu PPA)

    Last updated: December 28, 2019

    MPV, an open-source MPlayer nd MPlayer2 based media player, released version 0.31 today.

    Changes in MPV 0.31 include:

    • Allow configurable swapchain color space for native HDR output
    • Add mechanisms for better logging as preperation for console.lua
    • Introduce a pseudo key name that grabs all text input
    • Add grab zone for resizing window with mouse
    • Implement pseudo client side decorations via OSC
    • Add video filter using vo_gpu’s renderer
    • Added console.lua: interactive REPL for input commands
    • Display Santa hat for idle logo in December
    • Add option to autoselect known good hwdec implementations
    • Peplace old event tap for media key support with MediaPlayer
    • Remove Apple Remote support
    • Many fixes and minor enhancements

    How to Install MPV 0.31 in Ubuntu:

    Although it’s not available at the moment of writing, you can add the Doug McMahon’s PPA in Ubuntu 18.04, and receive MPV package updates once published via Software Updater.

    1.) Open terminal either by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T on keyboard or by searching for ‘terminal’ from application menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

    sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mc3man/mpv-tests

    Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it prompts and hit Enter.

    2.) If a previous version of MPV was installed, launch Software Updater and you’ll see new MPV package available to upgrade.

    Or run command one by one in terminal to install (upgrade) MPV:

    sudo apt install mpv

    Uninstall:

    To downgrade MPV to the stock version in Ubuntu main repositories, run command to purge the PPA:

    sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:mc3man/mpv-tests

    To remove the PPA only, go to Software & Updates -> Other Software tab.

    To simply remove MPV media player, either use Ubuntu Software or run command in terminal:

    sudo apt remove --autoremove mpv

    How to Install MPV 0.30 in Ubuntu 18.04/19.10

    Last updated: October 28, 2019

    MPV video player 0.30.0 was released a few days ago with many new features and improvements. Here’s how to install it in Ubuntu 18.04, Linux Mint 19.x, and Ubuntu 19.10.

    MPV 0.30.0 release highlights:

    • Vulkan interoperability with CUDA hardware decoding support as well as VA-API + Vulkan interop support.
    • replace Vulkan implementation with one based upon libplacebo
    • resentation feedback support with the DRM EGL code
    • support for direct mode of 4:4:4 content with VDPAU decoding
    • 30bpp support for the DRM output back-end
    • support for 10-bit OpenGL rendering on macOS
    • add gamepad support through SDL2
    • add presentation time support for wayland.

    How to Install MPV 0.30.0 in Ubuntu:

    There’s an Ubuntu PPA contains most recent MPV packages for Ubuntu 18.04 and Ubuntu 19.10.

    1.) Open terminal either via Ctrl+Alt+T keyboard shortcut or by searching for ‘terminal’ from application menu. When it opens, run command to add the PPA:

    sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mc3man/mpv-tests

    Type user password (no asterisk feedback) when it prompts and hit Enter.

    2.) If a previous version of MPV was installed, launch Software Updater and you’ll see new MPV package available to upgrade.

    Or run command one by one in terminal to install (upgrade) MPV:

    sudo apt install mpv

    Uninstall:

    To downgrade MPV to the stock version in Ubuntu main repositories, run command to purge the PPA:

    sudo apt install ppa-purge && sudo ppa-purge ppa:mc3man/mpv-tests

    To remove the PPA only, go to Software & Updates -> Other Software tab.

    To simply remove MPV media player, either use Ubuntu Software or run command in terminal:

    sudo apt remove --autoremove mpv

    MPV Media Player 0.29.0 Released

    Last updated: July 27, 2018

    MPV media player, an open-source fork of mplayer2 and mplayer, reached 0.29.0 release with numerous changes.

    MPV 0.29 now requires FFmpeg 4.0 or newer, and it features:

    • ao/openal: Add better sample format and channel layout selection
    • ao/openal: Add support for direct channels output
    • cocoa-cb: initial implementation via opengl-cb API
    • context_drm_egl: Introduce 30bpp support (requires Mesa 18.0.0_rc4 or later)
    • osx: add some more menu bar items as suggested by Apples’s HIG
    • vo_gpu: make screenshots use the GL renderer
    • x11: support Shift+TAB as an input key bind
    • ytdl_hook: support native dash demuxer, if present
    • ao_alsa, ao_pulse: reduce requested buffer size
    • audio: change format negotiation, remove channel remix fudging
    • client API: deprecate opengl-cb API and introduce a replacement API
    • demux: lower demuxer cache default sizes from 400MB/400MB to 50MB/150MB
    • osx: always deactivate the early opengl flush on macOS
    • scripting: change when/how player waits for scripts being loaded
    • vo_gpu: various improvements to HDR peak detection
    • vo_gpu: various improvements to HDR tone mapping
    • wayland_common: update to stable xdg-shell
    • ytdl_hook: parse youtube playlist urls to set start index if --ytdl-raw-option=yes-playlist= is specified
    • build: drop support for SDL1 (only applied to ao_sdl)

    There are also many new command options, bug fixes and minor enhancements.

    While no Ubuntu packages available at the moment, you may download the source and see more details at the link below:

    UPDATE: This PPA now includes MPV 0.29 for Ubuntu 18.04.

    Simply open terminal (Ctrl+Alt+T) and run following commands one by one to add the PPA and install mpv 0.29 in Ubuntu 18.04:

    sudo add-apt-repository ppa:mc3man/mpv-tests
    
    sudo apt-get install mpv