The open-source media player mpv has just released version 0.40, marking over six months of development since its last update. This release introduces many improvements and fixes across nearly all components, significantly enhancing the user experience.
One of the most noteworthy changes is the upgraded console, which now features enhanced auto-completion and refined visual styling. Users will likely appreciate the smoother command-line workflow, especially when coupled with the new command menu, which provides convenient shortcuts to frequently used actions.
At the same time, the On-Screen Controller (OSC) gains a brand-new selection menu, accessible via right-click on common buttons.
Another striking feature in mpv 0.40 is expanded HDR support, including direct rendering (DRM) and dmabuf-wayland on Linux. In addition, the newly introduced native clipboard property—available across Windows, macOS, and Wayland — paves the way for easy text sharing between mpv scripts and operating system clipboards.
Users seeking smarter playback organizations will be happy to discover the enhanced “select.lua” script, which now offers watch history, DVD/Blu-Ray title management, and even edition selection.
Moreover, the brand-new “positioning.lua” script enables cursor-centric zooming and drag-to-pan, letting viewers explore high-resolution videos more precisely and easily. Another plus for disc enthusiasts is the improved Blu-ray, DVD, and CDDA stream support, which simplifies media navigation in physical formats.
From a design standpoint, mpv 0.40 introduces box-styled profiles (osd-box, sub-box, box) for on-screen displays, granting a neat, unified look to both subtitles and the OSC.
This release also aims to streamline track selection and enhance metadata displays, providing better clarity across varied file types. Not to be overlooked, the umpv helper script gains Windows support, extending mpv’s simplified launcher tool to a broader audience.
Digging into the newly added features, NVIDIA RTX Video HDR is now supported through vf_d3d11vpp, HDR metadata handling has been implemented in context_drm_gl, and the Wayland backend incorporates color-management protocols and IME usage via text-input-v3.
Lastly, the “console.lua” script gets persistent command history, so users can effortlessly recall previously entered commands. Beyond that, refined default options—such as defaulting to “–prefetch-playlist“—intend to further boost playback efficiency.
For a complete list of changes, refer to the changelog or visit the project’s website for detailed information.
