> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/mpv-player/mpv/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Basic Playback

> Playing local files, URLs, streams, DVDs, and more

## Synopsis

```bash theme={null}
mpv [options] [file|URL|PLAYLIST|-]
mpv [options] files
```

Command-line arguments starting with `-` are interpreted as options. Everything else is treated as a filename or URL. Options require a parameter in the form `--option=value`. Flag options use `--flag` (equivalent to `--flag=yes`) or `--no-flag` (equivalent to `--flag=no`).

## Playing local files

Pass one or more file paths directly to mpv:

```bash theme={null}
mpv video.mkv
mpv /path/to/movie.mp4
mpv "filename with spaces.mkv"
```

To play multiple files sequentially, list them all on the command line. mpv adds them to an internal playlist and plays each in order:

```bash theme={null}
mpv episode1.mkv episode2.mkv episode3.mkv
```

<Tip>
  Prefix relative paths that begin with `-` using `./` to prevent mpv from
  interpreting them as options. For example, use `./file.mkv` instead of
  `-file.mkv`.
</Tip>

## Reading from stdin

Use `-` as the filename to read media data from stdin:

```bash theme={null}
mpv -
```

This also works with piped input:

```bash theme={null}
cat file.mkv | mpv -
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -f matroska - | mpv -
```

<Note>
  Using `-` as the filename disables console controls, which makes it suitable
  for playing data piped to stdin.
</Note>

Use `--` to stop mpv from interpreting subsequent arguments as options — useful if you need to play a file that starts with a `-`:

```bash theme={null}
mpv -- -oddly-named-file.mkv
```

## Playing URLs and streams

mpv accepts HTTP and HTTPS URLs directly:

```bash theme={null}
mpv https://example.com/video.mp4
```

For YouTube and other sites, mpv integrates with `yt-dlp` (or `youtube-dl`) automatically when you pass an `http(s)://` URL that points to a supported site:

```bash theme={null}
mpv https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
```

Force yt-dlp processing for any URL using the `ytdl://` prefix:

```bash theme={null}
mpv ytdl://dQw4w9WgXcQ
```

## Special protocols

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="DVD — dvd://">
    Play a DVD disc or ISO image. Without a title number, mpv auto-selects the longest title. DVD menus are not supported.

    ```bash theme={null}
    mpv dvd://                        # play the longest title
    mpv dvd://2                       # play title 2
    mpv dvd:// --dvd-device=/dev/sr0  # specify the drive
    mpv dvd:// --dvd-device=movie.iso # play from an ISO file
    ```

    `dvdnav://` is an alias for `dvd://`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Blu-ray — bd://">
    Play a Blu-ray disc or ISO image. Requires libbluray. Since libbluray 1.0.1, ISO files are supported via `--bluray-device`.

    ```bash theme={null}
    mpv bd://                              # play the default playlist
    mpv bd://longest                       # play the longest playlist
    mpv bd://1                             # play playlist index 1
    mpv bd:// --bluray-device=/dev/sr0
    mpv bd:// --bluray-device=movie.iso
    ```

    `bluray://` is an alias for `bd://`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="CD audio — cdda://">
    Play an audio CD. Navigate tracks using chapter seek keys (`Page Up` / `Page Down`).

    ```bash theme={null}
    mpv cdda://                         # play the whole disc
    mpv cdda:// --start=#4 --end=#6     # play tracks 4 and 5, then exit
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="FFmpeg protocols — lavf://">
    Pass a string directly to FFmpeg's libavformat:

    ```bash theme={null}
    mpv lavf://v4l2:/dev/video0
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="libavdevice inputs — av://">
    Use libavdevice demuxers. `type` is the demuxer name and `options` is the pseudo-filename:

    ```bash theme={null}
    mpv av://v4l2:/dev/video0 --profile=low-latency --untimed
    ```

    `avdevice://` is an alias.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="File descriptor — fd://">
    Read from an arbitrary file descriptor. Similar to piping to stdin, but uses the specified descriptor number:

    ```bash theme={null}
    mpv fd://3
    ```

    Use `fdclose://3` to automatically close the descriptor after use.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Samba shares — smb://">
    Play files from a Samba/SMB network share. Requires FFmpeg built with SMB support:

    ```bash theme={null}
    mpv smb://server/share/video.mkv
    ```
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Image sequences — mf://">
    Play a series of images as a video:

    ```bash theme={null}
    mpv mf://frame*.png          # glob pattern
    mpv mf://image-%d.jpg        # printf pattern (image-1.jpg, image-2.jpg, …)
    mpv mf://@list.txt           # text file with one path per line
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Essential playback options

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Seeking" icon="forward">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Seek to a specific time on start
    mpv --start=01:30:00 movie.mkv

    # Seek to 50% through the file
    mpv --start=50% movie.mkv

    # Seek to chapter 2
    mpv --start='#2' movie.mkv

    # Play from 30s to 40s, then exit
    mpv --start=30 --end=40 clip.mkv

    # Play 10 seconds starting at 3:20 before the end
    mpv --start=-3:20 --length=10 movie.mkv
    ```
  </Card>

  <Card title="Speed and volume" icon="sliders">
    ```bash theme={null}
    # Play at 1.5× speed
    mpv --speed=1.5 movie.mkv

    # Play at half speed
    mpv --speed=0.5 movie.mkv

    # Set starting volume (0–100, default varies)
    mpv --volume=80 movie.mkv
    ```
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Looping

```bash theme={null}
# Loop a single file forever
mpv --loop video.mkv
mpv --loop=inf video.mkv

# Loop a single file 3 times
mpv --loop=3 video.mkv

# Loop the entire playlist forever
mpv --loop-playlist file1.mkv file2.mkv

# Loop the playlist 5 times
mpv --loop-playlist=5 file1.mkv file2.mkv
```

<Note>
  `--loop` (alias for `--loop-file`) counts the number of additional seeks to
  the beginning, not the total number of playthroughs. `--loop=1` plays the
  file twice. `--loop-playlist` counts full playthroughs, so `--loop-playlist=2`
  plays the list twice.
</Note>

### Screenshots

```bash theme={null}
# Set the screenshot format (jpg, png, webp, jxl, avif)
mpv --screenshot-format=png movie.mkv
```

During playback, press `s` to take a screenshot including subtitles, or `S` to take one without subtitles. Screenshots are saved as `mpv-shotNNNN.<ext>` in the working directory (or the desktop in pseudo-GUI mode).

## Per-file options

When playing multiple files you can apply options to a subset using `--{` and `--}` markers:

```bash theme={null}
# --sub-file only applies to file2.mkv and file3.mkv
mpv file1.mkv --\{ --sub-file=subs.srt file2.mkv file3.mkv --\} file4.mkv
```