mpv vs SMPlayer

mpv is a free, open-source command-line media player for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android. It plays a wide range of media formats, audio and video codecs, and subtitle types, including Matroska (MKV) and MP4, with network playback and 4K playback support. Its interface is deliberately limited: there is no full graphical interface, only a small on-screen controller for basic playback. Video output is based on OpenGL, Vulkan, and D3D11, with scaling, color management, frame timing, interpolation, and HDR features. mpv can use hardware decoding APIs on its supported platforms, and decoding can be switched on while the player is running. Scripts and user-created scripts can extend its behavior; developers can also use its C API to embed it in other applications. The project is actively developed. The default license is GPLv2 or later, with LGPLv2.1 or later available for builds configured with -Dgpl=false. Only the latest stable release receives security updates.

SMPlayer is a free media player for Windows, Linux, and macOS. It includes built-in codecs to play most audio and video formats without requiring external codecs. Listed formats include AVI, ASF/WMV/WMA, QT/MOV/MP4, RealAudio/RealVideo, Ogg/OGM, Matroska, MPEG-1/2, H.264, MPEG-4, MP3, AAC, AC3, and DTS. The player supports network playback, subtitles, hardware acceleration, and 4K playback. It provides a graphical interface for MPlayer and can also use mpv as its playback engine. SMPlayer remembers playback position and settings such as audio track, subtitles, and volume. Controls include playback speed adjustment, audio and video filters, audio and subtitle delay adjustment, and a video equalizer. It can play YouTube videos, search for subtitles through OpenSubtitles, and send local videos or online streams to Chromecast devices. The project is free and open source under the GPL, offers source code, and directs users to a forum for help and a bug tracker for reporting problems.