mplayer

Play the specified file or URL

$ mplayer [path/to/file|url]

$ mplayer [path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...]

$ mplayer -loop [0] [path/to/file]

$ <Space>

$ <Esc>

$ [<ArrowLeft>|<ArrowRight>]

mplayer [options] [URL | path/to/file]

-fs
    Enable fullscreen mode.

-vo driver
    Specify the video output driver (e.g., xv, x11, gl, vdpau).

-ao driver
    Specify the audio output driver (e.g., alsa, oss, pulse).

-zoom
    Zoom the video to fill the available screen space.

-loop number
    Loop playback a specified number of times (or infinitely if number is 0).

-volume percentage
    Set the audio volume percentage.

-cache kBytes
    Specify the cache size in kilobytes.

-sub filename
    Load subtitles from the specified file.

-ss position
    Seek to a specified time (in seconds or [[hh:]mm:]ss format).

-playlist filename
    Play files according to the playlist file.

-vf filter1,filter2,...
    Apply video filters.

-af filter1,filter2,...
    Apply audio filters.

MPlayer is a powerful and versatile open-source media player capable of playing a wide variety of audio and video formats. It supports many codecs (including MPEG, AVI, ASF, WMV, VCD, SVCD, DVD, 3ivx, DivX, and more) and media containers. It can play media files, DVDs, VCDs, and capture from capture devices. MPlayer is known for its command-line interface which allows for precise control and scripting capabilities, making it suitable for both interactive use and automated media processing. It offers numerous options for tweaking playback, including video and audio filters, subtitle handling, and network streaming. MPlayer also boasts a GUI called GMPlayer. It also supports output to a number of video and audio drivers, making it compatible with different systems and hardware setups. While development has largely stalled and forks like MPV are more actively maintained, MPlayer remains a functional and valuable tool.

MPlayer's development has largely stalled. Newer codecs and features may not be fully supported. MPV is a modern fork with ongoing development and is often a better choice for recent media formats.

MPlayer uses configuration files (~/.mplayer/config and ~/.mplayer/input.conf) to customize its behavior. The config file handles playback options, while input.conf allows you to define keybindings for various player functions.

MPlayer supports many video output drivers. Using the correct driver for your hardware significantly improves playback performance. Examples include 'xv' for X Window System, 'gl' for OpenGL, and 'vdpau' for hardware acceleration on NVIDIA cards.

MPlayer started as a fork of the VLC media player but evolved into a distinct project. It gained popularity for its comprehensive codec support and command-line interface. It was widely used as a primary media player on Linux systems for many years.

mpv(1), ffmpeg(1)