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+CHANGES FROM OTHER VERSIONS OF MPLAYER
+======================================
+
+**mpv** is based on mplayer2, which in turn is based on the original MPlayer
+(also called mplayer, mplayer-svn, mplayer1). Many changes have been made, a
+large part of which is incompatible or completely changes how the player
+behaves. Although there are still many similarities to its ancestors, **mpv**
+should generally be treated as a completely different program.
+
+.. note::
+ These lists are incomplete.
+
+General Changes from MPlayer to mpv
+-----------------------------------
+
+This listing is about changes introduced by mplayer2 and mpv relatively to
+MPlayer.
+
+Player
+~~~~~~
+
+* New name for the binary (``mpv``). New location for config files (either
+ ``~/.config/mpv/mpv.conf``, or if you want, ``~/.mpv/config``).
+* Encoding functionality (replacement for MEncoder, see the `ENCODING`_ section).
+* Support for Lua scripting (see the `LUA SCRIPTING`_ section).
+* Better pause handling (e.g. do not unpause on a command).
+* Precise seeking support.
+* Improvements in audio/video sync handling.
+* Do not lose settings when playing a new file in the same player instance.
+* Slave mode compatibility broken (see below).
+* Re-enable screensaver while the player is paused.
+* Allow resuming playback at a later point with ``Shift+q``, also see the
+ ``quit_watch_later`` input command.
+* ``--keep-open`` option to stop the player from closing the window and
+ exiting after playback ends.
+* A client API, that allows embedding **mpv** into applications
+ (see ``libmpv/client.h`` in the sources).
+
+Input
+~~~~~
+
+* Improved default keybindings. MPlayer bindings are also available (see
+ ``etc/mplayer-input.conf`` in the source tree).
+* Improved responsiveness on user input.
+* Support for modifier keys (alt, shift, ctrl) in input.conf.
+* Allow customizing whether a key binding for seeking shows the video time, the
+ OSD bar, or nothing (see the `Input Command Prefixes`_ section).
+* Support mapping multiple commands to one key.
+
+Audio
+~~~~~
+
+* Support for gapless audio (see the ``--gapless-audio`` option).
+* Support for OSS4 volume control.
+* Improved support for PulseAudio.
+* Make ``--softvol`` default (**mpv** is not a mixer control panel).
+* By default, do pitch correction if playback speed is increased.
+* Improved downmixing and output of surround audio:
+
+ - Instead of using hardcoded pan filters to do remixing, libavresample is used
+ - Channel maps are used to identify the channel layout, so e.g. ``3.0`` and
+ ``2.1`` audio can be distinguished.
+
+Video
+~~~~~
+
+* Wayland support.
+* Native support for VAAPI and VDA. Improved VDPAU video output.
+* Improved OpenGL output (see the ``opengl-hq`` video output).
+* Make hardware decoding work with the ``opengl`` video output.
+* Support for libavfilter (for video->video and audio->audio). This allows
+ using most of FFmpeg's filters, which improve greatly on the old MPlayer
+ filters in features, performance, and correctness.
+* More correct color reproduction (color matrix generation), including support
+ for BT.2020 (Ultra HD) and linear XYZ (Digital Cinema) inputs.
+* Support for color managed displays, via ICC profiles.
+* High-quality image resamplers (see the ``opengl`` ``scale`` suboption).
+* Support for scaling in (sigmoidized) linear light.
+* Better subtitle rendering using libass by default.
+* Improvements when playing multiple files (``-fixed-vo`` is default, do not
+ reset settings by default when playing a new file).
+* Replace image video outputs (``--vo=jpeg`` etc.) with ``--vo=image``.
+* Removal of ``--vo=gif89a``, ``--vo=md5sum``, ``--vo=yuv4mpeg``, as encoding
+ can handle these use cases. For yuv4mpeg, for example, use::
+
+ mpv input.mkv -o output.y4m --no-audio --oautofps --oneverdrop
+
+* Image subtitles (DVDs etc.) are rendered in color and use more correct
+ positioning (color for image subs can be disabled with ``--sub-gray``).
+
+OSD and terminal
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+* Cleaned up terminal output: nicer status line, less useless noise.
+* Improved OSD rendering using libass, with full Unicode support.
+* New OSD bar with chapter marks. Not positioned in the middle of the video
+ (this can be customized with the ``--osd-bar-align-y`` option).
+* Display list of chapters and audio/subtitle tracks on OSD (see the
+ `Properties`_ section).
+
+Screenshots
+~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+* Instant screenshots without 1-frame delay.
+* Support for taking screenshots even with hardware decoding.
+* Support for saving screenshots as JPEG or PNG.
+* Support for configurable file names.
+* Support for taking screenshots with or without subtitles.
+
+Note that the ``screenshot`` video filter is not needed anymore, and should not
+be put into the mpv config file.
+
+Miscellaneous
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+* Better MKV support (e.g. ordered chapters, 3D metadata).
+* Matroska edition switching at runtime.
+* Support for playing URLs of popular streaming sites directly.
+ (e.g. ``mpv https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=...``).
+ Requires a recent version of ``youtube-dl`` to be installed. Can be
+ disabled with ``ytdl=no`` in the mpv config file.
+* Support for precise scrolling which scales the parameter of commands. If the
+ input doesn't support precise scrolling the scale factor stays 1.
+* Allow changing/adjusting video filters at runtime. (This is also used to make
+ the ``D`` key insert vf_yadif if deinterlacing is not supported otherwise).
+* Improved support for .cue files.
+
+Mac OS X
+~~~~~~~~
+
+* Native OpenGL backend.
+* Cocoa event loop is independent from MPlayer's event loop, so user
+ actions like accessing menus and live resizing do not block the playback.
+* Apple Remote support.
+* Media Keys support.
+* VDA support using libavcodec hwaccel API instead of FFmpeg's decoder with up
+ to 2-2.5x reduction in CPU usage.
+
+Windows
+~~~~~~~
+
+* Improved support for Unicode file names.
+* Improved window handling.
+* Do not block playback when moving the window.
+* Improved Direct3D video output.
+* Added WASAPI audio output.
+
+Internal changes
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+* Switch to GPLv2+ (see ``Copyright`` file for details).
+* Removal of lots of cruft:
+
+ - Internal GUI (replaced by the OSC, see the `ON SCREEN CONTROLLER`_ section).
+ - MEncoder (replaced by native encoding, see the `ENCODING`_ section).
+ - OSD menu.
+ - Kernel video drivers for Linux 2.4 (including VIDIX).
+ - Teletext support.
+ - Support for dead platforms.
+ - Most built-in demuxers have been replaced by their libavformat counterparts.
+ - Built-in network support has been replaced by libavformat's (which also
+ supports https URLs).
+ - Embedded copies of libraries (such as FFmpeg).
+
+* General code cleanups (including refactoring or rewrites of many parts).
+* New build system.
+* Many bug fixes and removal of long-standing issues.
+* Generally preferring FFmpeg/Libav over internal demuxers, decoders, and
+ filters.
+
+Detailed Listing of User-visible Changes
+----------------------------------------
+
+This listing is about changed command line switches, slave commands, and similar
+things. Completely removed features are not listed.
+
+Command Line Switches
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+* There is a new command line syntax, which is generally preferred over the old
+ syntax. ``-optname optvalue`` becomes ``--optname=optvalue``.
+
+ The old syntax will not be removed. However, the new syntax is mentioned in
+ all documentation and so on, and unlike the old syntax is not ambiguous,
+ so it is a good thing to know about this change.
+* In general, negating switches like ``-noopt`` now have to be written as
+ ``-no-opt`` or ``--no-opt``.
+* Per-file options are not the default anymore. You can explicitly specify
+ file-local options. See ``Usage`` section.
+* Many options have been renamed, removed or changed semantics. Some options
+ that are required for a good playback experience with MPlayer are now
+ superfluous or even worse than the defaults, so make sure to read the manual
+ before trying to use your existing configuration with **mpv**.
+* Table of renamed/replaced switches:
+
+ =========================== ========================================
+ Old New
+ =========================== ========================================
+ ``-no<opt>`` ``--no-<opt>`` (add a dash)
+ ``-a52drc level`` ``--ad-lavc-ac3drc=level``
+ ``-ac spdifac3`` ``--ad=spdif:ac3`` (see ``--ad=help``)
+ ``-af volnorm`` ``--af=drc`` (renamed)
+ ``-afm hwac3`` ``--ad=spdif:ac3,spdif:dts``
+ ``-ao alsa:device=hw=0.3`` ``--ao=alsa:device=[hw:0,3]``
+ ``-aspect`` ``--video-aspect``
+ ``-ass-bottom-margin`` ``--vf=sub=bottom:top``
+ ``-ass`` ``--sub-ass``
+ ``-audiofile-cache`` (removed; the main cache settings are used)
+ ``-audiofile`` ``--audio-file``
+ ``-benchmark`` ``--untimed`` (no stats)
+ ``-capture`` ``--stream-capture=<filename>``
+ ``-channels`` ``--audio-channels`` (changed semantics)
+ ``-cursor-autohide-delay`` ``--cursor-autohide``
+ ``-delay`` ``--audio-delay``
+ ``-dumpstream`` ``--stream-dump=<filename>``
+ ``-dvdangle`` ``--dvd-angle``
+ ``-endpos`` ``--length``
+ ``-fixed-vo`` (removed; always the default)
+ ``-font`` ``--osd-font``
+ ``-forcedsubsonly`` ``--sub-forced-only``
+ ``-forceidx`` ``--index``
+ ``-format`` ``--audio-format``
+ ``-fsmode-dontuse`` (removed)
+ ``-fstype`` ``--x11-netwm`` (changed semantics)
+ ``-hardframedrop`` ``--framedrop=hard``
+ ``-identify`` (removed; use TOOLS/mpv_identify.sh)
+ ``-idx`` ``--index``
+ ``-lavdopts ...`` ``--vd-lavc-...``
+ ``-lavfdopts`` ``--demuxer-lavf-...``
+ ``-lircconf`` ``--input-lirc-conf``
+ ``-loop 0`` ``--loop=inf``
+ ``-mixer-channel`` AO suboptions (``alsa``, ``oss``)
+ ``-mixer`` AO suboptions (``alsa``, ``oss``)
+ ``-mouse-movements`` ``--input-cursor``
+ ``-msgcolor`` ``--msg-color``
+ ``-msglevel`` ``--msg-level`` (changed semantics)
+ ``-msgmodule`` ``--msg-module``
+ ``-name`` ``--x11-name``
+ ``-noar`` ``--no-input-appleremote``
+ ``-noautosub`` ``--no-sub-auto``
+ ``-noconsolecontrols`` ``--no-input-terminal``
+ ``-nojoystick`` ``--no-input-joystick``
+ ``-nosound`` ``--no-audio``
+ ``-osdlevel`` ``--osd-level``
+ ``-panscanrange`` ``--video-zoom``, ``--video-pan-x/y``
+ ``-playing-msg`` ``--term-playing-msg``
+ ``-pp ...`` ``'--vf=lavfi=[pp=...]'``
+ ``-pphelp`` (See FFmpeg libavfilter documentation.)
+ ``-rawaudio ...`` ``--demuxer-rawaudio-...``
+ ``-rawvideo ...`` ``--demuxer-rawvideo-...``
+ ``-spugauss`` ``--sub-gauss``
+ ``-srate`` ``--audio-samplerate``
+ ``-ss`` ``--start``
+ ``-ssf <sub>`` ``--sws-...``
+ ``-stop-xscreensaver`` ``--stop-screensaver``
+ ``-sub-fuzziness`` ``--sub-auto``
+ ``-sub`` ``--sub-file``
+ ``-subcp`` ``--sub-codepage``
+ ``-subdelay`` ``--sub-delay``
+ ``-subfile`` ``--sub-file``
+ ``-subfont-*`` ``--sub-text-*``, ``--osd-*``
+ ``-subfont-text-scale`` ``--sub-scale``
+ ``-subfont`` ``--sub-text-font``
+ ``-subfps`` ``--sub-fps``
+ ``-subpos`` ``--sub-pos``
+ ``-sws`` ``--sws-scaler``
+ ``-tvscan`` ``--tv-scan``
+ ``-use-filename-title`` ``--title='${filename}'``
+ ``-vc ffh264vdpau`` (etc.) ``--hwdec=vdpau``
+ ``-vobsub`` ``--sub-file`` (pass the .idx file)
+ ``-x W``, ``-y H`` ``--geometry=WxH`` + ``--no-keepaspect``
+ ``-xineramascreen`` ``--screen`` (different values)
+ ``-xy W`` ``--autofit=W``
+ ``-zoom`` Inverse available as ``--video-unscaled``
+ ``dvdnav://`` ``dvdnav://menu``
+ ``dvd://1`` ``dvd://0`` (0-based offset)
+ =========================== ========================================
+
+.. note::
+
+ ``-opt val`` becomes ``--opt=val``.
+
+.. note::
+
+ Quite some video filters, video outputs, audio filters, audio outputs, had
+ changes in their option parsing. These aren't mentioned in the table above.
+
+ Also, some video and audio filters have been removed, and you have to use
+ libavfilter (using ``--vf=lavfi=[...]`` or ``--af=lavfi=[...]``) to get
+ them back.
+
+input.conf and Slave Commands
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+* Table of renamed input commands:
+
+ This lists only commands that are not always gracefully handled by the
+ internal legacy translation layer. If an input.conf contains any legacy
+ commands, a warning will be printed when starting the player. The warnings
+ also show the replacement commands.
+
+ Properties containing ``_`` to separate words use ``-`` instead.
+
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | Old | New |
+ +================================+========================================+
+ | ``pt_step 1 [0|1]`` | ``playlist_next [weak|force]`` |
+ | | (translation layer cannot deal with |
+ | | whitespace) |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``pt_step -1 [0|1]`` | ``playlist_prev [weak|force] (same)`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``switch_ratio [<ratio>]`` | ``set video-aspect <ratio>`` |
+ | | |
+ | | ``set video-aspect 0`` (reset aspect) |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``step_property_osd <prop>`` | ``cycle <prop> <step>`` (wraps), |
+ | ``<step> <dir>`` | ``add <prop> <step>`` (clamps). |
+ | | ``<dir>`` parameter unsupported. Use |
+ | | a negative ``<step>`` instead. |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``step_property <prop>`` | Prefix ``cycle`` or ``add`` with |
+ | ``<step> <dir>`` | ``no-osd``: ``no-osd cycle <prop>`` |
+ | | ``<step>`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``osd_show_property_text`` | ``show_text <text>`` |
+ | ``<text>`` | The property expansion format string |
+ | | syntax slightly changed. |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``osd_show_text`` | Now does the same as |
+ | | ``osd_show_property_text``. Use the |
+ | | ``raw`` prefix to disable property |
+ | | expansion. |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``show_tracks`` | ``show_text ${track-list}`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``show_chapters`` | ``show_text ${chapter-list}`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``af_switch``, ``af_add``, ... | ``af set|add|...`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``tv_start_scan`` | ``set tv-scan yes`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``tv_set_channel <val>`` | ``set tv-channel <val>`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``tv_step_channel`` | ``cycle tv-channel`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``dvb_set_channel <v1> <v2>`` | ``set dvb-channel <v1>-<v2>`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``dvb_step_channel`` | ``cycle dvb-channel`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``tv_set_freq <val>`` | ``set tv-freq <val>`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``tv_step_freq`` | ``cycle tv-freq`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``tv_set_norm <norm>`` | ``set tv-norm <norm>`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+ | ``tv_step_norm`` | ``cycle tv-norm`` |
+ +--------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
+
+ .. note::
+
+ Due to lack of hardware and users using the TV/DVB/PVR features, and
+ due to the need to cleanup the related command code, it's possible
+ that the new commands are buggy or behave worse. This can be improved
+ if testers are available. Otherwise, some of the TV code will be
+ removed at some point.
+
+Slave mode
+~~~~~~~~~~
+
+* Slave mode was removed. A proper slave mode application needed tons of code
+ and hacks to get
+ it right. The main problem is that slave mode is a bad and incomplete
+ interface, and to get around that, applications parsed output messages
+ intended for users. It is hard to know which messages exactly are parsed by
+ slave mode applications. This makes it virtually impossible to improve
+ terminal output intended for users without possibly breaking something.
+
+ This is absolutely insane, and since initial improvements to **mpv** quickly
+ made slave mode incompatible to most applications, it was removed as useless
+ cruft. The client API (see below) is provided instead.
+
+ ``--identify`` was replaced by the ``TOOLS/mpv_identify.sh`` wrapper script.
+
+* For some time (until including release 0.4.x), mpv supported a
+ ``--slave-broken`` option. The following options are equivalent:
+
+ ::
+
+ --input-file=/dev/stdin --input-terminal=no
+
+
+ Assuming the system supports ``/dev/stdin``.
+
+ (The option was readded in 0.5.1 and sets exactly these options.)
+
+* A JSON RPC protocol giving access to the client API is also supported. See
+ `JSON IPC`_ for more information.
+
+* **mpv** also provides a client API, which can be used to embed the player
+ by loading it as shared library. (See ``libmpv/client.h`` in the sources.)
+ It might also be possible to implement a custom slave mode-like protocol
+ using Lua scripting.
+
+Policy for Removed Features
+---------------------------
+
+**mpv** is in active development. If something is in the way of more important
+development (such as fixing bugs or implementing new features), we sometimes
+remove features. Usually this happens only with old features that either seem
+to be useless, or are not used by anyone. Often these are obscure, or
+"inherited", or were marked experimental, but never received any particular
+praise by any users.
+
+Sometimes, features are replaced by something new. The new code will be either
+simpler or more powerful, but doesn't necessarily provide everything the old
+feature did.
+
+We can not exclude that we accidentally remove features that are actually
+popular. Generally, we do not know how much a specific functionality is used.
+If you miss a feature and think it should be re-added, please open an issue
+on the mpv bug tracker. Hopefully, a solution can be found. Often, it turns
+out that re-adding something is not much of a problem, or that there are
+better alternatives.
+
+Why this Fork?
+--------------
+
+mplayer2 is practically dead, and mpv started out as a branch containing
+new/experimental development. (Some of it was merged right *after* the fork
+was made public, seemingly as an acknowledgment that development, or at
+least merging, should have been more active.)
+
+MPlayer is focused on not breaking anything, but is stuck with a horrible
+codebase resistant to cleanup. (Unless you do what mpv did - merciless and
+consequent pruning of bad, old code.) Cleanup and keeping broken things
+conflict, so the kind of development mpv strives for can't be done within
+MPlayer due to clashing development policies.
+
+Additionally, mplayer2 already had lots of changes over MPlayer, which would
+have needed to be backported to the MPlayer codebase. This would not only
+have been hard (several years of diverging development), but also would have
+been impossible due to the aforementioned MPlayer development policy.