ulyssescaballes-mpv.config

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Ulysses RS Caballes - MPV Cinema Config

A handcrafted cinema engine for MPV.
Uniting neural upscaling, HDR tone mapping, and immersive 3D spatial audio.
Built for precision. Tuned for immersion.

Build & Capabilities

What This Configuration Delivers

✓ Vulkan (gpu-next) high-quality video rendering pipeline
✓ Advanced GLSL shader stack: CuNNy (CNN upscaling), SSimSuperRes, Adaptive Sharpen, Depth Reality Boost
✓ HDR tone mapping with contrast recovery (BT.2390)
✓ ICC color-managed playback
✓ Immersive 3D spatial audio
✓ Modular profiles for anime, realism, sports, and 8K content

Performance Notes

| GPU Class | Resolution | Expected Performance | | ——————————————– | —————— | ——————————————————————————— | | RTX 5090 (next-gen) / Future RX Flagship* ?RX 9070 XT? | 8K+ → 16K | Ultra-high headroom, full pipeline with the heaviest shader workloads | | RTX 4090 / RX 7900 XTX | 8K | Full pipeline, maximum shaders | | RTX 3080 / RX 6800 XT | 4K+ → 8K | Smooth playback, minor shader tuning may help | | RTX 3060 / RX 6700 XT | 4K | Recommended for full shader pipeline | | GTX 1660 / RX 5600 XT | 1080+ →1440p | Use lighter profiles (FSRCNNX-x2) | | Intel Arc (A7xx) | 1080p | Best with FSRCNNX, reduced shader load recommended | | Intel iGPU / UHD / Iris Xe | 1080p | Limited, use light profiles only |

* AMD equivalent is unconfirmed and may not directly match RTX 5090 performance tier.

The CuNNy-8x32-DS shader profile is optimized for Windows 11 environments and may cause performance issues (lag or dropped frames) on Linux systems with AMD GPUs.
Recommended for Linux/AMD setups:
✓ FSRCNNX-x2_16-0-4-1 → lighter, stable, and cross-platform friendly
✓ CuNNy-4x32 or CuNNy-2x32 → reduced demand with good perceptual quality
✓ Hybrid stacks (FSRCNNX + Adaptive Sharpen / Depth Reality Boost) → balance between speed and sharpness
This ensures smoother playback while preserving visual detail and stability.

Table of Contents

Overview

This MPV configuration is engineered for viewers who demand cinematic fidelity, artifact-free rendering, and adaptive precision across all content types - anime, films, sports, and 8K HDR.

Every component is tuned for clarity, depth, and realism. Powered by a custom shader pipeline and Lua automation scripts that adapt dynamically to content while preserving cinematic intent.

Features

✓ Custom GLSL pipeline for super-resolution, sharpening, depth, and film emulation
✓ Vulkan-optimized rendering for high-performance playback
✓ Content-aware profiles (anime, realism, sports, 8K)
✓ Lua automation for dynamic shader control and recovery
✓ Clean, modular and remixable architecture

Demo Clip

Download the 8K MPV Demo Clip

This clip was rendered and played with this configuration, showcasing HEVC Main 10 playback, HDR tone mapping, and full shader fidelity.

Screenshots

Screenshot 1
Debanding and tone mapping - smooth gradients, lifelike contrast.

Screenshot 2
Styled subtitles and shader stack delivering cinematic realism.

Visual Improvements

| Without Config | With Ulysses RS Caballes - MPV Cinema Engine | How | |—————|————————|——————| | Flat colors | Cinematic tone mapping | BT.2390 HDR curve + GAMMA / Perceptual Linearity | | Aliasing artifacts | Neural upscaling | CuNNY-8x32-DS | | Washed HDR | Contrast recovery | Reinhard + debanding | | Weak audio stage | 3D Spatial audio | Equalizers+ | —

Shader Pipeline

  1. Debanding (fade‑aware, error diffusion dithering)

  2. Tone Mapping (BT.2390 with contrast recovery)

  3. Resampling - 26-tap separable kernel

  4. Adaptive Sharpen - linear-light, curve height tuned, overshoot control

  5. Depth Reality Boost - perceptual depth cues without halos

Audio Pipeline

  1. Immersive 3D Spatial Audio
    • Virtualized audio rendering for realistic positioning and depth.
    • Supports optional custom audio datasets via [main.lua].
  2. EQ Chain
    • Bass reinforcement, midrange cleanup, treble clarity, and subharmonic depth.
  3. Dynamics Control
    • Normalization, compression, and limiter for safe playback.

Profiles

This configuration includes multiple playback profiles tailored to different content types. Each profile adjusts shaders, scaling, tone mapping, and enhancement strength.

Anime

Realism

Sports

8K

Video Keyboard Function Shortcuts

Shortcut Function Name Description
Ctrl + 1 clear_default Reset to baseline configuration.
Ctrl + 2 anime_hdr Anime HDR preset.
Ctrl + 3 realism Realism preset.
Ctrl + 4 sports Sports preset.
Ctrl + 5 debug Debugging overlays.

Audio Keyboard Function Shortcuts

Shortcut Function Name Description
F + 9 pure-mode Pure Headset Reference Playback
F + 10 cinema-mode Cinema IMAX-inspired SenseSurround Mode
F + 11 music-mode Music Live Concert Mode
F + 12 reset-filters Filters Cleared

Menu & Utility Shortcuts

Key Action
O Open File
Y YouTube Search
H Playback History
K Keybinds Menu
V Video Settings
A Audio Device Selector
S Subtitle Settings
P Screenshot Menu
Shift + S Screenshot / Saved on Desktop

Script Suite

Installation

Note: This configuration uses MPV in portable mode.

All settings are loaded from the portable_config folder located alongside mpv.exe.

Requirements:
✓ MPV v0.41+
✓ Vulkan‑capable GPU
✓ Windows 11 (recommended)

Download mpv-x86_64-v3 (Zhongfly builds):
mpv-x86_64-v3 (Zhongfly builds)

  1. Open File Explorer
  2. Enable: View → Show → Hidden items
  3. Navigate to %APPDATA%
  4. Create folder named MPV
  5. Extract the MPV Zhongfly build into this folder
  6. Open the installer folder then right-click updater.ps1 and select Run with Powershell
  7. Right-click mpv-register.bat and select Run as administrator
  8. Press Win + R and enter ms-settings:defaultapps
  9. Scroll down and select app mpv
  10. Set default file and link types to MPV
  11. Right-click updater.bat and select Run as administrator then follow the prompts
  12. Download or clone this repository and extract the portable_config folder
  13. Place the “portable_config” folder here:
    “C:/Users//AppData/Roaming/MPV/***portable_config***"
%APPDATA%\MPV\
│
├── mpv.exe
└── portable_config\
    ├── mpv.conf
    ├── input.conf
    ├── script-opts\
    ├── scripts\
    │   └── main.lua\
    │       
    └── shaders\
        ├── CuNNy-8x32-DS.glsl
        ├── SSim\
        ├── Adaptive_sharpen\
        └── Depth_reality_boost\
  1. Ensure MPV is configured to use Vulkan:
gpu-api=vulkan
  1. Double-click any media file and MPV will instantly play it, or play CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs with maximum audio and video quality playback, each time, all the time. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a seamless viewing and listening experience.

Common Toggles & Beginner Notes

Option Setting Effect
Idle Behavior idle=yes MPV stays open even with no file loaded (useful for drag‑and‑drop).
  idle=no MPV closes automatically after playback (traditional media player feel).
On‑Screen Controller (OSC) osc=no Disables the control bar for a cleaner, cinema‑style look.
  osc=yes Enables the familiar UI with playback controls.
Window Border border=no Removes title bar for a cinema‑style presentation.
  border=yes Restores standard window controls.
Volume Max volume-max=130 Allows boosting volume beyond 100% (use with care to avoid distortion).

Optional Add-ons

Add-on Purpose/Benefit
Anime4K Stylized upscaling for animation content
FSRCNNX Neural network–based upscaling
RAVU High‑precision scaling
SVP / Motion Interpolation Smoother playback for sports and fast motion
External LUTs Custom color grading for cinematic tone

MPV + YouTube Integration

Instructions on how to enable MPV to directly open and play YouTube streams from a web browser (Applicable only to Firefox-based browsers or on any Firefox based variants):

  1. Download and install Firefox or one of its variants. For the best experience, Floorp is highly recommended.
  2. Install browser extension: ff2mpv (for Windows) from Firefox Browser Add-ons.
  3. Download: ff2mpv-master.zip
  4. Extract “ff2mpv-master.zip” inside [MPV] folder.
  5. Open “ff2mpv-master” folder, copy “ytdlProtocol.bat” then paste it outside “ff2mpv-master” folder to sit where “mpv.exe” is placed inside [MPV] folder, here:
    “C:/Users//AppData/Roaming/MPV/***ytdlProtocol.bat***".
  6. Right click “ytdlProtocol.bat”, then “Run as Administrator” once.
  7. Open YouTube in your Firefox-based browser, right-click on the video stream of your choice. From the context menu, select “Play link in MPV”. If prompted, check the box labeled “Always allow this extension to open ytdl links” and then click “Open Link”. MPV will instantly play the selected YouTube video stream directly with the best audio and video quality playback. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a smooth, immersive viewing experience every time.

Philosophy

This configuration is guided on three core principles:

Precision

Every shader, parameter, and filter is chosen with intent - no bloat, no placebo settings.

Cinematic Realism

The goal isn’t “sharper” or “brighter,” but truer - emphasizing depth, texture, and natural contrast.

Modularity

✓ Fully remixable
✓ Clearly documented
✓ Entirely optional

Adopt the full pipeline or integrate only the components you need.

Repo Hygiene

Practice Description
No cache files Repository excludes temporary or auto‑generated cache files.
No platform clutter Avoids OS‑specific junk (e.g., .DS_Store, Thumbs.db).
Clean folder structure Organized directories for configs, shaders, and scripts.
Human‑readable configs Config files are concise, documented, and easy to understand.
Commented shader chains Each GLSL filter is annotated for clarity and maintainability.
Versioned updates Clear changelogs accompany every update for transparency.
Commit intent Every commit message documents purpose, no silent changes.

Final Word

*Playback perfection isn’t measured in numbers alone. It’s defined by how it feels.* *This hand‑crafted cinema engine reflects my journey toward that feeling.* *If it helps you step closer to your own, then it has fulfilled its purpose.* **_||||⚓ Ulysses RS Caballes [PopeyeURS]_** *Crafting cinema in pixels, one shader at a time.* *Enjoying the project? The GitHub ⭐ button is at the top-right of this page ↗* </a>

License

GPLv3 License
This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0. Feel free to fork, adapt, and share.

See the LICENSE file for details.

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