Awesome

mpv-ytdlAutoFormat

Terminal

A simple mpv script that automatically adjusts ytdl-format (yt-dlp) for specified domains.

If a domain match is found, the script sets ytdl-format based on predefined options. It also has a fallback mode, in case the custom ytdl-format was not found.

How is this script useful?

Some streaming websites lack multi-format options, meaning if ytdl-format in mpv.conf is set to 480p or 720p only, mpv/yt-dlp may fail to play videos without matching formats.

This script allows you to set video quality and codec for specific websites while keeping the default setting for others, ensuring smooth playback without constantly editing mpv.conf.

Options

To adjust options, simply change the values inside local options within the script.

local options = {
    -- Which domains should ytdl-format change on?
    domains = {
        "youtu.be", "youtube.com", "www.youtube.com",
        "twitch.tv", "www.twitch.tv",
    },

    -- Set maximum video quality (on load/start)
    -- 240, 360, 480, 720, 1080, 1440, 2160, 4320
    -- use 0 to ignore quality
    quality = 720,

    -- Prefered codec. avc, hevc, vp9, av1 or novp9
    -- novp9: accept any codec except vp9
    codec = "avc",

    -- rare: to avoid mpv shutting down if nothing is found with the specified format
    -- if true, and format not found, it'll use fallback_format
    fallback = true,
    fallback_format = "bv+ba/b",
}

[!NOTE] The options only affect matched URLs from the domains list.

[!TIP] You can set a default value in mpv.conf for non-matched domains. You don't have to, but this gives you more control on all streams you play.

Examples for mpv.conf:

ytdl-format=bv[vcodec!~='^(vp0?9)']+ba/b

ytdl-format=bv[height<=1080][vcodec!~='^(vp0?9)']+ba/b[height<=1080]

How to install

Simply place ytdlautoformat.lua in the corresponding mpv scripts folder of your operating system:

Windows: %APPDATA%\mpv\scripts\ or C:\users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\mpv\scripts\
Linux: ~/.config/mpv/scripts/ or /home/USERNAME/.config/mpv/scripts/
Mac: ~/.config/mpv/scripts/ or /Users/USERNAME/.config/mpv/scripts/

[!NOTE] More information about files locations can be found here

config/mpv
│   input.conf
│   mpv.conf
│
└───scripts
        ytdlautoformat.lua

Alternatives

I prefer a simple mpv configuration, so I created this script to fit my basic use case.

However, there are excellent alternatives offering more dynamic options, such as:

mpv-quality-menu: Lets you change streamed video and audio quality (ytdl-format) on the fly.
mpv-selectformat: Plugin for selecting the format of internet videos.

These can be used alongside ytdlautoformat.lua without conflicts.