Topic: SVP4 auto disable by folder feature request

**Feature Request / Workaround Needed: Auto-disable SVP based on file directory**

Hi everyone,

I'm a lazy person by nature — I believe in automating as much as possible so I never have to think about it. And hey, it's the lazy ones who push the world forward!

I have a fairly specific workflow issue that I haven't been able to solve cleanly, and I'm hoping someone here has a solution or can point me in the right direction.

**My workflow:**
I download video files into a `Download` folder, where I work on syncing subtitles and adjusting the timeline. Once a file is properly subtitled and timed, I move it to a `SUBED` folder for regular viewing.

**The problems I'm running into:**

1. **SVP is unnecessary during subtitle work.** When I'm in the Download folder aligning subtitles, frame interpolation just gets in the way. I don't need SVP active there at all — only in the SUBED folder where I actually watch finished files.

2. **SVP causes stuttering during file moves between the two folders.** When I'm cutting and pasting files between Download and SUBED, SVP tries to process the video while the disk is busy with the file transfer. Since disk I/O for the move takes priority, playback stalls completely and I have to wait for the file transfer to finish before the next file plays properly.

Because of these two issues, I constantly find myself manually toggling "Pause SVP" from the tray menu, which I'd rather not do every single time.

**What I'd like:** A way for SVP to automatically disable itself when playing files outside a specified directory (e.g. anything not under `H:\SUBED`), and re-enable when playing from within that directory. Ideally this would work seamlessly without any manual intervention.

**What I've already tried:**
I attempted to implement this via an mpv Lua script using `observe_property("vf", ...)` to detect when SVP injects its VapourSynth filter and immediately remove it. The detection works correctly, but the approach feels fragile and hacky. I also tried calling the SVP HTTP API (`localhost:9901/rpc?func=setEnabled`), but couldn't get reliable results during active playback.

Is there a proper supported way to achieve directory-based SVP toggling? Any help appreciated.

  • Thanks: 1

Re: SVP4 auto disable by folder feature request

(random SVP user who worked in technology for a while)

It is hard for me to imagine many other users wanting or needing that specific functionality (blacklist/whitelist SVP application based off of the file system folder location).

Wonder if there is a keyboard shortcut, or one could be set/added, to enable/disable SVP as a whole like you can do from the manager with the mouse.

Or you could kill the SVP manager process, do your work, then run it again (if you tried to automate what you're doing manually now).

I've messed around with a number of player/filter settings trying to remove all initial playback issues like I assume you've tried (MadVR had a "pause until it'd rendered all the frames first" versus always displaying new frames ASAP, etc).  It was more an annoyance for me than anything, so I stopped poking/trying after a try or two.

It'd be annoying, but maybe if you played the video, paused, rewinded, and played again it wouldn't have any pauses or delays...  Sort of pre-cache / pre-calculate the work the first time, then reuse what you need from RAM on any following attempts.  If you can figure out how to do that without jumping between your mouse and keyboard it'll go a lot faster too.

Oh...  since there are already other tools in the middle...  wonder if you can do conditionals in avisynth or vapoursynth?  Guessing probably not, but you won't know for sure unless you look for it.

Oh, you could have a different video player that isn't SVP aware.  Like VLC.  Not sure how to switch quickly between two default video players efficiently though.  But SVP seems to need different workarounds and tweaks for different players, so if you just didn't apply one of them it wouldn't render using SVP.

Anyway, good luck fellow lazy person (doing way more work ahead of time so they can do zero work later).

3 Reply by brazen1

Re: SVP4 auto disable by folder feature request

Using Windows, you can install multiple instances of the same player. MPC-BE BRIGHT, MPC-BE MadVR, MPC-BE MadVR SVP, MPC-BE VR, MPC-BE VR SVP, MPC-HC, etc. Each uses it's own settings. In your case, a vanilla install without SVP for editing & another with SVP for playback. In regedit, navigate to Computer\HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache. Change FriendlyAppName how you want to identify the player(s) easily. Right click your video file & select 'Open with'. Your renamed players can be selected. If you use Kodi, you can create a playercorefactory.xml that automates which files are assigned to which player. Then it's simply navigate Kodi library & select title.