SVP:Plex Media Player

Setting up Plex (Windows, Mac), Plex HTPC (Windows), Plex Media Player (Windows, Linux, macOS)

• versions used: Plex 1.48.2 (7 July 2022), Plex HTPC 1.20.2 (29 June 2022), PMP 2.58.0 (19 May 2020)
• developer's web site

Don't confuse "Plex Media Player" with "Plex" or "Plex HTPC" - these are different applications!

Installation - Windows

• Install Plex for Windows or Plex HTPC or Plex Media Player (discontinued)
• Install mpv shared library package from the SVP's installer
• Run Utilities -> Set environment variables OR adjust a few system settings manually to allow Plex find the Vapoursynth installation:
  • add SVP 4\mpv64 folder to the PATH environment variable
  • add new env variable called PYTHONPATH, containing the same SVP 4\mpv64 path

How to manuallly set environment variables

Plex for Windows

• Replace Plex's mpv.dll with the one from "SVP 4\mpv64\": copy "C:\Program Files (x86)\SVP 4\mpv64\mpv-1.dll" to "C:\Program Files\Plex\Plex\mpv-2.dll"
• NOTE: SVP has mpv-1.dll while Plex starting from ver.1.48.2 (July 7, 2022) wants mpv-2.dll!
• Create mpv's configuration file in "C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\Plex\mpv.conf" with the following contents:

input-ipc-server=mpvpipe
hwdec-codecs=all
hr-seek-framedrop=no

Plex HTPC

• Replace Plex's mpv-2.dll with the one from "SVP 4\mpv64\": copy "C:\Program Files (x86)\SVP 4\mpv64\mpv-1.dll" to "C:\Program Files\Plex\Plex\mpv-2.dll"
• NOTE: SVP has mpv-1.dll while Plex HTPC wants mpv-2.dll!
• Create mpv's configuration file in "C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\Plex HTPC\mpv.conf" with the following contents:

input-ipc-server=mpvpipe
hwdec-codecs=all
hr-seek-framedrop=no

Plex Media Player

• PMP 2.58 is not compatible with mpv 0.33 and later! Here's the direct link to the last compatible mpv-1.dll build.
• Replace Plex's "mpv-1.dll" with the one from "SVP 4\mpv64\": copy "C:\Program Files (x86)\SVP 4\mpv64\mpv-1.dll" to "C:\Program Files\Plex\Plex Media Player\"
• Create mpv's configuration file in "C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\PlexMediaPlayer\mpv.conf" with the following contents:

input-ipc-server=mpvpipe
hwdec-codecs=all
hr-seek-framedrop=no

• Turn on hardware video decoder: edit "C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\PlexMediaPlayer\plexmediaplayer.conf", find the line containing "hardwareDecoding" and set it to

"hardwareDecoding": "copy",

Installation - macOS

• Install Plex for Mac (preferably) or Plex Media Player into /Applications
• Run it for the first time, then exit
• Note for Apple M1: as of July 2021, Plex is x86-only, so you have to additionally install x86 version of Homebrew:

arch -x86_64 /bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"
arch -x86_64 brew install mpv

Plex for Mac

• Replace Plex's libmpv.1.dylib with the one from Brew installation: /usr/local/lib/libmpv.2.dylib -> /Applications/Plex.app/Contents/Frameworks/libmpv.1.dylib

mv "/Applications/Plex.app/Contents/Frameworks/libmpv.1.dylib" "/Applications/Plex.app/Contents/Frameworks/libmpv.1.backup"
ln -s /usr/local/lib/libmpv.2.dylib "/Applications/Plex.app/Contents/Frameworks/libmpv.1.dylib"

• Create mpv's configuration file in "~/Library/Application Support/Plex/mpv.conf" with the following contents:

input-ipc-server=/tmp/mpvsocket
hr-seek-framedrop=no

From the Terminal:

echo "input-ipc-server=/tmp/mpvsocket" >> ~/"Library/Application Support/Plex/mpv.conf"

Plex Media Player

• PMP 2.58 is not compatible with mpv 0.33 and later!
• Replace Plex's libmpv.1.dylib with the one from Brew installation: /usr/local/lib/libmpv.2.dylib -> /Applications/Plex Media Player.app/Contents/Frameworks/libmpv.1.dylib

mv "/Applications/Plex Media Player.app/Contents/Frameworks/libmpv.1.dylib" "/Applications/Plex Media Player.app/Contents/Frameworks/libmpv.1.backup"
ln -s /usr/local/lib/libmpv.2.dylib "/Applications/Plex Media Player.app/Contents/Frameworks/libmpv.1.dylib"

• Create mpv's configuration file in "~/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Player/mpv.conf" with the following contents:

input-ipc-server=/tmp/mpvsocket
hr-seek-framedrop=no

From the Terminal:

echo "input-ipc-server=/tmp/mpvsocket" >> ~/"Library/Application Support/Plex Media Player/mpv.conf"

• Turn on hardware video decoder: edit "~/Library/Application Support/Plex Media Player/plexmediaplayer.conf", find the line containing "hardwareDecoding" and set it to

"hardwareDecoding": "copy",

Recommended minimal mpv.conf:

input-ipc-server=/tmp/mpvsocket
hwdec-codecs=all
hwdec=auto-copy
hr-seek-framedrop=no
opengl-early-flush=no

Troubleshooting

If you get the playback error - An error occurred trying to play <video title> - turn off secure connections in the Plex Server settings:

Plex Server -> Settings -> Network, set Secure connections to Disabled and restart Plex Media Player.