SMPlayer Support Forum

It seems you found a bug. If you open a windows shortcut (*.lnk) with Open -> File it won't play. It works if you drag and drop the shortcut into the smplayer window.

About the mpv configuration files, smplayer runs mpv with the option --no-config so it won't use any configuration file.

No, mpv is not working if I drag / drop a video to it OR open files via SMP's menu. After start playing a file, SMP's "video display" remains blank. The control bar shows "starting" for several seconds. SMP Control bar buttons are unresponsive but both tool & control bars remain fully visible.

Tried several vids I know play in other players, or in SMP 16.11 w/ MPlayer engine. Also tried SMP 16.9 32bit portable - same issues w/ mpv.
Note: May be normal, but for mpv there are only 5 named video output drivers in the list, plus "Default" & "user defined." Directx isn't one.
With Mplayer selected, there are 15 video output drivers.

When mpv engine hangs there's still ~ 70% unused CPU & 5GB avail. RAM, then other app windows opened * on top * of SMP while mpv is running won't fully close. Like a Firefox or Explorer window.

When try to minimize or close other app windows while SMP / mpv is running, the L or R 1/2 of the apps' GUI close instantly. The other R or L side of the app windows remains on top of the SMP screen & can't be closed by normal means.

But if I minimize SMP to task bar (mpv still using 25% of CPU), then all other apps' GUIs open / close / minimize instantly. Showing Vista isn't hung at all.

The log doesn't show any error about mpv but yes I guess it hangs (in my computer it works fine).

Does it work if you select a different video or audio output driver in preferences -> general -> video/audio?

Earlier, in mpv I tried video output: opengl, opengl-hq & Default. None worked. I assumed that wasn't the problem.
When you mentioned it, I tried direct3d & direct3d_shaders. They're the only 2 that worked for mpv (played; I didn't evaluate video quality). Not many working options? "Default" doesn't work in mpv, but does for mplayer.

Changing audio output didn't seem to matter.
Opengl isn't listed under Mplayer drivers, but "gl" versions are. Is there a significant difference in opengl & gl (assuming they work at all)?

Are the output drivers (listed in mplayer / mpv menus) included in the SMP package, or look for them in the system / OS, or in your GPU drivers?
Reason I ask, Directx & other video output drivers show in VLC 2.2.4 (& several work) that don't show for mpv.
What ever opengl version VLC uses, it works. But mpv's "opengl" doesn't work.

Maybe I missed something - what I got reading the mpv features was, it's not so much about better quality playback than mplayer?
Is there an SMPlayer wiki or 3rd party tutorial pages that cover what video output drivers may give the best quality, based on which OS?

As far as I know the output drivers are included in the mplayer and mpv binaries, but each uses its own drivers. mpv is based on mplayer but their developers changed a lot of things, it seems they removed some "obsolete" drivers like directx and renamed a lot of options.

opengl in mpv works for me in my computer but other users have already reported problems with this driver.

Maybe you'll find more detailed information about the mpv drivers in its website:
https://mpv.io/manual/