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Watching YouTube videos from the website on your PC can be a drag. You have pop-ups and distracting sections on the screen. There is clutter on the right side of the video with advertisements, related videos, other distracting content on the right, and comments under the video.
To eliminate distractions, you can open videos in theater mode to remove ads, related videos, and YouTube Shorts so you can watch the video in peace. It extends the video to your browser's width and dims the page background for a better viewing experience.
However, you shouldn’t need to go through all that to watch your videos. Luckily, free and open-source tools allow you to view YouTube videos better. For instance, one of the best ways to watch YouTube videos is to use open-source MPV and YouTube-dl tools to watch them directly from my desktop, distraction-free. I pair MPV + yt-dlp for distraction-free video viewing. The CLI-first video view includes many options that allow you to download YouTube videos without using outdated plugins that often never work.
What is MPV + yt-dlp, and how do I install it?
MPV is a video player, and yt-dl is a CLI-first backend for viewing and downloading YouTube videos
To view any YouTube or video format from the Internet, you probably think of VLC immediately. However, there is a geekier way to do it. MPV + yt-dlp creates an exciting way to view YouTube, including many settings and features. You need to install an app and a few packages; it’s more than downloading and running an EXE file. But once the work is done, you’ll be glad you did it. While it takes a minute to install, it is a lightweight player that won’t eat into system resources. It can be used on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Also, remember it's free and open source. I have seen several versions of it in various repositories. So, developers are attempting to create better versions.
There are different ways to install MPV via the CLI. For Windows, you can use Winget, Chocolately, or Scoop. I launched PowerShell as an administrator and used the choco install mpvio command, but you can do what works for you. Your best bet is to check out the MPV GitHub page and read about the different methods of installing the packages. Also, I used Winget to install the yt-dlp package, which was simple enough. From PowerShell, I used the winget install yt-dlp command. I found the command on the yt-dlp GitHub page.
The yt-dlp package is a CLI-based downloader that boasts video support from thousands of sites. It allows you to download videos from sites. Working in tandem with the MPV media player will enable you to stream live or other videos by fetching them and handing them off to MPV for viewing. It works in the backend of MPV for playing virtually any media file type — it plays music too. For example, the command to download a video is straightforward: just use yt-dlp [video_url], where "video_url" is the actual link to the video you want to grab.
Using MPV to watch YouTube videos
Straightforward with many options and no distractions
Viewing your favorite videos with MPV + yt-dlp couldn’t be easier. Just drag the YouTube video link from your browser over to MPV and drop it. That’s all you need to do, and the video will start playing in the player for your own theater mode-like experience. However, this time it’s on your desktop with only the video to watch. There are no sidebars, comments, suggestions, or other distractions while you watch your video. The player has video playback controls as you would expect. It also has an on-screen menu with video options, including stats for nerds, which you don’t lose by handing off the video from the YouTube site.
In addition to YouTube and other online videos, you can play local music and videos. All you need to do is open your video or music directory, right-click the file, and select Open with -> MPV, and it will begin to play. Once you get comfortable with it, set it as your default media player. I am still learning the power of MPV + yt-dlp and have VLC as my default, but will likely change to MPV once I get more acclimated to it.
A new and powerful way to view YouTube videos
If you are looking for a new way to view and download YouTube and other online videos. Add the MPV + yt-dlp package combination. The power comes from the backend with the CLI-based functionality. Through the yt-dlp CLI, you can download live streams, set live-from-start, manage network options, geo-restrictions, video and download options (including HDR support), set file system options, internet shortcuts, simulation options, video format functions, subtitle functions, and a lot more. There is a complete list of commands you can use to manage MPV on its GitHub page, and I recommend you try them out for the best experience when doing your YouTube viewing.
I am excited about this video player. The fact that I can drag and drop a video URL to start playing YouTube and other online videos alone is a primary driver for me. It produces an incredible personal video viewing experience with the ability to download the videos I want. Plus, like VLC, you can play local files on your drive with ease. Playing my FLAC music files from my enormous collection is also a plus. You can do a lot with MPV + yt-dlp, so I urge you to try it out for yourself and discover the power of this media player. Have fun!
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