mpv

1. Overview

Media player that plays local files directly and is configured through plain-text files.

Category: Media & Creative.

2. Version and scope assessed

Version assessed: Pinned evidence 01a7420cbb4bfcb3ae275b864a8a734c61ee8831.

4. Principle profile

5. Fundamental requirements

6. Evidence and verification

• E1: mpv uses local media files, playlists, configuration files, scripts, and watch-later state documented in its manual. (source), confidence high
• E2: Plain playlists and ordinary media files provide a direct exit path, while player-specific state and scripts need compatibility testing. (source), confidence medium
• E3: Watch-later filenames are derived from the media path (or basename with the corresponding option), while contents use readable option=value lines and length-quoted strings. Only configured watch-later options are saved, changed values are selective, and unseekable/unknown-time input does not save a start position. This is not a whole-player configuration backup. (source), confidence medium
• E4: Playback is local and does not require a provider account. (source), confidence high
• E5: Resume loading can be disabled and optionally rejects state when media modification time differs; it preserves command-line option precedence when loading the state file. The separate deletion function unlinks watch-later entries and parent redirects. A retained state file is therefore neither an immutable history nor a guaranteed replay on a renamed/moved media path. (source), confidence medium
• sovereignty: A positive Sovereignty finding requires established E1, E2 and E4 in the declared scope. The existing access/exit/custody record for mpv does not establish all three minimums. The prior positive finding is withdrawn; recorded storage and portability strengths remain facts, not a verified failure. (source), confidence medium
• longevity: E3 is not established for mpv's existing essential-record scope. The previous Longevity finding is replaced by Not assessed, not a verified failure or a positive placeholder. (source), confidence medium
• locality: The essential workflow runs locally and offline. (source), confidence high
• transparency: The positive control observations above do not yet establish whole-scope E5. The methodology requires that minimum before a positive Transparency and Control finding; the previous positive finding is therefore withdrawn to Not assessed, not changed to Does not meet. (source), confidence medium
• E3: Watch-later serialization preserves selected options with path-derived filenames and conditional positions, not the full player/configuration/script state. Complete playlists, scripts, media paths and cross-version option meaning have not been restored and compared; the existing durable-state scope cannot be treated as stateless merely to skip E3. (source), confidence medium
• E5: Resume loading/precedence/mtime and state-deletion branches are concrete controls. They do not establish effective script/subprocess/network authority, output/cache overwrite policy or correction across the configured playback and saved-state workflow. (source), confidence medium
• E2: The former E2 Pass does not establish preservation of the declared saved-state/script/playlist workflow in an independent player. Ordinary media files remain portable, but that narrower fact does not complete the stated profile's migration. (source), confidence medium

7. Migration and recovery

Native storage format: Plays the user's own media files; configuration in plain text.

Synchronization or runtime model: Local command-line and desktop player.

Example export or inspection command (not verified against any particular version or data set): cat ~/.config/mpv/mpv.conf

8. Architectural strengths

Established strengths and their scope are recorded in the evidence and assessment findings on this page.

9. Architectural limitations

• Source/retained-input inspection only; no installation or application restore performed.
• Actual playback/cross-machine restore, version-option migration, scripts/subprocess/network observation and output/cache overwrite behavior remain untested.

10. Assessment findings and remaining work

Evidence update: 23 October 2026

• Resolved: Watch-later filenames are derived from the media path (or basename with the corresponding option), while contents use readable option=value lines and length-quoted strings. Only configured watch-later options are saved, changed values are selective, and unseekable/unknown-time input does not save a start position. This is not a whole-player configuration backup. Source.
• Resolved: Resume loading can be disabled and optionally rejects state when media modification time differs; it preserves command-line option precedence when loading the state file. The separate deletion function unlinks watch-later entries and parent redirects. A retained state file is therefore neither an immutable history nor a guaranteed replay on a renamed/moved media path. Source.
• Open: Actual playback/cross-machine restore, version-option migration, scripts/subprocess/network observation and output/cache overwrite behavior remain untested. E5 needs script/subprocess/network and output-write policy plus saved-state deletion/recovery boundaries.

Assessment follow-up: These bounded findings are incorporated into the evidence above. Eligibility and principle ratings are deliberately unchanged; their reconciliation and any blank-status fixes are deferred to the next pass. Reproduction details and retained inputs are in evidence/third-pass/batch-11/.

Human-readable criteria: Can a creator archive source material and editable state, reopen the project after version changes, and export important work in interoperable formats?

Rating reconciliation: 24 October 2026

E3 and E5 remain Not Verified for the existing declared scope. Longevity and Transparency and Control are Not assessed pending their required minimums. Sovereignty is also Not assessed because the required access/exit/custody minimums are not all established. The prior E2 Pass is withdrawn; its essential-record migration comparison remains incomplete. This is a targeted evidence decision, not a finding that the product fails. Existing E1, E4 and Locality findings were not re-certified.

Remaining: Actual playback/cross-machine restore, version-option migration, scripts/subprocess/network observation and output/cache overwrite behavior remain untested. E5 needs script/subprocess/network and output-write policy plus saved-state deletion/recovery boundaries.

Next without installing locally: Inspect synthetic media/playlists/config/scripts/watch-later files with expected paths/options and reference behavior; seek matching external playback/resume/script/output-write observations.

The individual decision and provenance are retained in evidence/rating-reconciliation/batch-11/. Overall: Insufficient evidence.

Individually reconciled in rating batch 11 on 24 October 2026. E3/E5 remain Not Verified for explicit missing coverage; dependent unsupported findings corrected. Previously resolved questions are retained, not counted again. E1/E4/Locality were not re-certified by this targeted review. The assessment procedure is described in the methodology.