Allow progress "spinner" or progress bar in pseudo-ui while loading network videos (e.g. youtube)

[ParetoOptimalDev]

There is a similar feature request that asks for progress of the youtube-dl download to be shown in the progress bar in #4881.

This feature request is closed because a workaround (or solution depending on perspective of mpv developers) was found using https://github.com/torque/mpv-progressbar because it allegedly reports youtube-dl progress or something like it somewhat speculatively using the bit-rate.

Expected behavior of the wanted feature

First some context:

My main use of mpv is not calling mpv from the command line, but rather:

• via an emacs plugin that allows calling mpv on my feed reader items
• via qutebrowser using :spawn mpv $1 when on a youtube page

I first created an issue on that emacs plugin, elfeed-tube, here.

Current behavior:

1. Run mpv with --force-window

mpv --force-window=immediate https://youtu.be/DYeh7_FdmDgmpv

2. A window with a black screen and no other visual feedback immediately comes up

3. 4 seconds later (on my current internet connection), the video starts playing

I would like the behavior to instead be:

1. Run mpv with --force-window and a new flag such as --stream-progress-spinner

mpv --force-window=immediate https://youtu.be/DYeh7_FdmDgmpv

Alternative behavior of the wanted feature

Replicate what https://github.com/torque/mpv-progressbar does in the mpv core. The justification for this being a core feature rather than a plugin is that the UX of mpv https://youtu.be/DYeh7_FdmDgmpv being invoked by some program where you silently wait 4 seconds is not a good UX.

Using mpv --force-window=immediate is an improvement because at least the video player comes up so you know things are happening.

I also tried a workaround after looking thoroughly through the manual:

mpv --force-window=immediate --osd-level=3 --osd-msg3='waiting for cache: ${seeking} cache %: ${cache-buffering-state}' https://youtu.be/DYeh7_FdmDgmpv

The docs for cache-buffering-state say:

cache-buffering-state
The percentage (0-100) of the cache fill status until the
player will unpause (related to paused-for-cache).

My hope was that cache-buffering-state would immediately print number representing % of cache buffer filled. Sadly what actually happens is:

• When the window opens the value of cache-buffering-state is unavailable
• It stays that way until the video loads
• the video loads and cache-buffering-state value becomes 100 immediately

Log file

Feature request, not a bug that needs a log file.

[mk-pmb]

Maybe my example script can help at least with the spinner drawing part. Now you'd only need to add some way to detect when to stop spinning. (And adjust the mpv launch command to use "$@" rather than <(…).)

[Dudemanguy]

There's basically no chance something like this will ever be part of core mpv. However as noted, third party scripts can and are free to implement such things if desired.