tethys
Tethys replaces mpv’s built-in on-screen controller with a themed interface that includes thumbnail previews and a picture-in-picture button.
About tethys
Tethys is an on-screen controller (OSC) replacement for the mpv video player. It replaces the osc.lua file shipped with mpv and uses icons from the bomi video player. The project is distributed as Lua scripts on GitHub for Linux and Windows.
With Tethys you can control playback from a themed bottom bar, view thumbnail previews when hovering the seek bar for local files, and use a picture-in-picture button to keep video in a corner on top of other windows and on all virtual desktops. Installation involves copying osc_tethys.lua, mpv_thumbnail_script_server.lua and autoload.lua into the mpv scripts folder and editing mpv.conf and input.conf. Appearance and behavior can be changed through a tethys.conf file with options for buttons, tooltips, skip amounts, sizes and colors.
It suits mpv users who are comfortable editing text configuration files and want thumbnail seeking and picture-in-picture controls.
Key features
- Replaces mpv built-in on-screen controller
- Shows thumbnail previews for local files
- Includes picture-in-picture corner window button
- Uses icons from bomi video player
- Configurable sizes, colors and buttons via tethys.conf
- Supports Linux and Windows installations
Best for: mpv users on Linux or Windows who want thumbnail previews and picture-in-picture in the controller.
Good for
- Thumbnail preview in seek bar for local files
- Picture-in-picture button for corner on-top viewing
- Detailed settings for layout, colors and skip behavior
Watch out for
- Requires manual file copying and config file editing
- Thumbnail previews described only for local files
tethys at a glance
- Category
- Software & Utilities › Media Players & Servers
- Type
- Open-source project
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Linux, Windows
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
Guides for Media Players & Servers
tethys alternatives
Tools and sites you could use instead, ranked by how closely they match.
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tethys FAQ
What is mpv-osc-tethys?
It is a replacement for the osc.lua controller shipped with mpv, with icons from bomi, thumbnail preview and a picture-in-picture button.
How do you install Tethys?
Copy osc_tethys.lua, mpv_thumbnail_script_server.lua and autoload.lua to the mpv scripts folder, then edit mpv.conf to set osc=no and reopen mpv.
How do you configure Tethys?
Create a tethys.conf file in the script-opts folder. A complete list of keys is at the top of osc_tethys.lua.
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