Flexible playback with useful personal controls
Haruna is a free, open-source video player for flexible playback. Built on libmpv, it plays local video files and provides tools for organizing viewing sessions. Automatic playlists gather videos from the same folder, helping users move between files without browsing storage. Its customizable controls suit casual viewing and detailed playback.
Haruna also supports online video playback through external tools, along with video previews, chapter navigation, and adjustable keyboard shortcuts. Users can change appearance settings and personalize mouse actions to match their habits. While most functions are straightforward, advanced commands may require extra knowledge, and online playback depends on additional software.
Features for convenient and customizable video playback
Haruna uses automatic playlists to collect files from the folder containing the current video, reducing manual sorting. Viewers can choose compact, standard, or thumbnail playlist styles and decide whether the list overlays playback or resizes the viewing area. Seek bar previews make it easier to find particular moments, while chapter navigation provides quick access to different parts of longer recordings or movies. This simplifies managing collections.
Customization goes beyond appearance, with configurable keyboard shortcuts and mouse controls for frequent actions. Users can adjust color schemes and control styles, hide toolbars, or set automatic skipping for chapters containing selected words. These options give viewers greater control over playback, although exploring the full settings menu takes time. For comparison, VLC offers a broader collection of built-in playback and streaming features during longer viewing sessions.
The player also supports custom mpv commands, allowing experienced users to adjust playback properties or load configuration files. Online video playback is available through external tools such as yt-dlp, so functionality depends on those components and the source website. Routine viewing remains accessible without advanced configuration, but some users may prefer simpler controls. The open-source project continues to receive maintenance and improvements to playback behavior.
A flexible player for everyday viewing
Haruna is worth considering for users who want a free video player with practical organization and customization features. Automatic playlists, video previews, adjustable shortcuts, and chapter controls make everyday viewing more convenient. Its support for advanced mpv commands adds flexibility for experienced users, although online playback needs an external tool. For people comfortable exploring settings, it offers a useful alternative to more familiar media players.
Pros
- Free and open-source
- Automatically organizes videos into playlists
- Offers customizable keyboard and mouse controls
- Supports video previews and chapter navigation
Cons
- Advanced commands require technical knowledge
- Online playback depends on external tools
- Extensive customization may take time to learn
- Some users may prefer simpler playback controls
