Guide‐FFPlay Stream Helper

1. What is FFPlay Stream Helper?

FFPlay Stream Helper is a graphical (GUI) tool for Windows that helps you set up OBS Studio for streaming with MPV‑SW‑Capture. It automates the installation of the win-capture-audio plugin and configures OBS scenes to capture both video and audio from MPV‑SW‑Capture.

⚠️ IMPORTANT — read this first:

Stream Helper is only needed if you use the FFplay Low Latency audio mode.

If you are using the default WASAPI Audio Plugin mode, you do NOT need this tool. OBS, Discord, and other capture software can capture MPV‑SW‑Capture's audio natively, without any third‑party plugins, thanks to the WASAPI backend.

Use this tool only if:

• You have switched to FFplay Low Latency mode (for example, because your system does not support WASAPI), and
• You want to stream or record MPV‑SW‑Capture through OBS with game audio.

If you are not sure which mode you are using, open MPV‑SW‑Capture and check AUDIO → AUDIO OUTPUT MODE. The active mode is the one with the ✓ checkmark.

With this tool you can:

• Select an existing OBS installation folder (or download the latest version in standard or portable format).
• Choose between Installed and Portable OBS modes.
• Download and install the win-capture-audio plugin (bozbez/win-capture-audio) for audio capture.
• Install a complete scene collection with pre‑configured sources for MPV‑SW‑Capture.
• Add the required sources (Window Capture + Audio Capture) to an existing scene collection.
• Backup and restore your entire OBS configuration.
• Enable or disable Streamer Mode to hide OSD messages in MPV‑SW‑Capture.
• Switch the interface language between English and Spanish.

---

2. Where to find the program

1. Open the folder tools.
2. Open the file MSC_Stream_Helper.exe.

Reminder: If you are using WASAPI Audio Plugin mode (the default), you do not need to run this tool. OBS captures MPV‑SW‑Capture's audio natively in that mode.

---

3. Main interface

When you open the program, you will see a window with the following layout:

The interface is organized into four main panels.

3.1. Header

• EN / ES buttons to switch the interface language between English and Spanish.
• Displays the program title and a brief description of its purpose.

3.2. Card 1: OBS Installation

This panel helps you manage the OBS Studio installation.

Element	Description
Status	Shows whether OBS is found or not.
OBS Path	Displays the root folder where OBS is installed.
Mode	Indicates if OBS is running in Installed or Portable mode.
Choose OBS Mode	Two radio buttons let you switch between Installed and Portable mode. The tool remembers your choice.
Browse OBS Folder	Opens a folder selection dialog to manually choose the OBS root folder. This is the primary way to locate OBS (for both Installed and Portable modes). The tool will remember the path for the selected mode.
Open OBS	Launches OBS Studio with the correct --portable flag if Portable mode is active.
Download OBS Installer	Downloads the latest OBS Studio installer (.exe) to your Downloads folder.
Download Portable OBS	Downloads the latest OBS Studio ZIP and extracts it to a folder of your choice (creates a portable_mode file automatically).
Portable Architecture	Choose between x64 and arm64 before downloading the portable version.

3.3. Card 2: win-capture-audio Plugin & Streamer Mode

This panel manages the win-capture-audio plugin by bozbez, which allows OBS to capture audio from specific executables (like ffplay.exe). It also includes the Streamer Mode feature for MPV‑SW‑Capture.

Note: The win-capture-audio plugin is only required for the FFplay Low Latency audio mode. If you are using WASAPI Audio Plugin, you can ignore this entire card. The banner at the bottom of the window will remind you of this.

win-capture-audio Plugin

Element	Description
Status	Shows whether the plugin is installed or not.
Check Plugin	Verifies if win-capture-audio.dll exists in the OBS plugins folder.
Install Plugin	Downloads the latest release from GitHub and installs it automatically. Important: If OBS is installed in a protected folder (e.g., Program Files), Administrator rights are required. In that case, you must close the tool and reopen MSC_Stream_Helper.exe as Administrator (right‑click → Run as administrator). This restriction does not apply to Portable mode.
Uninstall Plugin	Removes all plugin files from OBS (asks for confirmation). Important: If OBS is installed in a protected folder, this action also requires Administrator rights. Close and reopen the program as Administrator to proceed.
Manual Download	Opens the GitHub releases page in your browser for manual download.

Administrator rights note:
The need for Administrator rights applies only when OBS is installed in a system‑protected location (like C:\Program Files). If you are using the Portable version of OBS (anywhere outside Program Files), the plugin can be installed or uninstalled without special permissions.

Audio mode notice:
At the bottom of the window, the tool displays a banner telling you which audio backend MPV‑SW‑Capture is currently using. If you are in WASAPI Audio Plugin mode, the banner will tell you that this tool is not needed, and offer a Switch to FFPLAY mode button in case you want to change it. If you are already in FFplay Low Latency mode, the banner will confirm that OBS compatibility is set up correctly.

Streamer Mode (Hide OSD Messages)

Element	Description
Status	Shows whether Streamer Mode is Enabled or Disabled.
Check Status	Checks the current state of the OSD message setting.
Activate Option	Hides all OSD messages.
Deactivate Option	Restores the default OSD behavior.

What is Streamer Mode?
When enabled, this mode hides all on‑screen messages (such as shader or crop notifications) that appear in the MPV‑SW‑Capture window when using menu options. This is useful for streamers who don't want these messages to be visible on their broadcast. This feature works regardless of which audio backend you are using.

3.4. Card 3: OBS Scene Configuration

This panel helps you configure OBS scenes for MPV‑SW‑Capture.

Element	Description
Target Scene Collection	Dropdown list showing all available scene collections in OBS.
Install New Scene Collection	Creates a new scene collection with the MPV‑SW‑Capture sources (Window Capture + Audio Capture). The collection name is auto‑generated if it already exists.
Add Sources to Selected Collection	Adds the required sources (MPV‑SW‑Window and MPV‑SW‑Audio) to the currently selected scene collection. Existing sources are preserved.
BACKUP Current OBS Configuration	Creates a ZIP backup of your entire OBS configuration (global.ini, user.ini and all scene JSON files). Saved in tools/BKP_OBS/.
RESTORE OBS Configuration	Restores a previously created backup ZIP file. A safety backup is automatically created before restoring.

Note: The auto‑generated audio source is configured to capture ffplay.exe. This is only meaningful in FFplay Low Latency mode. If you use WASAPI Audio Plugin mode, you can use the video source alone (Window Capture) and let OBS capture audio natively — no additional audio source is needed.

3.5. Card 4: Actions / Log

• Log area: Displays a real‑time log of all actions performed (detections, downloads, installations, errors, etc.).
• Status bar: Shows the current status (Ready, Checking, Downloading, Done, etc.).

---

4. Typical workflow

Step 1: Select OBS folder

• Choose your OBS mode – Installed or Portable – using the radio buttons. The tool will remember your selection.
• Click Browse OBS Folder to navigate to the root folder of your OBS installation (e.g., C:\Program Files\obs-studio or your portable folder).
• The tool will display the selected path and confirm that obs64.exe exists.
• If OBS is not installed, you can:
  • Click Download OBS Installer to get the standard .exe.
  • Click Download Portable OBS (select x64 or arm64 first) to download and extract a portable version to a folder of your choice.

Step 2: Install the win-capture-audio plugin

⚠️ Only do this step if you are using the FFplay Low Latency audio mode.

If you are using WASAPI Audio Plugin (the default), skip this step entirely. OBS captures MPV‑SW‑Capture's audio natively in that mode.

• Click Check Plugin to verify the plugin status.
• If not installed, click Install Plugin.
  • If you are using the Installed version of OBS (in Program Files) and the button does nothing or shows a warning, it means you need Administrator rights.
  • Solution: Close the Stream Helper, right‑click MSC_Stream_Helper.exe and select Run as administrator, then try again.
  • If you are using the Portable version, no special permissions are required – it will work directly.
• If you prefer manual installation, click Manual Download to open the GitHub releases page.

Step 3 (Optional): Enable Streamer Mode (Hide OSD Messages)

• Click Check Status to see if Streamer Mode is already enabled.
• To hide OSD messages, click Activate Option.
• To restore the default OSD behavior, click Deactivate Option.

Note: Streamer Mode affects the MPV‑SW‑Capture window only. It does not affect OBS or any other application. It works with both audio backends.

Step 4: Configure OBS scenes

⚠️ Important note about automatic configuration:
The automatic scene configuration (both Install New Scene Collection and Add Sources to Selected Collection) will modify your OBS configuration files. While the tool is designed to be safe and includes backup features, you are responsible for your own OBS configuration. It is highly recommended to create a backup using the BACKUP Current OBS Configuration button before proceeding with any automatic scene modifications.

You have two options:

Option A: Install a new scene collection

• Click Install New Scene Collection.
• A new collection named MPVSWCapture (or similar) will be created with the following sources:
  • MPV‑SW‑Window (Window Capture, using DXGI)
  • MPV‑SW‑Audio (win‑capture‑audio, capturing ffplay.exe)
• OBS will be updated to use this new collection.

If you use WASAPI Audio Plugin mode: the auto‑generated MPV‑SW‑Audio source is configured to capture ffplay.exe, which will not produce audio. You can either delete that source and let OBS capture audio natively, or manually reconfigure it.

Option B: Add sources to an existing collection

• Select a collection from the Target Scene Collection dropdown.
• Click Add Sources to Selected Collection.
• The tool will add the two sources to the selected collection, preserving your existing sources and configuration.

If you prefer to set up the sources manually, you can follow the instructions in the Manual Configuration section below.

Step 5: Backup and restore (optional)

• Backup: Click BACKUP Current OBS Configuration to save a ZIP file of your current OBS settings.
• Restore: Click RESTORE OBS Configuration and select a backup ZIP file to restore. A safety backup is automatically created before the restore.

---

5. Manual Configuration (OBS Scene Setup)

If you prefer to configure OBS manually, follow these steps:

5.1. Create a new Scene Collection (optional)

1. Open OBS Studio.
2. Go to Scene Collection → New.
3. Give it a name (e.g., MPVSWCapture) and click OK.

5.2. Create a Scene

1. In the Scenes box, click the + button.
2. Name the scene (e.g., MPV-SW-Capture) and click OK.

5.3. Add the Video Source (Window Capture)

1. In the Sources box, click the + button.
2. Select Window Capture.
3. Name it MPV-SW-Window (or any name you prefer) and click OK.
4. In the properties window:
   • Mode: Select Capture a specific window.
   • Window: Choose mpv.exe (the MPV‑SW‑Capture window).
   • Capture Method: Automatic or DXGI Desktop Duplication (recommended for performance).
   • Check Allow Transparency if needed (not required for game capture).
5. Click OK.
6. Resize the source to fit your canvas (right‑click on the source → Transform → Fit to screen).

5.4. Add the Audio Source (win‑capture‑audio)

⚠️ Only do this step if you are using the FFplay Low Latency audio mode.

If you use WASAPI Audio Plugin mode, OBS already captures MPV‑SW‑Capture's audio natively. You do not need to add an audio source manually.

Note: This step requires the win‑capture‑audio plugin to be installed. If you haven't installed it yet, follow the instructions in Section 4, Step 2 or download it manually from the GitHub releases page.

1. In the Sources box, click the + button.
2. Select Application Audio Capture (win‑capture‑audio) from the list.
   (If you don't see this option, the plugin is not installed correctly.)
3. Name it MPV-SW-Audio (or any name you prefer) and click OK.
4. In the properties window:
   • Executable: Select ffplay.exe from the list.
     (If ffplay.exe is not listed, make sure MPV‑SW‑Capture is running and try clicking the refresh button.)
   • Audio Output Mode: Capture only audio from the executable (default).
   • You can leave other settings as default.
5. Click OK.

Alternative audio source: If you prefer to capture all system audio (not just MPV‑SW‑Capture), you can use Audio Output Capture instead. However, this will capture audio from all applications, not just your game. The recommended method is to use Application Audio Capture with the ffplay.exe executable.

5.5. Arrange your sources

• Ensure the video source is on top (or arrange them as you like).
• You can add overlays, webcams, or other elements as needed.

5.6. Save your configuration

• Go to Scene Collection → Save (or Save As if you created a new collection).
• Your manual setup is now complete.

---

6. Generated files

The program creates and manages the following files:

• user-stream.json (in tools/): stores the last selected OBS root path and the chosen mode (Installed / Portable).
• BKP_OBS/ (in tools/): folder containing ZIP backups of your OBS configuration (created with the BACKUP button).
• MPVSWCapture.json (in OBS config/scenes): the scene collection file created by Install New Scene Collection (automatic mode).

---

7. Tips and best practices

• Check your audio mode first. If you are using WASAPI Audio Plugin (default), you do not need this tool at all — OBS captures audio natively.
• Always close OBS before performing scene or backup/restore operations to avoid file conflicts.
• Create a backup before making any major changes – the BACKUP button makes this easy.
• Use the portable version if you want a self‑contained OBS that does not interfere with an existing installation.
• Check the log for detailed information on what the program is doing – it helps with troubleshooting.
• Manual plugin installation: if the automatic installation fails, use the Manual Download button to get the plugin from GitHub, extract it to the OBS root folder, and then click Check Plugin to verify.
• Streamer Mode: If you are a streamer, enabling Streamer Mode will keep your MPV‑SW‑Capture window clean of OSD notifications during your broadcast. It works with both audio backends.
• Administrator rights: Remember that if OBS is installed in Program Files, you must run the Stream Helper as Administrator to install or uninstall the win‑capture‑audio plugin. For Portable OBS, this is never required.
• Selecting OBS folder: Always use the Browse OBS Folder button to point to the correct OBS root folder. The tool does not perform automatic detection to avoid security issues.

---

8. Troubleshooting common issues

Problem	Possible solution
OBS not detected	Use Browse OBS Folder to manually select the OBS root folder. Ensure the correct mode (Installed/Portable) is selected.
No audio in OBS (WASAPI mode)	If you are using WASAPI Audio Plugin, you do not need this tool. OBS captures MPV‑SW‑Capture's audio natively. Check that the MPV‑SW-Capture window is not muted in the Windows Volume Mixer.
No audio in OBS (FFplay mode)	Make sure the win-capture-audio plugin is installed and that you added the Application Audio Capture source with ffplay.exe selected.
Plugin installation fails or button does nothing	If OBS is installed in Program Files, you are missing Administrator rights. Close the tool and reopen MSC_Stream_Helper.exe as Administrator (right‑click → Run as administrator). If using Portable OBS, check your internet connection or try Manual Download.
Scene collection not showing	After installing a new scene collection, OBS must be restarted for it to appear in the dropdown.
Sources not appearing in OBS	Verify that the sources were added correctly. Check the log for errors. You can also manually add them in OBS: add a Window Capture and an Application Audio Capture (win-capture-audio).
Restore fails	Make sure the backup ZIP file is valid and that OBS is closed. The tool creates a safety backup before restoring, so you can always revert.
OBS crashes after installing the plugin	Ensure you have the correct version of the plugin for your OBS version. Try the Uninstall Plugin button and then reinstall a different version manually.
Streamer Mode not working	Check that mpv.conf exists in the root folder. If not, the tool will create it. Verify the setting by clicking Check Status.

---

9. Final notes

• This tool is designed for MPV‑SW‑Capture and should not be used with other configurations.
• Remember: WASAPI Audio Plugin (default) does not need this tool. Only the FFplay Low Latency audio mode requires it.
• If you find any bugs or have suggestions, please open an issue in the official repository.