TapeXPlayer is experimental video player representing a software implementation of professional videotape recorder approach in digital format. The project arose from interest in how the logic of Betacam format videotape recorders can be embodied in software code.

TapeXPlayer is built with C,C++, Objective-C, Swift using industry-standard libraries: FFmpeg, SDL2, PortAudio, and RtMidi. It brings professional tape-based video player functionality to modern computers, enabling thorough video sequence examination with frame-accurate control.

• Smooth Shuttle Control: Forward/backward playback up to 32x speed with minimal CPU usage
• Frame-Accurate Seeking: Timecode-based navigation (HH:MM:SS:FF)
• MIDI Controller Support: Full integration with Mackie HUI protocol (tested with Behringer X-Touch One)
• Memory Locations: Quick navigation to important points with zoom recall
• Real-Time Zoom & Pan: Mouse-based zoom with thumbnail preview
• Screenshot Capture: Export frames with timecode overlay
• Hardware Acceleration: VideoToolbox (macOS), with Metal and FFmpeg fallbacks
• Smart Caching: Low-resolution proxy for smooth scrubbing
• Performance: ~52% CPU @ 32x shuttle, ~11-32% CPU @ 1x playback

1. Download the latest release from Releases
2. Extract the archive
3. Double-click install.command
4. The app will automatically install to /Applications
5. Launch from Launchpad or /Applications

# Navigate to the extracted folder
cd /path/to/TapeXPlayer

# Remove quarantine attribute
xattr -cr TapeXPlayer.app

# Optional: Move to Applications
mv TapeXPlayer.app /Applications/

# Launch
open /Applications/TapeXPlayer.app

1. Try to launch TapeXPlayer.app
2. macOS will show a security warning
3. Open System Preferences → Security & Privacy
4. Click "Open Anyway" next to TapeXPlayer
5. Confirm to open the application

⚠️ Important: macOS will show a security warning on first launch because the app is not notarized by Apple. This is normal for open-source projects distributed via GitHub. The app is safe to use.

• OS: macOS 13.0 Ventura or later
• CPU: Apple Silicon (M1/M2/M3) or Intel processor
• RAM: 8-16 GB minimum, 32 GB recommended
• GPU: Metal-capable graphics

• Modern Linux distribution (Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora 35+, etc.)
• x86_64 or arm64 processor (Tested on Intel Gold Pentium 7505 @ Ubuntu 25.04)
• 8 GB RAM minimum

• Windows 10 or later
• x86_64 processor
• 8 GB RAM minimum

• Containers: MP4, MOV, AVI, MKV, WebM
• Codecs: H.264, H.265/HEVC, ProRes, DNxHD, VP9, AV1

• Formats: MP3, WAV, FLAC, AAC, M4A, OGG, Opus
• Channels: Stereo and multi-channel audio

The playback engine delivers frame-accurate precision at a professional level, suitable for scientific and technical analysis. Hardware acceleration is automatically optimized, choosing the best backend from VideoToolbox to Metal or FFmpeg. Playback speed ranges from 0.1x to 32x in both directions, while smart proxy caching generates low-resolution proxies for smooth scrubbing. Multiple instances of the player can run simultaneously, allowing seamless comparison or parallel playback of different sources.

The audio system offers full control over output configuration. You can select any audio device, fine-tune buffer size for the right balance between latency and stability, and manage global levels through a master volume with VU metering.

Memory locations allow for instant navigation and precision recall. Up to 999 positions can be stored, each remembering the zoom level automatically. Every location includes a timecode in HH:MM:SS:FF format, supports personal notes, and can be imported or exported for backup or collaboration.

MIDI control via the Mackie HUI protocol provides full transport functionality: play, stop, rewind, and fast-forward, all with frame-level accuracy. Real-time VU meters and timecode are displayed directly on the controller, while LED feedback on the buttons mirrors the player’s transport state

macOS:

# Install Homebrew
/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"

# Install dependencies
brew install sdl2 sdl2_ttf portaudio ffmpeg openssl rtmidi

Linux (Coming Soon):

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install build-essential libsdl2-dev libsdl2-ttf-dev \
                 libportaudio2 libavcodec-dev libavformat-dev \
                 libavutil-dev libswscale-dev libssl-dev librtmidi-dev

# Fedora
sudo dnf install SDL2-devel SDL2_ttf-devel portaudio-devel \
                 ffmpeg-devel openssl-devel rtmidi-devel

# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/ffbsoffa/TapeXPlayer.git
cd TapeXPlayer/source

# Build executable (macOS)
make -j8 CODE_NAME=Albatross

# Create app bundle
make bundle

# Create Universal Binary (Intel + Apple Silicon)
make bundle-universal

# Run
open ../builds/TapeXPlayer.app

Q: "TapeXPlayer cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified"

A: Use install.command or run:

xattr -cr TapeXPlayer.app

Q: Application doesn't launch after installation

A: Make sure you executed xattr -cr before first launch.

Q: Video doesn't play

A: Check if the codec is supported. TapeXPlayer supports all standard formats via FFmpeg. Try with a known working format like H.264/MP4.

Q: Low performance / stuttering

A:

1. Open Settings → Video & Sync
2. The app automatically creates low-resolution proxies for smooth scrubbing
3. Wait for proxy generation to complete (shown in console)
4. Adjust frame offset if needed

Q: How to connect MIDI controller?

A:

1. Open Settings (Cmd+,) → MIDI tab
2. Check "Enable MIDI Controller"
3. Select Input/Output ports for your device
4. Configure controller to HUI/Mackie mode
5. Supported: Mackie HUI / X-Touch One

Q: How to sync video with external monitor?

A: Settings → Video & Sync → Frame Offset. Use -10 to +10 frames to compensate for monitor delay.

Q: Changed Buffer Size in settings but no effect

Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request. For major changes, please open an issue first to discuss what you would like to change.

# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/ffbsoffa/TapeXPlayer.git
cd TapeXPlayer/source
make -j8 CODE_NAME=Albatross

# Run tests
make test
make test-run

# Clean build
make clean

This project is licensed under the GNU General Public License v3.0 - see the LICENSE file for details.

TapeXPlayer uses the following open-source libraries:

• FFmpeg - LGPL v2.1+ / GPL v2+ - Video/audio codec library
• SDL2 - zlib License - Cross-platform multimedia library
• SDL2_ttf - zlib License - TrueType font rendering
• PortAudio - MIT-like License - Cross-platform audio I/O
• RtMidi - MIT-like License - Cross-platform MIDI I/O
• OpenSSL - Apache License 2.0 - Cryptography toolkit

macOS Frameworks:

• Cocoa, CoreVideo, VideoToolbox, CoreAudio, CoreMIDI, IOKit, QuartzCore, CoreFoundation, UniformTypeIdentifiers

All trademarks are property of their respective owners.

• Website: ffbsoffa.org
• GitHub: github.com/ffbsoffa/TapeXPlayer
• Issues: Report a bug
• Releases: Download latest version

Maksim Maloletkin (FFB_soffa)

© 2025 Maksim Maloletkin. Licensed under GPL v3.0.

The prototype of TapeXPlayer was used in academic research:

Maloletkin M.F. 'Brave Ephemeral World'. Reflections on Non-Linearity in Screen Arts. Hudozhestvennaya kul'tura [Art & Culture Studies], 2025, no. 2, pp. 414–447. https://doi.org/10.51678/2226-0072-2025-2-414-447. (In Russian)

Special thanks to:

• The FFmpeg team for their incredible codec library
• SDL2 developers for the cross-platform framework
• The open-source community for inspiration and support