Video Reader MCP

Local-first video evidence: streams, chapters, subtitles, scenes, and follow-up crops your agent can cite.

People connecting media tools to Claude, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client. The project is written in TypeScript.

VERIFIED ACTIVE

LAST COMMIT 2026-08-17 · ★ 3 · #61 OF 155 MAINTAINED MEDIA · VERIFIED 2026-08-25

MIT · TypeScript servers · how we verify → /methodology

01 · Install Video Reader MCP

before you install - you'll need

MCP_TRANSPORT

Environment variables documented in the project's README - it lists which are required and which have defaults.

Claude Code

claude mcp add sylphxai-video-reader-mcp -- npx -y @sylphx/video-reader-mcp

Claude Desktop / Cursor / VS Code - add to config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "sylphxai-video-reader-mcp": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@sylphx/video-reader-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

Same JSON for Cursor. For VS Code, rename the top-level key from `mcpServers` to `servers`.

Using another client? Same JSON, different key

Claude Desktop · mcpServers

Cursor · mcpServers

VS Code · servers

Windsurf · mcpServers

Zed · context_servers

Cline · mcpServers

Roo Code · mcpServers

Continue · mcpServers

LibreChat · mcpServers

Gemini CLI · mcpServers

Codex CLI · mcp_servers

Full setup guides: every client.

02 · Evidence

Security posture

What to check before giving this server access to your agent - from the registry, GitHub, and our own probes. We don't score safety; we show what's verifiable.

runs as local process (stdio) - runs on your machine with your user's permissions

repo age created 2026-07-08 - young repo, little track record yet

license MIT - declared in the repository

npm package @sylphx/video-reader-mcp - the @sylphx scope differs from the repo owner (sylphxai); confirm it's the project's official package

registry namespace io.github.SylphxAI is GitHub-verified and matches the repo owner

03 · What Video Reader MCP can do

Prose above is summarized from the project's README and registry record - no invented capabilities.

Latest releases

v0.1.0 · 2026-07-08

Ship v0.1.0 read_video MCP tool with ffprobe timeline extraction, embedded subtitle support, optional scene detection, and unit-tested parsers. · All notable changes are documented here. Releases use Changesets.

04 · Who maintains Video Reader MCP

Video Reader MCP is maintained by sylphxai. We track 4 MCP servers from sylphxai - 3 actively maintained, 907 combined GitHub stars, oldest repo from Apr 2025. Full record: all servers from sylphxai.

05 · Facts

repository: github.com/sylphxai/video-reader-mcp
website: https://github.com/SylphxAI/video-reader-mcp#readme
category: media - ranked #61 of 155 actively-maintained media servers as of 2026-08-25.
release cadence: 1 release in the last 90 days (latest 2026-07-08)
registry: io.github.SylphxAI/video-reader-mcp (active, first published 2026-07-08)
packages: npm:@sylphx/video-reader-mcp

06 · Video Reader MCP FAQ

What is Video Reader MCP?

Local-first video evidence: streams, chapters, subtitles, scenes, and follow-up crops your agent can cite.

Is Video Reader MCP still maintained?

Yes - as of 2026-08-25, its last commit was 2026-08-17 and it shipped 1 release in the last 90 days. We re-verify nightly.

How do I install Video Reader MCP?

Run `npx -y @sylphx/video-reader-mcp`. The README documents one environment variable (MCP_TRANSPORT) to set first. You can also paste the ready-made client config above.

Does Video Reader MCP run locally?

Yes - it's a stdio server: it runs on your machine (via npx) with your user's permissions. Your data stays local unless the server itself calls external APIs.

07 · Alternatives to Video Reader MCP

Alternatives to Video Reader MCP

Maintained media servers if Video Reader MCP isn't the fit.

More media MCP servers · Talonic · Vidlens MCP · Transcribe · Tuteliq MCP Server · Video URL Analyzer

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