About Cue
Cue is a local video MCP server for agents that need searchable, timestamped evidence. Its default read returns container, stream, chapter, and embedded subtitle data; scenes and frames are requested separately.
Key features
- 01Read video metadata, streams, chapters, and subtitles
- 02Search embedded subtitles with timestamps
- 03Render, crop, or OCR a frame by timestamp
- 04Optionally detect scene boundaries
- 05Include source hashes and subtitle locators
Use cases
- 01Find a specific quote in a video
- 02Summarize meeting videos with chapters or subtitles
- 03Locate a frame showing code in a demo
- 04Find scene changes in a demo video
MCP support
Cue exposes the read_video, search_video, and video_evidence tools to MCP clients for reading local videos, searching subtitles, and retrieving frame evidence at a specified timestamp.
Configuration
Local server config is the same for every client. Copy it into your client’s MCP config file.
Tools
Local servers expose tools only once running on your machine, and the maintainer has not provided a tool list.
Details
From the project READMEMerged into anymd (2026-09-25). anymd reads PDFs, Office files, EPUB, web pages, images and video into clean Markdown for AI agents:
npx -y @sylphx/anymd. This repository is archived.
Cue
Video answers with timestamp-level proof
Cue gives agents a local video timeline they can search and cite. The default read returns container metadata, streams, chapters, and embedded subtitles. Scenes and frames are separate.
npx -y @sylphx/cue
For Claude Code:
claude mcp add cue -- npx -y @sylphx/cue
Read a local video
{
"sources": [{ "path": "/absolute/path/to/demo.mp4" }]
}
That call uses the fast profile. It returns container metadata, streams,
chapters, and embedded subtitles. It does not detect scenes, extract frames,
or run speech recognition.
Then ask:
“Which chapter covers the pricing change?”
Cue returns chapter and subtitle locators with timestamp_ms and the source
hash. It does not invent a transcript. A quote search matches embedded
subtitles only. Render or crop a frame afterwards with video_evidence, once
you have a timestamp.
Jobs Cue is built for
| Ask your agent | Cue returns |
|---|---|
| “Find this quote.” | a timestamped match in embedded subtitles, when those subtitles exist |
| “Summarize this meeting.” | chapters and embedded subtitles |
| “Where is the code shown?” | one frame from video_evidence at a known timestamp |
| “What changed in this demo?” | scene boundaries when profile is quality or include_scenes is set |
| “Give me the useful moments.” | chapters, embedded subtitles, warnings, and gaps |
Tool surface
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
read_video | Default fast profile: container metadata, streams, chapters, and embedded subtitles. Scenes are opt-in. |
search_video | Search embedded subtitle cues. It does not run speech recognition. |
video_evidence | Named follow-up: render, crop, or OCR one frame at a timestamp |
Predictable defaults
- Omitted
profileisfast: container metadata, streams, chapters, and embedded subtitles. No scenes, frames, or speech recognition. profilequalityadds ffmpeg scene detection. It does not extract frames or run speech recognition.include_keyframesandinclude_transcriptstay off. Setting either one on the shipped server returns a warning and an empty array.- OCR stays on
video_evidence. - No cloud video API or frame-by-frame vision model is required.
- Missing ffprobe or embedded subtitles is reported as a gap, not guessed around.
Why agents trust it
Every claim can point back to timestamp_ms, a stream index, a subtitle range,
or the source hash. A frame index is present only after video_evidence.
Companion MCP tools
| Product | Job |
|---|---|
| Citra | PDF answers with page-level proof |
| Iris | Image facts and pixel evidence |
| Spine | Repository architecture and impact |
| Locus | Exact code-chunk retrieval |
| Lookout | Web research with source excerpts |
Each product is independent. Install only the tools your agent needs.
Development
bun install
bun run build
bun test
cargo test
bun run benchmark:public-proof
bun run benchmark:release-gate
License
MIT
Comments
New to MCP?
From what the protocol is to installing your first server, these answers cover most first questions.
An open protocol that defines how AI applications connect to external tools and data in a uniform way. Clients talk to the model; MCP servers provide tools, resources and prompt templates. They exchange standard messages, so one server can be reused by many clients.