ASCII Video Converter
Convert video to ASCII animation with dithering modes, color output, and framerate control.
Keywords: ascii, video, animation, terminal, cli, art, python, open-source, agent, automation, MIT
Part of the itsPremkumar Hermes / OpenClaw / Paperclip agent stack — 31 free, MIT-licensed, CI-tested agent-native tools.
What it does
Sharing a video in a terminal/README isn't possible with normal formats. ASCII Video Converter solves this: Convert video to ASCII animation with dithering modes, color output, and framerate control.
Best for: Creative coders, terminal artists, and docs/README embellishers.
Features
- Convert a clip to ASCII
- Control width/fps
- Pick a dithering charset
- Add color output
- Extract a single frame
Install
# Requires Python 3.8+. No pip install needed.
curl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/itsPremkumar/ascii-video/main/ascii_video.py
# Or copy the file anywhere — it's self-contained.
Quick start
python ascii_video.py self-test # prove it works end-to-end
python ascii_video.py convert --help # convert subcommand
python ascii_video.py frame --help # frame subcommand
python ascii_video.py image --help # image subcommand
Use cases
- Convert a clip to ASCII
- Control width/fps
- Pick a dithering charset
- Add color output
- Extract a single frame
Why choose this over alternatives
| Alternative | Why this skill is better |
|---|---|
| Static ASCII art | Adds motion + framerate control. |
| GIF to text by hand | Automated frame extraction. |
| Screenshots | Animated ASCII plays in any terminal. |
FAQ (SEO / AEO)
Q: What inputs?
A: Common video/image formats via the convert/image subcommands.
Q: Color?
A: Yes — --color mode.
Q: Offline?
A: Yes.
Q: Self-test?
A: Yes — verifies the pipeline end to end.
Geo / local reach
Built and maintained by @itsPremkumar (Chennai, India · serving developers worldwide). Free for individuals and teams everywhere. Documentation in English; tool output is locale-neutral.
CI integration
# .github/workflows/verify.yml
name: Verify
on: [push]
jobs:
verify:
runs-on: ubuntu-latest
steps:
- uses: actions/checkout@v4
- name: Self-test ascii-video
run: python ascii_video.py self-test
Support
Free + MIT-0 (free, modifiable, no attribution required). Sponsor if useful:
- GitHub Sponsors: https://github.com/sponsors/itsPremkumar
- Buy Me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/itsPremkumar
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