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Development · GitHub repo

sakura

Terminal multimedia library rendering images, GIFs, and videos via Sixel graphics

From the Xiry library · Updated 10 October 2026

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sakura is a minimal, lightweight terminal multimedia library built in around 1,000 lines of code. It renders images, animated GIFs, and videos directly inside Sixel-compatible terminal emulators alongside synchronized audio playback. It features adaptive scaling, frame timing, and frame skipping to maintain smooth playback.

What it's for

  • Play videos with synchronized audio directly in a Sixel-compatible terminal
  • Display static images and animated GIFs without leaving the command line
  • Study a minimal codebase for Sixel rendering and media playback implementations

Features

  • Renders media in terminal emulators using Sixel graphics
  • Synchronized audio playback during video playback
  • Supports common image formats including JPG, PNG, and BMP
  • Supports video and animation formats including animated GIF, MP4, AVI, MOV, and MKV
  • Adaptive scaling and frame skipping to preserve smooth playback
  • Batch processing mode with detailed logging output
  • Compact codebase of roughly 1,000 lines of code

Pricing

Open source. Free and open-source under the MIT license

Details

Type
GitHub repo
Category
Development
Topic
Terminal Utilities
Open source
Yes
Platforms
Linux, Command line, Code library
For
Command-line enthusiasts, terminal emulator users, and C/C++ developers
Alternative to
chafa, mpv
Tags
terminal, sixel, video player, cli, multimedia, c plus plus

Why it was saved

  • @sarthak2143, 7 August 2025: Lets you watch video and view images entirely in the terminal — useful for sixel-capable terminals and a good reference for a tiny (~1k LOC) C/build project.

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Updated