Tvsub MCP

Control tvsub subtitle selection, translation, styling, overlay, and sync from MCP.

Quick Install

Automated & IDE Setup

Copy the AI prompt to install this server into Claude Code, Cursor, or another agent — or use 1-click editor setup below.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code

Not yet automatically verified

We haven't yet run this listing's install command through our automated sandbox check. This isn't a red flag — we're steadily working through the catalog.

Manual Client & Custom JSON ConfigExpand JSON ▾

Client Config & Setup

Choose your client or environment

Target File:~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tvsub-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "tvsub-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

💡 Paste the JSON block into your client's configuration file under mcpServers, then restart the application.

Documentation Overview

tvsub MCP

tvsub-mcp is the MCP companion for tvsub, an experimental subtitle overlay for Apple TV.app on macOS. It lets an MCP client inspect the current playback item, choose or translate a subtitle file, adjust its appearance, start or stop the overlay, and calibrate subtitle timing.

Supported player: purchased and rented films in macOS Apple TV.app (Prime Video support is being explored and is not currently available). Subtitle formats: SRT, SMI/SAMI, VTT. Translation runs on your choice of three backends: an Anthropic API key, a signed-in Claude Code CLI (Claude subscription), or a signed-in Codex CLI (ChatGPT subscription) — subscription backends add no API charges.

The server does not download subtitles, bypass DRM, modify video, or launch TV.app. You provide subtitle files that you have the right to use and start playback yourself.

Two directions, one workflow

If a foreign, classic, or multilingual film you purchased in Apple TV.app does not include Korean—or another language you need—bring a lawfully obtained subtitle file, translate it with your Claude or ChatGPT subscription, and display it as an overlay. The same workflow works in the other direction: viewers worldwide can translate lawfully obtained subtitles for Korean films and series into their own language.

Apple TV.app에서 구매한 외화·고전·다국어 영화에 한국어 또는 원하는 언어 자막이 없다면, 정당하게 보유한 자막 파일을 불러와 Claude나 ChatGPT 구독으로 번역한 뒤 오버레이로 표시할 수 있습니다. 같은 방식으로 전 세계 시청자도 한국 영화와 시리즈의 정당하게 보유한 자막을 자신의 언어로 번역해 시청할 수 있습니다.

Requirements

macOS
tvsub, installed and built
Python 3.12 or later
uv for the recommended uvx installation
For subtitle translation, one of: an Anthropic API key, a signed-in Claude Code CLI (Claude subscription), or a signed-in Codex CLI (ChatGPT subscription). No key or CLI is needed for any other tool

Install and register with Claude Code

Replace /absolute/path/to/tvsub with the directory containing tvsub's build/, config/, src/, and subtitles/ directories.

bash

brew install uv

claude mcp add --transport stdio --scope user tvsub -- \
  uvx tvsub-mcp==0.2.2 \
  --tvsub-root /absolute/path/to/tvsub

claude mcp get tvsub
claude mcp list

Translation picks a backend automatically: an Anthropic API key if present, then a signed-in Claude Code CLI, then a signed-in Codex CLI. Set TVSUB_TRANSLATE_BACKEND (auto, api, claude, codex) or the backend tool argument to override. With a subscription CLI signed in you can skip the key entirely. To use the API backend, export your key and include it when registering the server — or store it once in macOS Keychain (service kim.youngji.tvsub.anthropic), which the server also reads.

server.ts

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-key"

claude mcp add --transport stdio --scope user \
  --env ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
  tvsub -- uvx tvsub-mcp==0.2.2 \
  --tvsub-root /absolute/path/to/tvsub

Other stdio MCP clients can launch the same command:

bash

uvx tvsub-mcp==0.2.2 --tvsub-root /absolute/path/to/tvsub

Tools

Tool	Purpose
`now_playing`	Read the current Apple TV.app title, content ID, position, and playback state.
`list_subtitles`	List and parse SRT, SMI, SAMI, and VTT files in tvsub's subtitle library.
`load_subtitle`	Select a subtitle file for the current content while preserving sync anchors by default.
`translate_subtitle`	Estimate or perform an LLM translation with cue and timecode validation. Supports backend selection, glossary injection, and partial retranslation by line or time range.
`set_glossary`	Create or update a per-title glossary (names, honorifics, relationships, forbidden translations) that is injected into translation prompts.
`mark_reviewed`	Promote a translated subtitle's provenance from `ai_draft` to `user_reviewed`.
`list_fonts`	List installed macOS fonts and check sample glyph coverage.
`set_style`	Change font, size, colors, outline, background, and screen position.
`start_overlay`	Start tvsub with the selected subtitle and style.
`stop_overlay`	Stop only the overlay process started by this server.
`calibrate_sync`	Store one or more dialogue anchors and calculate timing offset and drift.
`status`	Summarize playback, overlay, subtitle, style, and calibration state.

Before translating, call translate_subtitle with dry_run=true to review the cue count, batch count, and estimated cost. Subscription backends report $0 (included in subscription). Every translation writes a .provenance.json sidecar recording backend, hashes, and review status.

Important notices

Experimental software: expect rough edges and breaking changes. Keep a backup of your tvsub configuration and subtitle files.
Data sent to Anthropic: translation sends the selected subtitle text and surrounding subtitle context to the Anthropic API. Loading, styling, sync, and overlay controls do not send subtitle text to Anthropic.
User-paid API usage: the api backend uses your Anthropic API key and all charges are your responsibility; estimates can differ from the final bill. The claude and codex backends run through your own signed-in subscription CLIs and add no API charges.
Private API risk: tvsub reads Apple playback state through undocumented macOS MediaRemote interfaces. Apple does not support this integration and a macOS update may change or disable it.
Content rights: you are responsible for having the right to process and translate subtitle files. Do not redistribute protected content without permission.
This project is independent from and not affiliated with Apple or Anthropic.

Development

bash

python3.12 -m venv .venv
.venv/bin/python -m pip install -e .
.venv/bin/python -m unittest discover -s tests -p 'test_*.py' -v
TVSUB_TEST_PYTHON="$PWD/.venv/bin/python" .venv/bin/python tests/stdio_smoke.py
bash scripts/hygiene-check.sh

Before tagging a release, run bash scripts/preflight.sh from the repository root.

Linux can run the unit tests and mock stdio smoke test. Apple TV.app, MediaRemote, CoreText, and the real overlay require macOS.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.

Read the full README →View source on GitHub →

Related MCP Servers

View all in Developer Tools View all alternatives

Reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to share how this listing worked for you.

Frequently Asked Questions about Tvsub MCP

Add the following block to your claude_desktop_config.json under mcpServers: "mcpServers": { "tvsub-mcp": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "tvsub MCP"] } }

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Technical Specs & Signals

CategoryDeveloper Tools

36Quality signal: Fair · 36/100How this signal is calculated ▾

Server availabilityNot measured

Not scored for repo-hosted servers — we can't reach the running server, only its GitHub page. Hosted MCP endpoints are health-checked live.

Verified ownership10/20

Documentation & tools16/30

Adoption & activity1/15

Community engagement0/10

A guidance signal from public completeness & health data — not a user rating. New listings start lower and rise as they add docs, get verified, and grow adoption. Signals we can't observe for a listing are skipped, not counted against it.

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Tvsub MCP

Control tvsub subtitle selection, translation, styling, overlay, and sync from MCP.

Quick Install

Automated & IDE Setup

Copy the AI prompt to install this server into Claude Code, Cursor, or another agent — or use 1-click editor setup below.

Add to Cursor Add to VS Code

Not yet automatically verified

We haven't yet run this listing's install command through our automated sandbox check. This isn't a red flag — we're steadily working through the catalog.

Manual Client & Custom JSON ConfigExpand JSON ▾

Client Config & Setup

Choose your client or environment

Target File:~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json

claude_desktop_config.json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "tvsub-mcp": {
      "command": "uvx",
      "args": [
        "tvsub-mcp"
      ]
    }
  }
}

💡 Paste the JSON block into your client's configuration file under mcpServers, then restart the application.

Documentation Overview

tvsub MCP

The server does not download subtitles, bypass DRM, modify video, or launch TV.app. You provide subtitle files that you have the right to use and start playback yourself.

Two directions, one workflow

Requirements

macOS
tvsub, installed and built
Python 3.12 or later
uv for the recommended uvx installation
For subtitle translation, one of: an Anthropic API key, a signed-in Claude Code CLI (Claude subscription), or a signed-in Codex CLI (ChatGPT subscription). No key or CLI is needed for any other tool

Install and register with Claude Code

Replace /absolute/path/to/tvsub with the directory containing tvsub's build/, config/, src/, and subtitles/ directories.

bash

brew install uv

claude mcp add --transport stdio --scope user tvsub -- \
  uvx tvsub-mcp==0.2.2 \
  --tvsub-root /absolute/path/to/tvsub

claude mcp get tvsub
claude mcp list

server.ts

export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-key"

claude mcp add --transport stdio --scope user \
  --env ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY" \
  tvsub -- uvx tvsub-mcp==0.2.2 \
  --tvsub-root /absolute/path/to/tvsub

Other stdio MCP clients can launch the same command:

bash

uvx tvsub-mcp==0.2.2 --tvsub-root /absolute/path/to/tvsub

Tools

Tool	Purpose
`now_playing`	Read the current Apple TV.app title, content ID, position, and playback state.
`list_subtitles`	List and parse SRT, SMI, SAMI, and VTT files in tvsub's subtitle library.
`load_subtitle`	Select a subtitle file for the current content while preserving sync anchors by default.
`translate_subtitle`	Estimate or perform an LLM translation with cue and timecode validation. Supports backend selection, glossary injection, and partial retranslation by line or time range.
`set_glossary`	Create or update a per-title glossary (names, honorifics, relationships, forbidden translations) that is injected into translation prompts.
`mark_reviewed`	Promote a translated subtitle's provenance from `ai_draft` to `user_reviewed`.
`list_fonts`	List installed macOS fonts and check sample glyph coverage.
`set_style`	Change font, size, colors, outline, background, and screen position.
`start_overlay`	Start tvsub with the selected subtitle and style.
`stop_overlay`	Stop only the overlay process started by this server.
`calibrate_sync`	Store one or more dialogue anchors and calculate timing offset and drift.
`status`	Summarize playback, overlay, subtitle, style, and calibration state.

Important notices

Experimental software: expect rough edges and breaking changes. Keep a backup of your tvsub configuration and subtitle files.
Data sent to Anthropic: translation sends the selected subtitle text and surrounding subtitle context to the Anthropic API. Loading, styling, sync, and overlay controls do not send subtitle text to Anthropic.
User-paid API usage: the api backend uses your Anthropic API key and all charges are your responsibility; estimates can differ from the final bill. The claude and codex backends run through your own signed-in subscription CLIs and add no API charges.
Private API risk: tvsub reads Apple playback state through undocumented macOS MediaRemote interfaces. Apple does not support this integration and a macOS update may change or disable it.
Content rights: you are responsible for having the right to process and translate subtitle files. Do not redistribute protected content without permission.
This project is independent from and not affiliated with Apple or Anthropic.

Development

bash

python3.12 -m venv .venv
.venv/bin/python -m pip install -e .
.venv/bin/python -m unittest discover -s tests -p 'test_*.py' -v
TVSUB_TEST_PYTHON="$PWD/.venv/bin/python" .venv/bin/python tests/stdio_smoke.py
bash scripts/hygiene-check.sh

Before tagging a release, run bash scripts/preflight.sh from the repository root.

Linux can run the unit tests and mock stdio smoke test. Apple TV.app, MediaRemote, CoreText, and the real overlay require macOS.

License

MIT. See LICENSE.

Read the full README →View source on GitHub →

Related MCP Servers

View all in Developer Tools View all alternatives

Reviews

No reviews yet — be the first to share how this listing worked for you.

Frequently Asked Questions about Tvsub MCP

Add the following block to your claude_desktop_config.json under mcpServers: "mcpServers": { "tvsub-mcp": { "command": "npx", "args": ["-y", "tvsub MCP"] } }

AllMCPs Directory Badge

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Showcase your server listing on GitHub or your project documentation. Embed this dynamic SVG badge to highlight official listing status and live engagement.

Badge Style:

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<a href="https://allmcps.com/mcp/tvsub-mcp"><img src="https://allmcps.com/api/badge/tvsub-mcp?style=directory" alt="Tvsub MCP on AllMCPs" /></a>

Technical Specs & Signals

CategoryDeveloper Tools

36Quality signal: Fair · 36/100How this signal is calculated ▾

Server availabilityNot measured

Not scored for repo-hosted servers — we can't reach the running server, only its GitHub page. Hosted MCP endpoints are health-checked live.

Verified ownership10/20

Documentation & tools16/30

Adoption & activity1/15

Community engagement0/10

★ Spotlight Slot

Feature Your MCP Server

Get maximum visibility for your server across our directory, search results, and detail pages.

Spotlight Your Server

Own this project?

Free dofollow backlink: add your website and place the AllMCPs badge on it — no claim needed. We detect it automatically and keep it verified as long as the badge stays live.

Claim & get free dofollow

Share & Embed

Add our SVG badge (dark/light directory styles) or embeddable widget to your site.

Explore more

More in 💻 Developer Tools →Best MCP servers for Developers →Alternatives to Tvsub MCP →Install in Claude Desktop Install in Cursor Install in VS Code