diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 056f51970..98d3d080e 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ include(GNUInstallDirs)
 
 find_package(PkgConfig REQUIRED)
 pkg_check_modules(TERMINFO REQUIRED tinfo>=6.1)
+pkg_check_modules(AVUTIL REQUIRED libavutil)
 pkg_check_modules(AVFORMAT REQUIRED libavformat)
 find_library(LIBRT rt)
 
@@ -61,10 +62,21 @@ target_compile_options(notcurses-demo
 
 file(GLOB VIEWSRCS CONFIGURE_DEPENDS src/view/*.cpp)
 add_executable(notcurses-view ${VIEWSRCS})
-target_include_directories(notcurses-view PRIVATE include)
+target_include_directories(notcurses-view
+  PRIVATE
+    include
+    "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/include"
+    "${AVUTIL_INCLUDE_DIR}"
+)
+target_link_directories(notcurses-view
+  PRIVATE
+    "${AVUTIL_LIBRARY_DIRS}"
+)
 target_link_libraries(notcurses-view
   PRIVATE
     notcurses
+  PRIVATE
+    "${AVUTIL_LIBRARIES}"
 )
 target_compile_options(notcurses-view
   PRIVATE
diff --git a/src/lib/libav.c b/src/lib/libav.c
index 1a40ec106..55dc64599 100644
--- a/src/lib/libav.c
+++ b/src/lib/libav.c
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ typedef struct ncvisual {
   AVFrame* frame;
   AVCodec* codec;
   AVPacket* packet;
+  int packet_outstanding;
 } ncvisual;
 
 static ncvisual*
@@ -32,22 +33,24 @@ void ncvisual_destroy(ncvisual* ncv){
 }
 
 AVFrame* ncvisual_decode(struct ncvisual* nc){
-  int ret = avcodec_send_packet(nc->codecctx, nc->packet);
-  if(ret < 0){
-    fprintf(stderr, "Error processing AVPacket (%s)\n", av_err2str(ret));
-    return NULL;
-  }
-  do{
-    ret = avcodec_receive_frame(nc->codecctx, nc->frame);
-    if(ret == AVERROR(EAGAIN) || ret == AVERROR_EOF){
-      return nc->frame; // FIXME is this safe? could it have been blown away?
-    }else if(ret < 0){
-      fprintf(stderr, "Error decoding AVPacket (%s)\n", av_err2str(ret));
+  int ret;
+  if(nc->packet_outstanding){
+    ret = avcodec_send_packet(nc->codecctx, nc->packet);
+    if(ret < 0){
+      fprintf(stderr, "Error processing AVPacket (%s)\n", av_err2str(ret));
       return NULL;
     }
-    fprintf(stderr, "Got frame %05d\n", nc->codecctx->frame_number);
-  }while(ret > 0);
-  return NULL; // FIXME
+    --nc->packet_outstanding;
+  }
+  ret = avcodec_receive_frame(nc->codecctx, nc->frame);
+  if(ret == AVERROR(EAGAIN) || ret == AVERROR_EOF){
+    return NULL; // FIXME do something smarter
+  }else if(ret < 0){
+    fprintf(stderr, "Error decoding AVPacket (%s)\n", av_err2str(ret));
+    return NULL;
+  }
+  fprintf(stderr, "Got frame %05d\n", nc->codecctx->frame_number);
+  return nc->frame;
 }
 
 ncvisual* notcurses_visual_open(struct notcurses* nc __attribute__ ((unused)),
@@ -98,6 +101,7 @@ av_dump_format(ncv->fmtctx, 0, filename, false);
             av_err2str(ret));
     goto err;
   }
+  ++ncv->packet_outstanding;
   if((ncv->frame = av_frame_alloc()) == NULL){
     fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't allocate frame for %s\n", filename);
     goto err;
diff --git a/src/view/main.cpp b/src/view/main.cpp
index 93741b1cb..c3679febe 100644
--- a/src/view/main.cpp
+++ b/src/view/main.cpp
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #include <cstdlib>
 #include <libgen.h>
 #include <iostream>
+#include <libavutil/pixdesc.h>
+#include <libavutil/avconfig.h>
+#include <libavcodec/avcodec.h>
 #include "notcurses.h"
 
 static void usage(std::ostream& os, const char* name, int exitcode)
@@ -12,9 +15,13 @@ void usage(std::ostream& o, const char* name, int exitcode){
 }
 
 int ncview(struct ncvisual* ncv, const notcurses_options* opts){
-  if(ncvisual_decode(ncv) == nullptr){
+  AVFrame* avf;
+  if((avf = ncvisual_decode(ncv)) == nullptr){
     return -1;
   }
+  printf("%s: %dx%d aspect %d:%d %d\n", avf->key_frame ? "Keyframe" : "Frame",
+         avf->height, avf->width, avf->sample_aspect_ratio.num,
+         avf->sample_aspect_ratio.den, avf->format);
   auto nc = notcurses_init(opts);
   if(nc == nullptr){
     return -1;