diff --git a/crates/media-testkit/src/lib.rs b/crates/media-testkit/src/lib.rs
index 36f609f7..60c953e5 100644
--- a/crates/media-testkit/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/media-testkit/src/lib.rs
@@ -157,3 +157,163 @@ pub fn generate_and_report<T>(name: &str, outputs: &[PathBuf], generate: impl Fn
     println!("FIXTURE {status} {name}");
     r
 }
+
+/// Check if ffmpeg has a specific encoder compiled in.
+pub fn ffmpeg_has_encoder(ff: &Path, encoder: &str) -> bool {
+    let Ok(output) = Command::new(ff).args(["-hide_banner", "-encoders"]).output() else {
+        return false;
+    };
+    if !output.status.success() {
+        return false;
+    }
+    parse_has_encoder(&String::from_utf8_lossy(&output.stdout), encoder)
+}
+
+fn parse_has_encoder(stdout: &str, encoder: &str) -> bool {
+    stdout.lines().any(|line| {
+        let mut parts = line.split_whitespace();
+        if let (Some(_flags), Some(name)) = (parts.next(), parts.next()) { name == encoder } else { false }
+    })
+}
+
+/// Report a skipped test that is not an oracle check (an unsupported platform or an optional
+/// encoder capability). Unlike [`skip`], this never fails under `CRAFT_MEDIA_REQUIRE_ORACLES=1`.
+pub fn skip_test(what: &str, reason: &str) {
+    eprintln!("SKIPPED ({what}): {reason}");
+}
+
+/// Find ffmpeg, or print a skip message and return None.
+pub fn ffmpeg_or_skip(reason: &str) -> Option<PathBuf> {
+    tool("ffmpeg").or_else(|| skip(&format!("{reason}: ffmpeg not found (set {} or put ffmpeg on PATH)", env_var("ffmpeg"))))
+}
+
+/// Log progress of long tests.
+pub fn set_progress(label: &str) {
+    eprintln!("PROGRESS: {label}");
+}
+
+/// Run closure with an execution deadline, terminating with a panic if the limit is exceeded.
+#[allow(clippy::panic)]
+pub fn with_deadline<F: FnOnce() + Send + 'static>(secs: u64, f: F) {
+    let timeout_secs = std::env::var("CRAFT_TEST_TIMEOUT_SECS").ok().and_then(|s| s.parse().ok()).unwrap_or(secs);
+    with_timeout(timeout_secs, f);
+}
+
+#[allow(clippy::panic)]
+fn with_timeout<F: FnOnce() + Send + 'static>(timeout_secs: u64, f: F) {
+    let (tx, rx) = std::sync::mpsc::channel();
+    let handle = std::thread::spawn(move || {
+        f();
+        let _ = tx.send(());
+    });
+    match rx.recv_timeout(std::time::Duration::from_secs(timeout_secs)) {
+        Ok(()) => {
+            if let Err(payload) = handle.join() {
+                std::panic::resume_unwind(payload);
+            }
+        }
+        Err(std::sync::mpsc::RecvTimeoutError::Timeout) => {
+            panic!("test exceeded execution deadline of {timeout_secs} seconds");
+        }
+        Err(std::sync::mpsc::RecvTimeoutError::Disconnected) => {
+            if let Err(payload) = handle.join() {
+                std::panic::resume_unwind(payload);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Return fixture directory for a crate/category, creating it if needed.
+pub fn fixtures_dir(subdir: &str) -> PathBuf {
+    fixture_subdir(subdir)
+}
+
+pub mod fixtures {
+    use super::temp_path;
+    use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
+
+    /// Atomically publish a fixture by renaming `tmp` to `path`.
+    pub fn publish(tmp: &Path, path: &Path) -> std::io::Result<()> {
+        std::fs::rename(tmp, path)
+    }
+
+    /// Generate fixture `out` using generator closure if it does not already exist. A generator
+    /// that returns `false`, or whose output cannot be moved into place, skips (see
+    /// [`skip`](super::skip)): a failure with `CRAFT_MEDIA_REQUIRE_ORACLES=1`, so a required
+    /// oracle run cannot pass with a fixture missing.
+    pub fn generate<F: FnOnce(&Path) -> bool>(out: &Path, f: F) -> Option<PathBuf> {
+        generate_with(out, super::oracles_required(), f)
+    }
+
+    /// [`generate`] with `required` explicit, so tests can set it without touching the process
+    /// environment.
+    pub fn generate_with<F: FnOnce(&Path) -> bool>(out: &Path, required: bool, f: F) -> Option<PathBuf> {
+        if out.exists() {
+            return Some(out.to_path_buf());
+        }
+        let tmp = temp_path(out);
+        let reason = if f(&tmp) {
+            match std::fs::rename(&tmp, out) {
+                Ok(()) => return Some(out.to_path_buf()),
+                Err(e) => format!("could not move {} into place: {e}", tmp.display()),
+            }
+        } else {
+            format!("fixture generator failed for {}", out.display())
+        };
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&tmp);
+        super::skip_with(required, &reason)
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn failed_generator_skips_when_optional() {
+        let out = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("craft-media-testkit-gen-opt-{}", std::process::id()));
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&out);
+        assert!(fixtures::generate_with(&out, false, |_| false).is_none());
+        assert!(!out.exists());
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic(expected = "forbids skipping oracle tests")]
+    fn failed_generator_fails_when_required() {
+        let out = std::env::temp_dir().join(format!("craft-media-testkit-gen-req-{}", std::process::id()));
+        let _ = std::fs::remove_file(&out);
+        let _ = fixtures::generate_with(&out, true, |_| false);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn parse_has_encoder_exact_match() {
+        let sample = "\
+Encoders:
+ V..... = Video
+ ------
+ V....D libvpx-vp9          libvpx VP9 (codec vp9)
+ V....D libvpx              libvpx VP8 (codec vp8)
+ A....D flac                FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec)
+";
+        assert!(parse_has_encoder(sample, "libvpx"));
+        assert!(parse_has_encoder(sample, "libvpx-vp9"));
+        assert!(parse_has_encoder(sample, "flac"));
+        assert!(!parse_has_encoder(sample, "vp8"));
+        assert!(!parse_has_encoder(sample, "libvp"));
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn with_deadline_completes() {
+        with_deadline(5, || {
+            // fast operation
+        });
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    #[should_panic(expected = "test exceeded execution deadline")]
+    fn with_deadline_times_out() {
+        with_timeout(1, || {
+            std::thread::sleep(std::time::Duration::from_secs(3));
+        });
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/media/README.md b/crates/media/README.md
index fcf2db62..91fc86f9 100644
--- a/crates/media/README.md
+++ b/crates/media/README.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ demuxer, written from the public specifications. No `unsafe`, no panics on malfo
 for `wasm32-unknown-unknown`. Dependencies: `thiserror` (for `isobmff`), `serde` (optional).
 
 Codecs are in separate crates that depend on this one: [`craft-audio`](../audio/README.md) for
-audio; video codecs will go in a separate crate. What both need lives here: the containers, the
+audio; `craft-video` for video. What both need lives here: the containers, the
 bit I/O, one `ByteSource` trait, and the [shared identifiers](#containers-codecs-and-codec-parameters)
 that codec crates use to describe a file and configure a decoder.
 
@@ -39,8 +39,8 @@ craft-media = { git = "https://github.com/storytold/craft-libs", rev = "<commit>
 
 - In scope: bit-level reading and writing, and container demuxing and muxing (boxes, sample
   tables, sample entries and codec configuration records) for audio and video tracks.
-- Out of scope: codecs. Audio codecs are in `craft-audio`; video codecs (H.264, HEVC, ProRes and
-  others) stay in the apps until a video crate exists. Containers only FilmCraft reads (MXF,
+- Out of scope: codecs. Audio codecs are in `craft-audio`; video codecs (H.264, HEVC, ProRes,
+  DNx, VP8, VP9, AV1) are in `craft-video`. Containers only FilmCraft reads (MXF,
   MPEG-TS/PS, AVI) are not here yet.
 - Anything both the audio and the video codec crates need belongs here, so the two never depend
   on each other.