diff --git a/include/notcurses.h b/include/notcurses.h
index c1b5b96eb..079011555 100644
--- a/include/notcurses.h
+++ b/include/notcurses.h
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ API struct ncplane* notcurses_newplane(struct notcurses* nc, int rows, int cols,
 // Destroy the specified ncplane. None of its contents will be visible after
 // the next call to notcurses_render(). It is an error to attempt to destroy
 // the standard plane.
-API int ncplane_destroy(struct ncplane* n);
+API int ncplane_destroy(struct notcurses* nc, struct ncplane* ncp);
 
 // Move this plane relative to the standard plane.
 API int ncplane_move_yx(struct ncplane* n, int y, int x);
@@ -429,8 +429,7 @@ ncplane_rounded_box_cells(struct ncplane* n, cell* ul, cell* ur, cell* ll,
 
 // multimedia functionality
 struct AVFrame;
-API struct ncvisual* notcurses_visual_open(struct notcurses* nc,
-                                           const char* filename);
+API struct ncvisual* ncplane_visual_open(struct ncplane* nc, const char* file);
 
 API void ncvisual_destroy(struct ncvisual* ncv);
 
diff --git a/src/lib/libav.c b/src/lib/libav.c
index 55dc64599..7bb9a1b5d 100644
--- a/src/lib/libav.c
+++ b/src/lib/libav.c
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 #include <libavutil/error.h>
+#include <libswscale/swscale.h>
 #include <libavformat/avformat.h>
 #include "notcurses.h"
 
@@ -8,7 +9,9 @@ typedef struct ncvisual {
   AVFrame* frame;
   AVCodec* codec;
   AVPacket* packet;
+  struct SwsContext* swsctx;
   int packet_outstanding;
+  int dstwidth, dstheight;
 } ncvisual;
 
 static ncvisual*
@@ -26,6 +29,7 @@ void ncvisual_destroy(ncvisual* ncv){
     avcodec_close(ncv->codecctx);
     avcodec_free_context(&ncv->codecctx);
     av_frame_free(&ncv->frame);
+    sws_freeContext(ncv->swsctx);
     av_packet_free(&ncv->packet);
     avformat_close_input(&ncv->fmtctx);
     free(ncv);
@@ -50,16 +54,29 @@ AVFrame* ncvisual_decode(struct ncvisual* nc){
     return NULL;
   }
   fprintf(stderr, "Got frame %05d\n", nc->codecctx->frame_number);
+  nc->swsctx = sws_getCachedContext(nc->swsctx,
+                                    nc->frame->width,
+                                    nc->frame->height,
+                                    nc->frame->format,
+                                    nc->dstwidth,
+                                    nc->dstheight,
+                                    AV_PIX_FMT_RGB24,
+                                    SWS_LANCZOS,
+                                    NULL, NULL, NULL);
+  if(nc->swsctx == NULL){
+    fprintf(stderr, "Error retrieving swsctx (%s)\n", av_err2str(ret));
+    return NULL;
+  }
   return nc->frame;
 }
 
-ncvisual* notcurses_visual_open(struct notcurses* nc __attribute__ ((unused)),
-                                const char* filename){
+ncvisual* ncplane_visual_open(struct ncplane* nc, const char* filename){
   ncvisual* ncv = ncvisual_create();
   if(ncv == NULL){
     fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't create %s (%s)\n", filename, strerror(errno));
     return NULL;
   }
+  ncplane_dimyx(nc, &ncv->dstheight, &ncv->dstwidth);
   int ret = avformat_open_input(&ncv->fmtctx, filename, NULL, NULL);
   if(ret < 0){
     fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't open %s (%s)\n", filename, av_err2str(ret));
diff --git a/tests/libav.cpp b/tests/libav.cpp
index d5d121087..da8160416 100644
--- a/tests/libav.cpp
+++ b/tests/libav.cpp
@@ -4,21 +4,37 @@
 class LibavTest : public :: testing::Test {
  protected:
   void SetUp() override {
+    setlocale(LC_ALL, nullptr);
+    if(getenv("TERM") == nullptr){
+      GTEST_SKIP();
+    }
+    notcurses_options nopts{};
+    nopts.outfp = stdin;
+    nc_ = notcurses_init(&nopts);
+    ASSERT_NE(nullptr, nc_);
+    ncp_ = notcurses_stdplane(nc_);
+    ASSERT_NE(nullptr, ncp_);
   }
 
   void TearDown() override {
+    if(nc_){
+      EXPECT_EQ(0, notcurses_stop(nc_));
+    }
   }
+
+  notcurses* nc_{};
+  ncplane* ncp_{};
 };
 
 TEST_F(LibavTest, LoadImage) {
-  auto ncv = notcurses_visual_open(nullptr, "../tools/dsscaw-purp.png");
+  auto ncv = ncplane_visual_open(ncp_, "../tools/dsscaw-purp.png");
   ASSERT_NE(nullptr, ncv);
   ASSERT_NE(nullptr, ncvisual_decode(ncv));
   ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
 }
 
 TEST_F(LibavTest, LoadVideo) {
-  auto ncv = notcurses_visual_open(nullptr, "../tools/atliens.mkv");
+  auto ncv = ncplane_visual_open(ncp_, "../tools/atliens.mkv");
   ASSERT_NE(nullptr, ncv);
   ASSERT_NE(nullptr, ncvisual_decode(ncv));
   ncvisual_destroy(ncv);
diff --git a/tests/notcurses.cpp b/tests/notcurses.cpp
index 38767013f..a91dbf954 100644
--- a/tests/notcurses.cpp
+++ b/tests/notcurses.cpp
@@ -65,3 +65,10 @@ TEST_F(NotcursesTest, CursesStyles) {
   unsigned attrs = notcurses_supported_styles(nc_);
   EXPECT_EQ(1, !!(WA_BOLD & attrs));
 }
+
+// it is an error to attempt to destroy the standard plane
+TEST_F(NotcursesTest, RejectDestroyStdPlane) {
+  ncplane* ncp = notcurses_stdplane(nc_);
+  ASSERT_NE(nullptr, ncp);
+  ASSERT_NE(0, ncplane_destroy(nc_, ncp));
+}