diff --git a/scikits/image/io/__init__.py b/scikits/image/io/__init__.py
index 860084a4..68059000 100644
--- a/scikits/image/io/__init__.py
+++ b/scikits/image/io/__init__.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ from sift import *
 from collection import *
 
 from io import *
+from video import *
 
 
 def _update_doc(doc):
diff --git a/scikits/image/io/video.py b/scikits/image/io/video.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c79d553d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scikits/image/io/video.py
@@ -0,0 +1,362 @@
+import numpy as np
+import os, time
+from scikits.image.io import ImageCollection
+
+try:
+    import pygst
+    pygst.require("0.10")
+    import gst, gobject
+    gobject.threads_init()
+    from gst.extend.discoverer import Discoverer
+    gstreamer_available = True
+except ImportError:
+    gstreamer_available = False
+
+try:
+    import cv
+    opencv_available = True
+except ImportError:
+    opencv_available = False
+
+
+class CvVideo(object):
+    """
+    Opencv-based video loader.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    source : str
+        Media location URI. Video file path or http address of IP camera.
+    size: tuple, optional
+        Size of returned array.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, source=None, size=None, backend=None):
+        if not opencv_available:
+            raise ImportError("Opencv 2.0+ required")
+        self.source = source
+        self.capture = cv.CreateFileCapture(self.source)
+        self.size = size
+        
+    def get(self):
+        """
+        Retrieve a video frame as a numpy array.
+        
+        Returns
+        -------
+        output : array (image)
+            Retrieved image.
+        """
+        img = cv.QueryFrame(self.capture)
+        if not self.size:
+            self.size = cv.GetSize(img)
+        img_mat = np.empty((self.size[1], self.size[0], 3), dtype=np.uint8)
+        if cv.GetSize(img) == self.size:
+            cv.Copy(img, img_mat)            
+        else:
+            cv.Resize(img, img_mat)
+        # opencv stores images in BGR format
+        cv.CvtColor(img_mat, img_mat, cv.CV_BGR2RGB)
+        return img_mat
+    
+    def seek_frame(self, frame_number):
+        """
+        Seek to specified frame in video.
+        
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        frame_number : int
+            Frame position
+        """
+        cv.SetCaptureProperty(self.capture, cv.CV_CAP_PROP_POS_FRAMES, frame_number)
+        
+    def seek_time(self, milliseconds):
+        """
+        Seek to specified time in video.
+        
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        milliseconds : int
+            Time position
+        """
+        cv.SetCaptureProperty(self.capture, cv.CV_CAP_PROP_POS_MSEC, milliseconds)
+    
+    def frame_count(self):
+        """
+        Returns frame count of video.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        output : int
+            Frame count.
+        """
+        return cv.GetCaptureProperty(self.capture, cv.CV_CAP_PROP_FRAME_COUNT)
+    
+    def duration(self):
+        """
+        Returns time length of video in milliseconds.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        output : int
+            Time length [ms].
+        """
+        return cv.GetCaptureProperty(self.capture, cv.CV_CAP_PROP_FPS) * \
+            cv.GetCaptureProperty(self.capture, cv.CV_CAP_PROP_FRAME_COUNT)
+    
+        
+class GstVideo(object):
+    """
+    GStreamer-based video loader.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    source : str
+        Media location URI. Video file path or http address of IP camera.
+    size: tuple, optional
+        Size of returned array.
+    sync: bool, optional (default False)
+        Frames are extracted per frame or per time basis.
+        If enabled the video time step continues onward according to the play rate.
+        Useful for ip cameras and other real time video feeds.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, source=None, size=None, sync=False):
+        if not gstreamer_available:
+            raise ImportError("GStreamer Python bindings 0.10+ required")
+        self.source = source
+        self.size = size
+        self.video_length = 0
+        self.video_rate = 0
+        # extract video size
+        if not size: 
+            gobject.idle_add(self._discover_one)
+            self.mainloop = gobject.MainLoop()
+            self.mainloop.run()
+        if not self.size:
+            self.size = (640, 480)
+        if os.path.exists(self.source):
+            self.source = "file://" + self.source
+        self._create_main_pipeline(self.source, self.size, sync)
+
+    def _discover_one(self):
+        """
+        Callback to start media discovery process, used to retrieve video parameters.
+        """
+        discoverer = Discoverer(self.source)
+        discoverer.connect('discovered', self._discovered)
+        discoverer.discover()          
+        return False
+
+    def _discovered(self, d, is_media):
+        """
+        Callback to on media discovery result.
+        """
+        if is_media:
+            self.size = (d.videowidth, d.videoheight)
+            self.video_length = d.videolength / gst.MSECOND            
+            self.video_rate = d.videorate.num
+        self.mainloop.quit()
+        return False
+    
+    def _create_main_pipeline(self, source, size, sync):
+        """ 
+        Create the frame extraction pipeline.
+        """
+        pipeline_string = "uridecodebin name=decoder uri=%s ! ffmpegcolorspace ! videoscale ! appsink name=play_sink" % self.source
+        self.pipeline = gst.parse_launch(pipeline_string)
+        caps = "video/x-raw-rgb, width=%d, height=%d, depth=24, bpp=24" % size
+        self.decoder = self.pipeline.get_by_name("decoder")
+        self.appsink = self.pipeline.get_by_name('play_sink')
+        self.appsink.set_property('emit-signals', True)
+        self.appsink.set_property('sync', sync)
+        self.appsink.set_property('drop', True)
+        self.appsink.set_property('max-buffers', 1)
+        self.appsink.set_property('caps', gst.caps_from_string(caps))
+        if self.pipeline.set_state(gst.STATE_PLAYING) == gst.STATE_CHANGE_FAILURE:
+            raise NameError("Failed to load video source %s" % self.source)
+	    buff = self.appsink.emit('pull-preroll')
+      
+    def get(self):
+        """
+        Retrieve a video frame as a numpy array.
+        
+        Returns
+        -------
+        output : array (image)
+            Retrieved image.
+        """
+        buff = self.appsink.emit('pull-buffer')
+        img_mat = np.ndarray(shape=(self.size[1], self.size[0], 3), dtype='uint8', buffer=buff.data)
+        return img_mat
+
+    def seek_frame(self, frame_number):
+        """
+        Seek to specified frame in video.
+        
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        frame_number : int
+            Frame position
+        """
+        self.pipeline.seek_simple(gst.FORMAT_DEFAULT, gst.SEEK_FLAG_FLUSH | gst.SEEK_FLAG_KEY_UNIT, frame_number)
+        
+    def seek_time(self, milliseconds):
+        """
+        Seek to specified time in video.
+        
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        milliseconds : int
+            Time position
+        """
+        self.pipeline.seek_simple(gst.FORMAT_TIME, gst.SEEK_FLAG_FLUSH | gst.SEEK_FLAG_KEY_UNIT, milliseconds/1000.0 * gst.SECOND)
+
+    def frame_count(self):
+        """
+        Returns frame count of video.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        output : int
+            Frame count.
+        """
+        return self.video_length/1000*self.video_rate
+    
+    def duration(self):
+        """
+        Returns time length of video in milliseconds.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        output : int
+            Time length [ms].
+        """
+        return self.video_length
+
+
+class Video(object):
+    """
+    Video loader. Supports Opencv and Gstreamer backends.
+    
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    source : str
+        Media location URI. Video file path or http address of IP camera.
+    size: tuple, optional
+        Size of returned array.
+    sync: bool, optional (default False)
+        Frames are extracted per frame or per time basis. Gstreamer only.
+        If enabled the video time step continues onward according to the play rate.
+        Useful for IP cameras and other real time video feeds.
+    backend: str, 'gstreamer' or 'opencv'
+        Backend to use. 
+    """
+    def __init__(self, source=None, size=None, sync=False, backend=None):
+        if backend == None:
+            # select backend that is available
+            if gstreamer_available:
+                self.video = GstVideo(source, size, sync)
+            elif opencv_available:
+                self.video = CvVideo(source, size)
+            else:
+                # if no backend available, raise exception
+                self.video = GstVideo(source, size, sync)
+        elif backend == "gstreamer":
+            self.video = GstVideo(source, size, sync)
+        elif backend == "opencv":
+            self.video = CvVideo(source, size)
+        else:
+            raise ValueError("Unknown backend: %s", backend)
+
+    def get(self):
+        """
+        Retrieve the next video frame as a numpy array.
+        
+        Returns
+        -------
+        output : array (image)
+            Retrieved image.
+        """
+        return self.video.get()
+    
+    def seek_frame(self, frame_number):
+        """
+        Seek to specified frame in video.
+        
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        frame_number : int
+            Frame position
+        """
+        self.video.seek_frame(frame_number)
+        
+    def seek_time(self, milliseconds):
+        """
+        Seek to specified time in video.
+        
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        milliseconds : int
+            Time position
+        """
+        self.video.seek_time(milliseconds)
+
+    def frame_count(self):
+        """
+        Returns frame count of video.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        output : int
+            Frame count.
+        """
+        return self.video.frame_count()
+    
+    def duration(self):
+        """
+        Returns time length of video in milliseconds.
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        output : int
+            Time length [ms].
+        """
+        return self.video.duration()
+     
+    def get_index_frame(self, frame_number):
+        """
+        Retrieve a specified video frame as a numpy array.
+        
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        frame_number : int
+            Frame position
+
+        Returns
+        -------
+        output : array (image)
+            Retrieved image.
+        """        
+        self.video.seek_frame(frame_number)
+        return self.video.get()
+    
+    def get_collection(self, time_range=None):
+        """
+        Returns an ImageCollection object.
+        
+        Parameters
+        ----------
+        time_range: range (int), optional
+            Time steps to extract, defaults to the entire length of video.
+                
+        Returns
+        -------
+        output: ImageCollection            
+            Collection of images iterator.
+        """
+        if not time_range:
+            time_range = range(self.frame_count())
+        return ImageCollection(time_range, load_func=self.get_index_frame)
+    
+    
+__all__ = ["Video"]
+