diff --git a/pkg/amcrest/api.go b/pkg/amcrest/api.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed7e841
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/amcrest/api.go
@@ -0,0 +1,159 @@
+package amcrest
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
+	"strings"
+
+	"code.jhot.me/jhot/hats/internal/util"
+	"github.com/go-resty/resty/v2"
+)
+
+type AmcrestClient struct {
+	restClient *resty.Client
+}
+
+func New(host string, username string, password string) *AmcrestClient {
+	return &AmcrestClient{
+		restClient: resty.New().SetBaseURL(host).SetDigestAuth(username, password),
+	}
+}
+
+type GetSnapshotResponse struct {
+	MimeType string
+	Data     []byte
+}
+
+// Get a snapshot from the specified channel
+//
+// Parameter
+//
+//	channel int (optional): the channel index (starts at 1)
+func (c *AmcrestClient) GetSnapshot(channel ...int) (GetSnapshotResponse, error) {
+	cameraChannel := 1
+	if len(channel) > 0 && channel[0] != 0 {
+		cameraChannel = channel[0]
+	}
+
+	resp, err := util.CheckSuccess(c.restClient.R().SetQueryParam("channel", fmt.Sprintf("%d", cameraChannel)).Get("cgi-bin/snapshot.cgi"))
+	if err != nil {
+		return GetSnapshotResponse{}, err
+	}
+
+	return GetSnapshotResponse{
+		MimeType: resp.Header().Get("content-type"),
+		Data:     resp.Body(),
+	}, nil
+}
+
+type ConfigValue struct {
+	// Category[Channel].FormatType[FormatEncodeType].Param=Value
+	Category         string
+	Channel          int // The channel index (starts at 0)
+	FormatType       string
+	FormatEncodeType int
+	Param            string
+	Value            any
+}
+
+func (c ConfigValue) ToParamString() string {
+	return fmt.Sprintf("%s[%d].%s[%d].%s", c.Category, c.Channel, c.FormatType, c.FormatEncodeType, c.Param)
+}
+
+// Parse config values from a string
+//
+//	input: a string like "Category[Channel].FormatType[FormatEncodeType].Param.Name=Value"
+func ConfigValueFromString(input string) (ConfigValue, error) {
+	output := ConfigValue{}
+	values := strings.SplitN(input, "=", 2)
+	if len(values) > 1 {
+		output.Value = values[1]
+	}
+
+	sections := strings.SplitN(values[0], ".", 3)
+
+	for i, section := range sections {
+		if i < 2 {
+			parts := strings.Split(section, "[")
+			var val int64 = 0
+			if len(parts) > 1 {
+				var err error
+				val, err = strconv.ParseInt(strings.TrimSuffix(parts[1], "]"), 10, 64)
+				if err != nil {
+					return output, fmt.Errorf("error parsing integer from string: %w", err)
+				}
+			}
+			switch i {
+			case 0:
+				output.Category = parts[0]
+				output.Channel = int(val)
+			case 1:
+				output.FormatType = parts[0]
+				output.FormatEncodeType = int(val)
+			}
+		} else {
+			output.Param = section
+		}
+	}
+
+	return output, nil
+}
+
+func (c *AmcrestClient) SetConfig(inputs ...ConfigValue) error {
+	if len(inputs) == 0 {
+		return errors.New("no inputs provided")
+	}
+
+	req := c.restClient.R().SetQueryParam("action", "setConfig")
+
+	for _, input := range inputs {
+		req.SetQueryParam(input.ToParamString(), fmt.Sprintf("%v", input.Value))
+	}
+
+	_, err := util.CheckSuccess(req.Get("cgi-bin/configManager.cgi"))
+	return err
+}
+
+func (c *AmcrestClient) GetEncodingConfigCapabilities() ([]ConfigValue, error) {
+	req := c.restClient.R().SetQueryParam("action", "getConfigCaps")
+
+	resp, err := util.CheckSuccess(req.Get("cgi-bin/encode.cgi"))
+	values := []ConfigValue{}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return values, err
+	}
+	for _, line := range strings.Split(string(resp.Body()), "\n") {
+		val, err := ConfigValueFromString(line)
+		if err != nil {
+			return values, fmt.Errorf("error parsing line: %w", err)
+		}
+		values = append(values, val)
+	}
+
+	return values, nil
+}
+
+func (c *AmcrestClient) GetConfig(configName string) ([]ConfigValue, error) {
+	resp, err := util.CheckSuccess(c.restClient.R().
+		SetQueryParam("action", "getConfig").SetQueryParam("name", configName).
+		Get("cgi-bin/configManager.cgi"))
+	values := []ConfigValue{}
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return values, err
+	}
+	for _, line := range strings.Split(strings.ReplaceAll(string(resp.Body()), "\r\n", "\n"), "\n") {
+		if line == "" {
+			continue
+		}
+		val, err := ConfigValueFromString(strings.TrimPrefix(line, "table."))
+		if err != nil {
+			return values, fmt.Errorf("error parsing line: %w", err)
+		}
+		values = append(values, val)
+	}
+
+	return values, nil
+}
diff --git a/pkg/amcrest/constants.go b/pkg/amcrest/constants.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8ff6ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/amcrest/constants.go
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+package amcrest
+
+const GeneralConfig string = "General"
+const EncodeConfig string = "Encode"
+const SnapConfig string = "Snap"
+
+// TODO: ^ get complete list of config names
+
+const MainFormat string = "MainFormat"
+const SnapFormat string = "SnapFormat"
+const ExtraFormat string = "ExtraFormat"
+
+const EncodeTypeRegular int = 0
+const EncodeTypeMotion int = 1
+const EncodeTypeAlarm int = 2
+
+const VideoBitRateParam string = "Video.BitRate"
+const VideoBitRateControlParam string = "Video.BitRateControl"
+const VideoCompressionParam string = "Video.Compression"
+const VideoFPSParam string = "Video.FPS"
+const VideoGOPParam string = "Video.GOP"
+const VideoResolutionParam string = "Video.resolution"
+
+// TODO: ^ get complete list of parameter names
+
+const VideoEncodingMPEG4 string = "MPEG4"
+const VideoEncodingMPEG2 string = "MPEG2"
+const VideoEncodingMPEG1 string = "MPEG1"
+const VideoEncodingMJPG string = "MJPG"
+const VideoEncodingH263 string = "H263"
+const VideoEncodingH264 string = "H264"
+const VideoEncodingH265 string = "H265"
+
+const VideoResolutionDefault string = "720x576"
+const VideoResolution2560x1920 string = "2560x1920"
+const VideoResolution5_1M = VideoResolution2560x1920
+const VideoResolution1920x1080 string = "1920x1080"
+const VideoResolution1080P = VideoResolution1920x1080
+
+// TODO: ^ fill from table of named resolutions