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Hik rtsp via vlc player on Mac to embed in website

Astr0dude

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Hi
I’m new to this forum and I’m hoping someone can help?
I have installed an NVR with 3 IP cameras for a customer who wants to embed one of the streams into their website
I have learned a lot in this process and have created a url that works in vlc player on my laptops remotely without an issue.

I forwarded the details to the lady building the website only to find she cannot open the url, after some back and forth it turns out she’s using a MAC!
I know there are issues with hik cameras and Macs but does this problem extend to rtsp feeds?

I’m hoping someone here can tell me if there is something she can do to resolve this?

Many thanks

Bryan
 
Hi
I’m new to this forum and I’m hoping someone can help?
I have installed an NVR with 3 IP cameras for a customer who wants to embed one of the streams into their website
I have learned a lot in this process and have created a url that works in vlc player on my laptops remotely without an issue.

I forwarded the details to the lady building the website only to find she cannot open the url, after some back and forth it turns out she’s using a MAC!
I know there are issues with hik cameras and Macs but does this problem extend to rtsp feeds?

I’m hoping someone here can tell me if there is something she can do to resolve this?

Many thanks

Bryan
On my Hikvision NVR and cameras I can open rtsp url's (local and remote) on my Mac using VLC 3.0.16 Vetinari and stream to YouTube.
MacBook Pro
BigSur 11.6

Do you know if the lady is allowing rtsp protocol and has port 554 open?
What error messages does she get from the VLC log?
 
Thanks for the reply
I don’t know the answer to your questions, I will have to ask her however, here is a screenshot of her screen with the error

Thanks again
Bryan
DF14FD04-F388-471F-9627-4F55F9C78ECB.jpeg
 
Thanks for the reply
I don’t know the answer to your questions, I will have to ask her however, here is a screenshot of her screen with the error

Thanks again
Bryan
View attachment 6908
Hi Bryan,
Ask her to check the log, go to VLC menu bar>Window and open the windows "Errors & Warnings" and "Messages". The try the URL and see what errors are produced.
 
Reading an RTSP stream should work from any computer - all of my RTSP streams are fully visible on my Macbook - even ones I've embedded into my new website by using the Macbook to build it.

Just to check - I can see you're sending your signal via 554 - so I imagine it's just a single camera going out - are you using something like 'no-ip' to redirect to the IP address and find your feed? I just wanted to check you don't have it set to 198.162.0.40 or something like that that's only an internal address when you're on the same wifi network.

Have you tried using your RTSP addresses on 'RTSP.me'?
 
Hi
I’m new to this forum and I’m hoping someone can help?
I have installed an NVR with 3 IP cameras for a customer who wants to embed one of the streams into their website
I have learned a lot in this process and have created a url that works in vlc player on my laptops remotely without an issue.

I forwarded the details to the lady building the website only to find she cannot open the url, after some back and forth it turns out she’s using a MAC!
I know there are issues with hik cameras and Macs but does this problem extend to rtsp feeds?

I’m hoping someone here can tell me if there is something she can do to resolve this?

Many thanks

Bryan
I've gone through all this myself trying to serve up my camera streams to my smart home dashboards (using SharpTools, ActionTiles etc) There are two issues:

1 - most web browsers won't support RTSP
2 - even if you convert the stream, the web browser won't open it, as the username and password are in the url (rtsp://admin:password@mycctvnvr_etc_etc)

You need something in the middle to convert the RTSP to MJPG then make that stream available on the network.

Blue Iris (14 day demo version available). Just add the camera to Blue Iris via it's RTSP stream, then enable the Blue Iris web server. This would need an always on Windows PC. The web server service can be set to run on startup without the GUI. Example (NVR at 192.168.0.100, Windows PC at 192.168.0.200) - rtsp://admin:password@192.168.0.100:554/Streaming/Channels/101 would be the address for Camera 1 main stream and Blue Iris would make it available in any browser at http://192.168.0.200:8081/Cam1

I got around the problem yesterday a different way. I was sick of having to leave my iMac on (running Windows via Parallels VM) for Blue Iris. I've rigged up a Raspberry Pi and loaded motioneye onto that which works in the same manner as Blue Iris. It works a treat and is around the same or less cost than a Blue Iris license.
 
've rigged up a Raspberry Pi and loaded motioneye onto that which works in the same manner as Blue Iris.
I'll see if this works on my raspberry pi running ubuntu server. I mainly use my raspberry pi to run PiHole adblocker on my home network, works very well.
 
I'll see if this works on my raspberry pi running ubuntu server. I mainly use my raspberry pi to run PiHole adblocker on my home network, works very well.
It will. There’s a different version available for Ubuntu I think. Instructions etc on GitHub here:

 
Thanks for the replies guys

I am not a wiz with IT and my skill set is limited although I’ve been in and around this industry for 30+years I have only recently, the past 5 or so years got back into CCTV installs and as a sole trader struggle to bounce ideas off of people so I have worked through most of this with the help of google and YouTube.

I thought I had cracked it when I was able to achieve a vlc live stream and not being a website developer or a coder hoped that would be enough to allow an image to be displayed via a button on the website?

The website developer wants to use YouTube, and I have since then learned the difference between Rtsp and rtmp streams and realise someone needs to provide an always on server of sorts to run obs or some similar programs

I could change one of the Hikvision cameras for one that supports rtmp? Or is there a way of just adding an image with the rtsp or mjpg that refreshes every 60s or there abouts? As it’s just used by customers who want a snapshot of weather conditions at the lake (it’s a sailing club)

Cheers
Bryan
 
The majority of cameras have an RTSP line - but very few have an RTMP - and they tend to be pricier.

I've just set up several cameras using the RTSP feeds - some for an owlcam project - and some for a church livestream project.

If you're just using a stream for a website - you don't need youtube.

If you do want to send a livestream to youtube though - if the site has a PC (of decent spec - that's always on - or can get one) - you can use OBS studio which is a free open source product - where you input the RTSP feed as a scene - and then output directly to youtube. (You can do a lot of other fancy stuff as well).

The RTSP feed can be sent via RTSP.me for a free feed that can be embedded in your (or someone's website) - which I've just done as I'm beginning to build my own website as I'm a one man band startup when it comes to CCTV (but it's not ready yet).

If you click this link you can see one of my 'owls in the tower' live streams:

| powered by RTSP.ME

I've embedded this on my website using a wordpress template.

The owl project is part of some voluntary work I'm doing with the local church/foodbank/scouts/brownies etc etc to set up a CCTV system that also allows them to livestream. I've fitted a Hikvision 25x optical zoom PTZ at the back of the church fairly high up, and the vicar controls the presets from his phone throughout the service. The RTSP feed from the camera is picked up by OBS studio on a PC - which also combines a line-in input from the churches archaic sound system, combining the two into a livestream going out at 1080p. It's just a little Welsh valleys church - you can see the result here at this morning's service - when you click it'll start playing at 360 or 720 depending on your device - but you can amend to 1080p in the little wheel dropdown.


(Don't worry if you're not religious - I can't say that I am myself - but it gives you an idea of what you can achieve with an RTSP feed and OBS Studio - it's now a recorded video as it's been saved - but it was livestreamed this morning.)

It starts off at wide (which is about a quarter of the way into the cameras zoom) and then up to the altar after 10 seconds, then a close-up of the lectern just after 9 minutes, and then right up to the windows at the far end of the church at 47 minutes - if you wanted to see the camera at different points of zoom). One of the challenges are to line up the audio and video - I'm fairly close - but not perfect - but close enough! I've got the church organ, vicar's microphone and bluetooth audio all feeding into the PC. (It was a pentium 5 with 8gb ram bought off Amazon refurb for £120)
 
@Astr0dude Hello Bryan,
I think the best thing for you is to try creating an rtsp.me (free) account and add a camera. rtsp.me give you a https link to your camera, this can be added to a button on your website. They also provide html5 code to add a video box to your website, see my website here

When you add the camera you will need the camera / NVR remote RTSP url. On your camera setup a user / operator account (no admin rights) and link the rtsp url to that account.

I also do YouTube live streams using OBS studio.
 
Thanks David
That does look like the obvious answer and I will have to just tell the website developer they will have to be responsible for hosting it if they want to use YouTube.

Also thanks for the info about setting up a second user account without admin rights!

I have already been experimenting with RTSP.me and I was wondering whether it was wise to include the nvr password in the url!

I will report back here once I have had that conversation with the web developer!

Cheers
Bryan
 
I have already been experimenting with RTSP.me and I was wondering whether it was wise to include the nvr password in the url!
Hi Bryan, you'll have to include the password in the rtsp url, setup the second user account to only remotely view that camera. I have 5 cameras on rtsp.me and have not noticed any problems so far.
 
I am just reporting back to confirm rtsp.me solved my issue and thank you once again for all the help

I’m glad I decided to join this forum and ask the question

Cheers

Bryan
 
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