IP cameras (RTSP) and H.265 → H.264

Castreon can take the picture straight from an IP camera over RTSP and deliver it like any other channel: HLS, DASH, WebRTC, SRT, push to a CDN. Cameras that send H.265 can be turned into H.264 with one click, so they play in any browser.

Available from Castreon 1.1.0, on all plans.

What you need

• The camera's RTSP address. You find it in the camera manual or its web interface (usually under Network → RTSP). Common examples: rtsp://192.168.1.64:554/stream1, rtsp://192.168.1.64:554/Streaming/Channels/101.
• The camera's user and password, if it asks for them.
• The Castreon server must reach the camera on the RTSP port (554 by default). If the server and the camera are in different networks, connect them with a VPN instead of opening the camera to the internet.

Many cameras have two streams: a main one (full quality) and a sub stream (low resolution and bitrate). For viewers on phones or weak connections the sub stream is often enough.

Adding the camera

1. Channels → new channel (or Edit an existing one).
2. Under Sources, Type → IP camera (RTSP).
3. Camera address — without user and password. If you paste an address that contains them (rtsp://admin:password@…), they move into their own fields.
4. Transport — TCP (recommended) works through routers and firewalls, without losses. UDP only in a clean local network. Automatic leaves the choice to FFmpeg.
5. User and Password. The password is kept on the server and never shown again: after saving, the field shows “•••••••• saved”; leave it empty to keep it. The password doesn't appear in the log, the audit log or the FFmpeg command shown in the panel. Special characters (@, :, #, spaces) are fine.
6. Test the camera — Castreon reads a few seconds and tells you what the camera sends, for example “Works: H264 1920×1080 · 25 fps · audio PCM_ALAW 8 kHz · read in 1,245 ms”, or the camera's error.
7. Save.

Like any channel, the camera can have backup sources: if the first doesn't answer, Castreon moves to the next one.

H.265 → H.264

Many cameras send H.265 (HEVC). Browsers and many players can't play it. If Test the camera shows H.265 and the channel has no transcoding profile, a warning appears with the button Use the “Camera → H.264” profile:

• the profile is created on the first click and chosen for the channel — then just Save; for further cameras the same profile is chosen;
• H.264 at the camera's resolution, a keyframe every 2 seconds, AAC 48 kHz audio;
• the bitrate follows the camera you create the profile with: below 720p 1,200 kbit/s, 720p 2,500 kbit/s, 1080p 4,500 kbit/s, 1440p 8,000 kbit/s, 4K 12,000 kbit/s. For cameras with another resolution, change the bitrate under Profiles or make a copy of the profile.

Transcoding costs CPU (or GPU, if the profile uses one). A camera that already sends H.264 needs no profile.

Audio

Cameras often send G.711 audio (PCM, 8 kHz), which HLS and most players don't carry. Without a profile, Castreon copies the picture as it comes and converts the audio to AAC 48 kHz on its own — no settings needed.

When the camera drops

If nothing arrives from the camera for 10 seconds, Castreon stops reading and retries on its own. When the camera is back (after a reboot, a power cut or a network problem), the channel starts again without you doing anything.

Common problems

• 401 Unauthorized: the user or password is wrong, or the user may not view the stream (check its rights in the camera).
• “the source did not respond within 12s”: the server can't reach the camera — address, port, network or firewall. Try TCP.
• “The camera answers but sends no picture”: the stream path in the address is wrong (for example another channel or stream number).
• The picture breaks up or shows artefacts: switch to TCP; on Wi-Fi or weak links, lower the bitrate in the camera's settings.
• Nothing in the browser, but VLC works: the camera sends H.265 — use the Camera → H.264 profile.