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DKtucson

Use VLC to view feeds from chinese DVRs

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I think a lot of us have run into this: The run of the mill chinese dvrs will use phone apps like Asee or VMeye etc and only offer web based viewing on IE via Active X plugins. Newer browsers like IE11 and Linux/Mac don't like to play that game and some folks get real edgy when they get as popup saying do you want to install this plugin from Shanghei.

As an alternative install VLC. Go the the Media command and Open Network Stream.

Put the following in the address field "rtsp://192.168.XX.XX:your_rtsp_port/user=username&password=your_password&channel=1&stream=0.sdp?real_stream--rtp-caching=100"

 

Obviously change address if your net is different or put in your dyndns/no-ip DDNS domain name. put in your rtsp port from the DVR settings. The username & password for dvr access and the channel number. If you go through and launch it each time you change the channel number it will create a "playlist" of your previously viewed cameras for easy switching.

vlc.png.08d240bf4ba0643defe29c5418c47a67.png

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"rtsp://192.168.XX.XX:your_rtsp_port/user=username&password=your_password&channel=1&stream=0.sdp?real_stream--rtp-caching=100"

I'm a little confused by the url layout...

All run together, including the "&", like this?

"rtsp://192.168.XX.XX:your_rtsp_port/user=admin&password=12345&channel=1&stream=0.sdp?real_stream--rtp-caching=100"

 

Edit: It get's me there but I have to reenter the login credentials.

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correct--as an example [rtsp://192.168.1.10:554/user=admin&password=12345&channel=1&stream=0.sdp?real_stream--rtp-caching=100]

--without the [ ] brackets

replace the ip address with your applicable one or your DDNS host name

replace the port 554 with your RTSP port from your dvr menu screens

replace the admin with your username

replace the 12345 with your password

change the channel= number to the camera number you wish to view

and yes it is all run together with the ampersands

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Thanks, the login prompt/box is as expected?

I assumed the user & pw in the url would have gotten me past that.

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I do not get a secondary login/pasword prompt on my dvr access..putting it in the string just brings up the specified channel

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Hmm.. I may be blind, did I do something wrong here?

rtsp ://192.168.X.XXX:554/user=admin&password=12345&channel=1&stream=0.sdp?real_stream--rtp-caching=100

 

Edit broke link for display.

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The syntax looks correct..unless the functionality between DVRs differs slightly or versions/platforms of VLC

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NEAT! Do you know if this would work with 'Digimerge' products? I don't like having to install activex stuff or anyone touch IE.

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Samir--I don't have any insight to particular brands or models but it does appear the functionality differs--your mileage may vary as they say on the car commercials. It worked well for me in a very generic $50 straight from china D1 dvr Guangzho Eagleyes maker--but trying it on a $1000 Dahua HD-SDI model it keeps looping me for a login/password even though I'm using an admin account credentials and it will not run

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Thank you for the reply. How would I be able to discover the rtsp port number? I definitely want to give this a shot since there's a portable version of vlc.

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Would this be the same port that you can connect to the dvr via http on the network? I see an option for that in the manual.

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Not likely but you can try..most dvrs have a http port--mobile port--mobile monitor and rtsp but it all depends on the maker

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That's what I was afraid of. I'll try it anyways and see what happens. Maybe I'll get lucky!

 

Thank you for all your help.

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So I tried the url you posted above, and as expected, it didn't work.

 

But then I started reading about rstp as I never heard about it. Then I searched for how to find the Digimerge rstp port which led me to a page with direct rstp urls to try (since every manufacturer has a different one).

 

I have been able to confirm that data is streaming through vlc via Tools-->Codec Info-->Statistics as well as the codec (H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (part 10) (h264), resolution (352x240 -- older dvr so I know this is right), frame rate (25), and decoded format (Planar 4:2:0 YUV).

 

The problem is that I can't see any video. I've got it connected in Linux Mint's VLC as well as on XP without any difference. Any ideas on what to try or where to look? Any ideas appreciated!

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on another generic dvr from another vendor where there was no spelling out of a particular rtsp port I tried the 3 ports reserved for the dvr with every permutation of http--mms--rtsp as well as trying different syntax and it wouldn't launch--there must be very specific syntax in some dvrs or some just don't play well

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Here is the url that seems to work for me as data is streaming:

http://IPADDRESS/monitor.cgi?Channel=[CHANNEL]&Audio=0000&Live=1

 

and I got that from here:

http://www.ispyconnect.com/man.aspx?n=Digimerge

 

I believe it's got to be either a codec issue or something else. I'm sure there is some documentation of the various options on 'monitor.cgi' somewhere, but this type of stuff is always elusive. I've had to deal with trying to figure out parameters like this when creating auto-reboot scripts for routers.

 

I'm going to try using wget on the url that's working and see what that does. If I'm definitely getting data there too then there's got to be a way to see it.

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As an experiment, I put the url in windows media player. It would only show 'connecting', but did ask for login credentials.

 

I'm going to search for other people not seeing video from a stream in vlc and see what I come up with.

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Thanks,

 

I was actually looking for a solution then I found the link from another web site, and then i saw your post.

 

Question though, what does the last part of the URL do?

 

"real_stream--rtp-caching=100""

 

Mine works with and without it but just wanting to see if that command makes it better.

 

 

Also, I learned that "stream=0" = Main feed. "stream=1" = sub-feed (lower quality) for those who have bandwidth limitations.

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Thanks,

 

I was actually looking for a solution then I found the link from another web site, and then i saw your post.

 

Question though, what does the last part of the URL do?

 

"real_stream--rtp-caching=100""

 

Mine works without the top, but just wanting to see if that command makes it better.

 

 

Also, I learned that "stream=0" = Main feed. "stream=1" = sub-feed (lower quality) for those who have bandwidth limitations.

Typically a variable like that will adjust some sort of server-side caching. I would try making it something like 10 and 1000 to see how it affects the stream.

 

Very nice on finding the sub-feed!

 

Now, if I could only see the video on mine.

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Very nice on finding the sub-feed!

 

Now, if I could only see the video on mine.

 

 

I'm just looking up your digimerge brand, and I don't see anywhere in the manuals in various models that it says it supports RTSP.

 

Whats your model?

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Very nice on finding the sub-feed!

 

Now, if I could only see the video on mine.

 

 

I'm just looking up your digimerge brand, and I don't see anywhere in the manuals in various models that it says it supports RTSP.

 

Whats your model?

It's a DH200. It actually doesn't support rstp (at least anywhere that I could find).

 

However, it does seem to be streaming via http, as data is available in the codec and statistics tabs under 'Media Info' in VLC. This is the format of that url:

http://IPADDRESS/monitor.cgi?Channel=[CHANNEL]&Audio=0000&Live=1

 

This may be related to how the stream is h264, but with no audio. It seems some players have issues with that.

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