Hikvision and HiWatch: RTSP URL and website streaming

The RTSP URL format

Current Hikvision IP cameras, NVRs and Turbo HD DVRs use one scheme: the channel number followed by a stream number. 01 is the main stream, 02 the sub stream. HiWatch is a Hikvision brand and uses exactly the same URLs.

rtsp://user:password@203.0.113.10:554/Streaming/Channels/101   # main stream
rtsp://user:password@203.0.113.10:554/Streaming/Channels/102   # sub stream

Where to find the RTSP port

RTSP is on by default on Hikvision; there is nothing to enable. To check the port (classic web interface; newer series may arrange the menu slightly differently):

1. Open the camera's web interface on your local network and log in as admin.
2. Configuration → Network → Basic Settings → Port — the RTSP Port field, 554 by default.
3. Configuration → System → Security → Authentication — leave RTSP Authentication on digest.
4. On the router, forward only the RTSP port — see port forwarding. The web ports (80, 443) and the SDK port (8000) must not be open to the internet.

A view-only user

Never type the admin password into any outside system, including ours. Create a separate user for streaming:

1. Configuration → System → User Management → Add.
2. Level: User (Hikvision has three: Administrator, Operator, User). Give it a strong, unique password.
3. Keep only the Remote: Live View permission (the name varies slightly by firmware) and untick the rest.
4. On a recorder, do the same in its menu and choose which channels this user may view.

Encoder settings for the web

Open Configuration → Video/Audio → Video, pick Stream Type Main Stream (Normal) and set the values below. If you stream the sub stream, repeat on Sub-Stream.

If the main stream must stay H.265 for recording, set the sub stream to 720p H.264 and put /Streaming/Channels/102 in the form's RTSP path. More in camera settings for streaming.

Common pitfalls

• H.264+ and H.265+. This smart codec saves recording space by stretching the gap between I-frames a lot. In a browser that means slow start-up and occasional broken frames. Turn it off for streaming. On some models, H.264+ also locks the Profile and I Frame Interval fields.
• H.265. We detect such cameras and convert to H.264 while someone watches, but plain H.264 is simpler and more reliable. See H.265 in the browser.
• Lock-out after wrong passwords. After several failed attempts Hikvision temporarily blocks the IP address (Configuration → System → Security → Security Service → Illegal Login Lock). If the test reports an auth error, check the password first, then retry.
• Special characters in the password. @, :, # or / break a full RTSP URL typed by hand. In our form the password has its own field and the server encodes it correctly, so you don't need to change it.
• Hik-Connect is Hikvision's cloud service and does not give out RTSP. Our server connects over RTSP, so you need a public IP and a forwarded port.
• Firmware. Update to official Hikvision firmware and change every default password; old versions have known vulnerabilities.

Adding the camera to VIDEOCAMERA LIVE

1. Create an account or log in and click Add camera.
2. Fill in a name, an optional location, RTSP host, port, username, password and the path /Streaming/Channels/101. For the sub stream use /Streaming/Channels/102.
3. Click Test connection. Our server connects to the camera itself and reports: success, auth error, unreachable, wrong path, unsupported codec or timeout.
4. After a successful test, activate the camera and copy the embed code — see how to embed a camera on a website.

Unreachable or timeout almost always means the port is not forwarded or the ISP blocks it. Wrong path: check the channel number. Auth error: username, password or Illegal Login Lock.