Live cameras for cities and municipalities
A live view of the city makes tourists want to come and helps residents check the weather, traffic or an event. The key is that the camera shows the city, not particular people.
Why a city needs a live camera
- Tourism. Batumi's boulevard and Europe Square, Tbilisi's Freedom Square and Old Town, Kutaisi's Colchis Fountain, Mtskheta, Sighnaghi — a live view on the city's tourism site says more than a brochure.
- Events. The New Year tree, City Day, a festival or a concert on the square — people who could not come can watch.
- Traffic and weather. A wide view of a main junction or an approach road helps residents decide when and which way to go. In winter, it shows road conditions.
- Transparency. Ongoing works — a square being rebuilt, a new park — show citizens that the job is moving. See also construction cameras.
- Businesses in the city. A hotel, café or shopping centre with a famous view from its windows can use that view on its own website too.
The law: a city camera processes personal data
A camera in a public space films people, and a live stream makes that image available to everyone. Georgia's Law on Personal Data Protection regulates video surveillance strictly, and for public bodies this matters even more. Before you go live:
- A wide view, not a close one. The square, the street, the view — yes; a person's face or a car's number plate — no. Mount the camera high and far, and choose the zoom so they cannot be read.
- Not at residential windows, courtyards, or school and hospital entrances. Such shots do not serve the purpose of the stream and risk invading privacy.
- A warning sign in the camera's area — people must have a way to know the view is live.
- A separate camera for streaming. Putting security or police surveillance cameras on a public stream changes their purpose. Install a separate camera aimed at the view.
- A documented purpose. Write down why the camera exists and what it shows, so the answer is ready if anyone asks.
More detail: CCTV law in Georgia. This page is not legal advice; when in doubt, ask a lawyer.
Where and how to install
- A high point: the roof of an administrative building, the top floor of a hotel, or a mast. Height gives a beautiful view and at the same time makes people small.
- Resolution: 4 MP or more; a wide lens for a square, varifocal for a panorama. The city at night is beautiful — choose a camera that gives a colour picture in low light.
- Internet: our server connects to the camera over the internet, so you need a public IP and a forwarded RTSP port. See port forwarding. 1080p needs 3–4 Mbit/s of upload.
- Security: a separate view-only user, a changed default password, updated firmware, only the RTSP port open. Never expose the camera's web interface (80/443/8000).
- Viewers: we take one stream from the camera and our server serves every viewer. For a big event where you expect a large audience, let's agree in advance.
Features that fit
- Logo editor: the city's coat of arms or tourism brand and a caption such as "Batumi, Europe Square". One template for all the city's cameras.
- Live switch: if an emergency or accident happens in frame, stop the stream within seconds and turn it back on later.
- Schedules: show the camera only during an event or at set hours.
- Allowed domains: allow embedding on the municipal website, the tourism portal and, if you wish, partner media — the code will not work anywhere else. See protecting a stream.
- Ad link: clicking the camera name opens the city's tourism page or the event programme.
- H.265 cameras are converted for browsers automatically: H.265 in the browser.
- Invoices in GEL: organisations are invoiced in GEL.
How to start
- Create an account.
- Add the camera: see Hikvision, Dahua, Axis, Hanwha or how to find the RTSP URL.
- Run the connection test and check that no faces or number plates are readable in the frame.
- Embed the player on the city's website: embedding on a website.
NEWTECH will choose the spot, install the camera and start the stream. Phone: +995 577 79 53 77, info@videocamera.ge.
Can a city street camera be streamed publicly?
Yes, if the camera shows a wide view, people and number plates cannot be read, the area is marked with a warning sign and the purpose is clear. See CCTV law in Georgia.
Can we use our existing security cameras?
Technically yes, if they support RTSP. But putting a security camera on a public stream changes its purpose; a separate camera aimed at the view is the better choice.
There will be many viewers on New Year's Eve. Will it cope?
We take one stream from the camera and our server serves the viewers, so your internet is not loaded. Contact us before a big event so we can agree on it in advance.
Can the media embed our camera on their sites?
Yes, if you add their domain to the allowed domains. On sites outside the list the embed code will not work.