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Testing RTSP Streams with VLC

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VLC is a multimedia player. It is a good source to use when trying to verify video streams. This can be useful when adding multisensor cameras; you can verify each stream that is available.

It is also useful when troubleshooting a camera with no video stream, or one that has only one working stream, You can test different codecs based on what the camera has to offer. It works for most codecs ie. H264, MJPEG, MP4.

To Check Your RTSP Streams Using VLC
  1. In VLC, click Media.

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2. Click on Open Network Stream. 

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3. Select RTSP under Protocol within the Network tab, then add the URL. This will be the RTSP stream of the camera in question. 

                             (Example: rtsp://10.0.90.162/h264_2)

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4. Once you click Play, it will either start playing that stream or make you enter the camera's login credentials.

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To Use for Troubleshooting

When troubleshooting, VLC can help you find why a stream isn't working properly. There is a Tools option to find out what codec the camera is on and whether it is dropping packets. The Tools option is also used to find out the frame rate and the bandwidth being used. 

Once you have the stream pulled up, click the Tools option in the upper toolbar.

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  • Under the Codec Details tab, you can view Resolution and Frame Rate.
  • Under the Statistics tab, you can see if the camera is dropping packets or view the bit rate. 

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