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Low-Latency RTSP Streaming
Low-Latency RTSP Streaming

Learn how to stream your Verkada cameras on third-party applications or media players

Updated over a month ago

Real-Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) is a streaming protocol that allows Verkada cameras to integrate live video into third-party applications or media players. The video is streamed directly from the camera to the client, without passing through the Verkada Cloud.

Verkada camera RTSP streams can only be accessed over the local network from private addresses as defined in RFC 1918. This means if a camera has a non-standard internal NAT IP outside of 10.0.0.0/8, 192.168.0.0/16, or 172.16.0.0/12 it will fail to start an RTSP stream.

Verkada offers high quality (HQ) and standard quality (SQ) RTSP streams, where:

  • The resolution and bitrate of the RTSP streams are the same as in Verkada Command (see defaults in the Adaptive Quality white paper).

  • You can set up to 2 concurrent RTSP streams for a single camera.

Before you begin

We recommend that you secure your camera network before you enable RTSP.

Secure your camera network

  1. Create a custom username and password for RTSP that is not used in any other system. We recommend that you generate a random long password for this purpose.

  2. Segregate your cameras on to a separate network, virtual local area network (VLAN), or virtual private network (VPN) that is not accessible from the internet or other untrusted systems.

  3. If you use a third-party cloud video integration, set up a VPN between the third-party system and your camera network as the RTSP authentication and connection is not encrypted when streaming video.

  4. Configure your external/edge firewall to drop RTSP traffic (port 8554).

  5. Add only the minimum necessary RTSP client IP addresses in Verkada Command.

  6. If you have traffic shaping/limiting capabilities, consider configuring the bandwidth allowed for RTSP.

Prevent unauthorized access

To prevent unauthorized access to the camera feed, RTSP streams are secured with a username and password configured when RTSP is enabled.

You need Site Admins permissions to enable RTSP.

Configure the network

RTSP 1.0 is widely supported by vendors for interoperability, but because it is an unencrypted protocol, you need to properly configure the network to secure the data.

  1. In Verkada Command, go to All Products > Cameras.

  2. Select a camera and click Settings.

  3. Under Devices, toggle on Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP).

  4. When prompted, enter a username and password, and click Save.

A valid password is required to enable RTSP streams and users are prompted to enter a valid password the first time they toggle on the feature.

  • The password must be at least 8 characters long and contain an uppercase character, a lowercase character, and a number.

  • Use special characters to further strengthen the integrity of the password.

  • Store your password in a secure location; it will not display again after it is created.

Copy and paste RTSP URLs

For your convenience, you can see the RTSP URLs in Verkada Command, allowing you to copy and paste them with one click. You need to replace the [PASSWORD] text in the URL with the password that you set up for the camera, before using it in the RTSP client.

  1. Copy the desired standard or high-resolution URL and change the [PASSWORD] with the password you created. Alternatively, you can edit this feature in bulk on the Devices page.

  2. Once you have updated the link, add it to your third-party application.

Audio is not available on all modes. Check the camera datasheet for more information.

RTSP specs by camera model

Verkada supports RTSP 1.0 and RFC 2326. Verkada camera RTSP streams can only be accessed over the local network from private addresses as defined in RFC 1918.

Dome series

Model

RTSP Audio

Max SQ Streams

Max HQ Streams

Max Concurrent Streams

CD22 | CD22-E

No

2

2

2

CD32 | CD32-E

Yes

2

2

2

CD42 | CD42-E

Yes

2

2

2

CD42-E-F | CD42-F

Yes

2

2

2

CD52 | CD52-E

Yes

2

2

2

CD52-E-F | CD52-F

Yes

2

2

2

CD62 | CD62-E

Yes

2

2

2

CD63 | CD63-E

Yes

2

2

2

Mini Dome series

Model

RTSP Audio

Max SQ Streams

Max HQ Streams

Max Concurrent Streams

CM22

No

2

2

2

CM41 | CM41-E

Yes

2

2

2

CM41-S | CM42-S

Yes

2

2

2

CM42

Yes

2

2

2

Multisensor

Model

RTSP Audio

Max SQ Streams

Max HQ Streams

Max Concurrent Streams

CH52-E

No

2

2

8
(2 per camera thread)

PTZ

Model

RTSP Audio

Max SQ Streams

Max HQ Streams

Max Concurrent Streams

CP52-E | CP63-E

No

2

2

2

Fisheye

Model

RTSP Audio

Max SQ Streams

Max HQ Streams

Max Concurrent Streams

CF81-E | CF83-E

No

2

2

2

Bullet series

Model

RTSP Audio

Max SQ Streams

Max HQ Streams

Max Concurrent Streams

CB52-E | CB52-TE

No

2

2

2

CB62-E | CB62-TE

No

2

2

2

Need more help? Contact Verkada Support.

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