How to find your CCTV camera's RTSP URL (CP Plus, Hikvision, Dahua and more)

Most IP cameras and NVR/DVR recorders can stream live video over RTSP, a standard protocol that many apps and players understand. If you want to see your cameras in a media player or a viewer app, you often need the camera's RTSP address. This guide shows the common formats, how to switch RTSP on, and how to test the stream.

What an RTSP URL looks like

The general shape is:

rtsp://username:password@IP-address:554/path

• username and password are the camera's or NVR's login.
• IP-address is the device's address on your local network.
• 554 is the usual RTSP port. Some devices use another.
• path differs by brand and selects the channel and stream quality.

Common path formats

These are widely used patterns. Models and firmware differ, so confirm against your manufacturer's documentation.

• Hikvision and many compatible recorders: /Streaming/Channels/101 for channel 1 main stream, /Streaming/Channels/102 for the sub stream. Channel 2 is 201 and 202.
• Dahua and CP Plus: /cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0 for the main stream, subtype=1 for the sub stream.
• TP-Link Tapo: /stream1 (higher quality) and /stream2 (lower), after creating a camera account in the Tapo app's advanced settings.
• Reolink: typically /h264Preview_01_main and /h264Preview_01_sub, with the channel number changing for recorders.

Step 1: Enable RTSP or ONVIF

• Open the camera or NVR web page by typing its IP address into a browser on the same network.
• Look in the network or integration settings for RTSP and ONVIF, and make sure they are enabled.
• Some models need a separate ONVIF user. Create one if the settings ask for it.

Step 2: Find the IP address and port

• Check your router's list of connected devices, or the NVR's network settings.
• Give the camera a fixed (static) IP or a DHCP reservation so the address does not change.
• Check the RTSP port in the network settings. The default is 554.

Step 3: Test the URL in VLC

1. Install VLC media player on a computer on the same network.
2. Choose Media, then Open Network Stream.
3. Paste the full RTSP URL and press Play.
4. If video appears, the address, login and path are correct. If it does not, recheck the path and that RTSP is enabled.

NVRs and multi-camera recorders

A recorder usually exposes each camera as a numbered channel. The channel number appears in the path, so channel 3 on a Hikvision-style recorder would be /Streaming/Channels/301. The main stream is higher resolution and the sub stream is lower, which is lighter on the network.

Things that will not work

• Cloud-only Wi-Fi cameras that do not offer RTSP or ONVIF.
• Cameras and viewer on different networks, unless you set up secure remote access yourself.

Using it on a Samsung TV

GroverHQ Camera Viewer is our app for showing RTSP and ONVIF cameras and NVR/DVR channels on a Samsung Smart TV. It is coming soon to Samsung TVs in India. Read the guide to watching CCTV on a Samsung TV for all the options.

Camera brand names belong to their owners. GroverHQ is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, any camera brand or Samsung.