Live camera setup

Live streaming setup

To broadcast live video, your camera must support the RTMP or RTSP protocol.

In the Visionhub configuration panel, you can obtain a unique set of credentials for your camera.

Streaming configuration

• Send the stream via RTMP to the URL provided in the Camera settings panel.
• We support H264 and related codecs, as well as H265. Many cameras apply excessive compression on H265; we don’t recommend it if you’re aiming for the highest image quality.
• 7–15 fps. There’s no FPS limitation.

Keep in mind that parameters like resolution, codec, and bitrate directly affect data usage. We recommend using a bitrate calculator to estimate data consumption based on your internet connection.

Data usage

Live video streaming consumes a lot of data. If your plan has data limits, it’s your responsibility to configure settings accordingly.

Many 4G plans are advertised as unlimited, but after a certain threshold, speeds may be throttled to the point where streaming is not possible. Check your contract’s terms and conditions to understand the real limits of your plan.

Configuration varies depending on the camera brand and model. Below are some baseline configurations for different camera types.

Example configuration

Dahua XS-IPCV927Z

1. Image quality: Set the following in Setting/Camera/Video/Video:

   • Enable Sub Stream 2
   • Encode Mode: H264H
   • Resolution: “1920*720 (720P)”
   • Frame Rate (FPS): 7
   • Bit Rate Type: CBR
   • Bit Rate: 1024 Kbps
   • I Frame Interval: 14 (double the FPS)
   • Smooth Stream: If parts of the image appear desynchronized, lower this value.

2. RTMP streaming: Configure Setting/Network/Access Platform/RTMP:

   • Enable
   • Stream Type: Sub Stream 2
   • Address Type: Custom
   • Custom Address: Enter the URL from Camera settings.

Image upload configuration

To capture images for your gallery and timelapse, adjust the following parameters.

We support several methods for sending images, most commonly:

• Capture from video stream: Capture images directly from the live video stream.
• Capture via FTP: Capture using FTP or SFTP.

For Agency or Enterprise accounts, we also offer:

• Email upload: Send attachments to an email endpoint. This works well in low-coverage environments.
• HTTP POST: Use the API to send images to our capture endpoint.

From the live stream

The easiest way is to capture directly from the live video stream. This offers more flexibility and lets you tweak parameters from the Visionhub UI.

Quick setup

To enable capture from streaming:

1. Open the camera configuration panel
2. Enable “Capture from video stream”
3. Define the photo interval

Limitations

These images are limited by the quality of your live streaming settings (resolution and bitrate). If you need maximum quality, use the next method.

FTP

To capture via FTP, open your camera’s settings and configure the shot interval and saving options.

Recommended parameters

Generally, we recommend:

• Shot interval: 5 minutes for projects over 12 months. For short projects, you can go as low as 1 minute.
• Saving images: Enabled
• Protocol: SFTP (we support both SFTP and FTP, but SFTP is preferred because it’s encrypted)
• Resolution: 3840x2160, 4K or DCI 4K. Use the maximum your camera supports.
• Quality: Maximum, 6 or equivalent.

Credentials

Get your camera credentials from the Visionhub camera configuration panel. Enable “Send via FTP” to reveal credentials (each camera has its own).

Connection test

If your camera has a “Test” button, you may see an error because listing/deleting files isn’t permitted (this isn’t a traditional FTP).

Configuration differs by brand and model. Below is a baseline example.

Dahua XS-IPCV927Z

1. Snapshot quality: In Setting/Camera/Video/Snapshot:

   • Snapshot Type: “General”
   • Image Size: “3840x2160”
   • Quality: “6 (Best)”
   • Interval: “Customized” 300 seconds

2. Shooting schedule (optional): In Setting/Storage/Schedule/Snapshot:

   • To reduce the number of photos, limit the schedule to your working hours.
   • Ensure the correct time zone in System/General/Date&Time.
   • Select “General” (top-right) and paint the working hours or use the Setting button to apply.

3. FTP configuration: In Setting/Storage/Destination/FTP:

   • Check Enable, select SFTP (or “FTP” — not recommended).
   • Server Address: ftp.visionhub.es
   • Port: 22 for SFTP (or “21” for FTP)
   • Username: your camera FTP username. See FTP
   • Password: your camera FTP password. See FTP
   • Remote Directory: leave default

You can verify the time of the last uploaded image in the Visionhub camera configuration panel.

Email

We also provide an equivalent email-based upload service. Only available for Agency or Enterprise accounts. Contact us at [email protected].

Related links

User management

Access live cameras

Audiovisual gallery