The optional Video & GPS Streaming module allows for the streaming of live video with real-time location data for the data collection platform to remote devices over a network. Multiple channels can be streamed simultaneously if enough bandwidth is available.
These instructions cover using the RTSP protocol, where the geoDVR acts as the live streaming server.
Prerequisites #
In order to live stream video, several requirements must be met:
- The geoDVR has the optional Live Video & GPS Streaming module installed.
- The geoDVR is configured for and connected to a network. This documentation will assume the default network configuration for Port 1 (Static IP 192.168.0.10/24).
- A remote client is on the same network, with no firewalls or ports being blocked between them.
- Remote client has video player software that supports RTSP and H.264 playback, along with suitable hardware to handle H.264 decoding. This documentation will use a Windows PC with the VLC media player as an example.
Configuring the geoDVR (Server) #
By default, LAN Port 1 on the geoDVR is assigned to 192.168.0.10 and subnet mask 255.255.255.0, and LAN Port 2 is set to DHCP (unless otherwise being used in a custom geoDVR setup). When using a direct network connection (server to client), LAN Port 1 is recommended. Advanced users may configure the LAN ports / IP address settings in Windows by going to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center.
The streams must first be enabled within the geoDVR interface. The channels can be selected by going to the Live Streaming menu then selecting the video channels to enable.
NOTE: To always keep Live Streaming enabled, select File > Save Current Settings as Default so the settings are saved and used after geoDVR restarts.
The geoDVR uses the following settings for the RTSP server:
- Username: None. If a username is required by client, “root” can be used, otherwise it can be left out.
- Password: None. If a password is required by client, “root” can be used, otherwise it can be left out.
- Port: 554. This port must be accessible and can not be blocked by any firewalls.
- URL Format: rtsp://{geoDVR IP Address}:554/session{N}.mpg, where {geoDVR IP Address} is the IP address the geoDVR is using, and {N} is the channel stream to play, starting at 0 for the first channel.
For example, if connected to LAN Port 1 (where geoDVR has been assigned IP address 192.168.0.10), to play back the first channel the URL for the stream would be rtsp://192.168.0.10:554/session0.mpg . To play the second channel, the stream URL would be rtsp://192.168.0.10:554/session1.mpg.
Viewing the Live Video Streams in LineVision #
LineVision Online/Server #
Once the IP address and port settings have been set on the geoDVR and once the live stream has been enabled, then the live stream will be accessible from LineVision Online.
After signing into your LineVision Online, there will be a notification if there is an active stream available. After clicking the confirmation box, a Live Stream tab will appear on the left hand side under the various media browsers. Simply select the live stream to watch it.
LineVision Desktop #
VPN Considerations for Live Streaming #
Below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of using a VPN while live streaming video and GPS from
the geoDVR.
Disadvantages
– Depending on the security protocol and encryption, VPN’s can add additional overhead and increase latency, especially with the video streams you will be viewing. Also, depending on where the encryption/decryption occurs, the hardware resource requirements of the devices and servers can increase substantially. This can be alleviated if the VPN is integrated via a hardware solution in your datacenter, although due to the shear bandwidth required
for streaming video and GPS data, there is already a large overhead and VPNs unfortunately add to this overhead requirement.
– Complexity – Ideally, the VPN is fairly transparent and easy to connect to. However, they do add an additional layer of potential complexity that can cause issues, especially during debugging and troubleshooting devices connected to them.
– Reliability – Since the VPN is adding potential overhead, connectivity loss (along with latency as mentioned above) is a concern, especially when trying to stream video and GPS over cell connections. The Remote Geo Live Stream Server tries to accommodate some latency, although stream timeouts (and thus dropped connections) are possible if the VPN introduces extra latency and/or causes connectivity loss.
Advantages
– Depending on the setup, VPNs typically allow all devices to be on the same subnet. This can make video stream routing much easier.
– Security – With the encryption capabilities of most VPN, they typically add a much greater layer of security.
