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Camzify

RTSP camera setup

An RTSP camera connects to Camzify in one of two ways, depending on whether its stream is reachable from the internet. Both end up in the same place; the difference is only how the stream gets there.

Route 1

Connect the stream directly

If the RTSP stream is already published to the internet — a static IP, an existing forwarded route, or an NVR that exposes it — paste the URL into Camzify and you are done. Nothing is installed.

Route 2

Relay local cameras with the Connector

If the cameras only exist on the local network, install the Camzify Connector on a Windows, macOS or Linux machine that can reach both those cameras and the internet. It relays the streams out — along with PTZ control — with no port forwarding, no static IP, and the cameras never exposed to the internet.

  1. 1

    Find your camera's RTSP URL

    Check your camera's documentation or admin panel for the RTSP stream URL. The format is typically rtsp://[camera-ip]:[port]/[stream-path]. Common ports are 554 (default) and 8554.
  2. 2

    Decide which route the stream takes

    Test the URL from a machine outside the camera's network. If it plays, the stream is internet-reachable and you can skip straight to adding it. If it does not, install the Camzify Connector on a Windows, macOS or Linux machine that sits on the camera network and has internet access, and enter the RTSP URL there instead.
  3. 3

    Add the camera in Camzify

    In the Camzify dashboard, go to Camera Management → Add Camera. Enter the RTSP URL directly, or select a stream the Connector is already relaying. Most cameras require a username and password on the stream; there are optional fields for them, and you only need them if the camera asks for credentials. Either way the platform verifies connectivity and displays the live preview.
  4. 4

    Configure detection and patrols

    Once connected, configure AI detections (zones, lines, motion) and add the camera to a patrol sequence. The camera is now part of your automated virtual patrolling system.
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

No. There are two routes and only one of them involves exposing anything. If the RTSP stream is already reachable over the internet, a static IP, an existing forwarded port, a camera behind an NVR that publishes it, connect that URL directly. If the camera only exists on the local network, install the Camzify Connector on a PC on that network instead. The Connector makes an outbound connection to Camzify, so nothing needs to be opened up and the camera is never exposed to the internet.

It is a lightweight application for Windows, macOS or Linux, installed on a machine that can reach both the local cameras and the internet at the same time. You give it the RTSP URLs of the cameras on that network, and it relays their streams to Camzify, where they appear alongside any directly connected cameras.

No. Once connected, both behave identically in Camzify, the same live view, AI detections, patrol sequences and reports. PTZ control on a local camera is carried by the Connector along with the video. The route only decides how the stream reaches the platform.

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