ONVIF and RTSP explained
By Muhammad Talha · Product Manager and CTONine years building computer vision and automated surveillance systems
ONVIF and RTSP are the two most important protocols for connecting IP security cameras to video management and analytics platforms. ONVIF is a standardized interface for camera discovery and configuration. RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) is the protocol for streaming live video from the camera to a receiving system.
What is ONVIF?
ONVIF (Open Network Video Interface Forum) is a standardized set of protocols that allow IP cameras from different manufacturers to communicate with video management software. An ONVIF-compliant camera exposes a standard API for discovery, configuration, PTZ control, and event handling — regardless of the camera brand.
What is RTSP?
RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol) is the protocol used to stream live video from an IP camera to a receiving system. The camera provides an RTSP URL (e.g., rtsp://camera-ip:554/stream1) that the receiving system connects to for the live feed. Most IP cameras support RTSP natively.
How Camzify uses these protocols
Camzify connects to cameras via RTSP for video streaming. ONVIF support means Camzify can discover and configure compatible cameras automatically. For cameras behind NAT or firewalls, the Camzify Connector relays the RTSP stream securely to the cloud. See RTSP setup for step-by-step instructions.
Other supported protocols
Beyond RTSP, Camzify supports RTMP (for encoder-based setups), HLS (for HTTP-based streaming), and WebRTC (for lowest-latency connections). Most deployments use RTSP as the primary protocol with virtual patrolling running on the ingested feeds.
Checking camera compatibility
Most IP cameras manufactured after 2010 support ONVIF and RTSP. Check the camera's specification sheet for "ONVIF Profile S" (streaming) or "ONVIF Profile T" (advanced streaming). The supported cameras page lists verified models.