How to stream a Hikvision or HiWatch camera on a website

What you need

• CameraHikvision or HiWatch with RTSP support
• Settings accessLocal IP and administrator account
• Router accessTo reserve IP and configure port mapping
• Public IPStatic IP or dynamic IP with DDNS

Step 1. Open the camera web interface

Connect your computer to the same local network as the camera. Enter the device local IP in a browser, for example http://192.168.1.100, then sign in as administrator.

If the address is unknown, check your router client list or use the manufacturer's device discovery utility.

Step 2. Configure RTSP authentication

1. Open Configuration.
2. Go to System -> Security.
3. Open Authentication.
4. Set RTSP Authentication to digest/basic.
5. Set RTSP Digest Algorithm to MD5.
6. Click Save.

Step 3. Configure the main stream

1. Go to Video/Audio -> Video.
2. Set Stream Type to Main Stream (Normal).
3. Choose the required Resolution.
4. Set Frame Rate to 25 fps.
5. Set Video Encoding to H.264.
6. Click Save.

H.264 provides broad compatibility. H.265 and H.265+ may require additional transcoding.

Step 4. Create a dedicated user

Do not use the camera admin account in your RTSP URL. In System -> User Management, create a separate user only for streaming.

• leave only view permissions;
• do not grant configuration or user-management rights;
• set a strong unique password;
• do not publish login, password, or full RTSP URL.

Step 5. Reserve the local IP

Find the camera address in network settings or on the router, for example 192.168.1.100. Verify the RTSP port: Hikvision and HiWatch usually use TCP 554.

Reserve the address via DHCP reservation on the router or configure a correct static address on the camera. Otherwise, IP changes after reboot may break forwarding rules.

Step 6. Configure port mapping

For direct access, your router must have a public IP. Forward an external TCP port, for example 10554, to the camera RTSP port:

• ProtocolTCP
• External port10554
• Internal IP192.168.1.100
• Internal port554

Section names vary by router: Port Mapping, Port Forwarding, Virtual Server, or NAT. Use the full guide "How to configure port mapping".

Connection through software agent

If the site has no public IP address or opening an RTSP port on the router is not possible, install the rtsp.me software agent on a computer or mini PC in the same local network as the camera.

The agent receives the local Hikvision or HiWatch RTSP stream and sends it to rtsp.me over an outbound connection. In this case, port mapping, inbound internet access, and an exposed RTSP port are not required.

Windows, Linux, and ARM are supported. Setup and configuration are described in "IP camera streaming agent without static IP".

Step 7. Build the RTSP URL

For channel 1 main stream on Hikvision and HiWatch, the common pattern is:

Example for user viewer, public address 203.0.113.10, and external port 10554:

• viewerDedicated username
• StrongPasswordUser password
• 203.0.113.10Router public IP
• 10554External mapped port
• 101Main stream of channel 1
• 102Sub stream of channel 1

Replace the sample values with your own. Password characters such as @, :, /, #, and % must be URL-encoded correctly. Do not use the sample password in production.

Step 8. Add the camera on rtsp.me

1. Open rtsp.me.
2. Paste the prepared RTSP URL and click Test.
3. After successful validation, add the camera in your account.
4. Copy the player HTML code and place it on your website.

Read more: "How to embed a stream on your website".

Frequently asked questions