Adding 3rd Party Cameras To IC Realtime Recorders

Introduction

Third-party IP cameras can be added to IC Realtime NVRs/HDVRs depending on the camera's capabilities. There are two main ways to add cameras to IC Realtime recorders: ONVIF and RTSP. If the third party IP camera is ONVIF compliant or supports RTSP streaming, it can be added to an IC Realtime NVR/ HDVR.  Ensure that the cameras are on the LAN as they cannot be plugged into our recorder's built-in POE

Table of Contents:

• DISCLAIMER
• ONVIF
  •  ADDING CAMERAS AS ONVIF
• RTSP
  •  ADDING CAMERAS RTSP

Disclaimer

Please Note: Regarding dealing with different manufacturers, compatibility isn't guaranteed. A variety of factors, such as differing hardware specs and feature set protocols, means that certain camera features, such as PTZ control with RTSP or certain Intelligent events using ONVIF will not function. While IC Realtime tech support can assist in connecting these devices, you may need to contact the manufacturer of the camera/ NVR for further support regarding the settings and/or compatibilities of the cameras. 

ONVIF:

IC Realtime products are typically Onvif compliant and support 3rd party devices over the Onvif protocol. This means any 3rd party camera that is ONVIF compliant can connect to IC Realtime devices. For further details on Onvif profiles, features, and specifications, here is an article on ONVIF.

Adding Cameras as ONVIF:

When attempting to add cameras as Onvif, please keep in mind the following:

• Ensure that the cameras are on the LAN as they cannot be plugged into our recorder's built-in POE. 
• Create an ONVIF profile within the camera (If applicable)
• Sometimes security settings are implemented in other manufacturers' cameras that impede adding cameras to our recorders. Verify these settings are set to basic CGI Protocol or ONVIF 
•  You can confirm your camera's ONVIF credentials by using ONVIF Device Manager here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/onvifdm/ 

Assuming all requirements are met, the process to add the cameras is below.

1. From the Main Menu, select Advance Settings (This can be done on the recorder local or Web GUI)

*For older recorders, go to the Setup tab

2. Select Camera Configuration

*For older recorders, go to the Image, then Remote Device.

3. Select Manual Add

4. Change "Manufacturer" to "ONVIF" and fill out the correct IP address of the camera you would like to add. Input the ONVIF account created from the camera in the Username and Password fields. Then select "OK" to save. 

RTSP:

RTSP uses a simple streaming URL from the camera to stream to the Recorder. Unlike ONVIF, RTSP only allows the viewing of video and audio transmission between the two endpoints. This essentially means that all camera capabilities, such as PTZ control and Event handling, will not function and the only thing available is Video and Audio streaming.

ADDING CAMERAS RTSP:

Before adding cameras to our recorders via RTSP you want to execute these steps beforehand:

• Ensure that the camera(s) are on the LAN, as they cannot be plugged into our recorder's built-in POE.
• Verify the RTSP Port of the camera
• Obtain the camera manufacturers RTSP String usually found on their website. However, you may need to contact the manufacturer of the camera directly to obtain the string. Below is an example of a string

rtsp://username:password@ip\_address\[:rtsp\_port\]/server\_URL?Transport=HTTP 

• A way to test if the string works is through an application such as VLC player. If you need assistance on how to use VLC follow this article: USING VLC TO TEST RTSP
• Also here is a link to VLC Download Page

Now that you have the necessary information, you can add the camera to an IC Realtime recorder. Follow the steps below:

1. From the Main Menu, select Advance Settings from the recorder Local or Web GUI

*For older recorders, go to the Setup tab

2. Select Camera Configuration

*For older recorders, go to the Image then Remote Device.

3. Under Add/Remove Device or Remote Device, Select Manual Add

4. Change "Manufacturer" to "Customized" 

5. Fill out the following "Main Stream" which is your Main RTSP Stream "Sub Stream" which is your Secondary Stream. If your string doesn't have the "username" and "password" in the URL then you would fill that in below. When finished, click "OK."