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Network Camera Advisor (Scan Network Cameras)

Overview​

The Network Camera Advisor is a built-in ONVIF scan tool that discovers network cameras and gives quick guidance on whether they are ready for ITVDesk/NVR/VMS integration.

It helps you answer:

  • Is the camera discoverable over ONVIF?
  • Do we have a valid RTSP URL?
  • Is login required / failing?
  • Does the camera look like it has main/sub stream?
  • What should be fixed next?

Where To Find It​

  1. Open the Front Application
  2. In the Camera List, right-click anywhere
  3. Click Scan Network Cameras...

The scan runs automatically when the dialog opens.

Device Table Columns​

The results table shows:

  • Status: one of the advisor statuses
  • IP: discovered device IP address
  • Vendor / Model: resolved from discovery/device info when available
  • RTSP URL: best known RTSP URL (if available)
  • Main/Sub: heuristic signal of main/sub stream presence
  • What To Fix: actionable next-step recommendation

Status Meanings​

The advisor uses four statuses:

ITVDesk Ready​

The device looks ready for integration:

  • RTSP URL is present
  • Stream info suggests a usable main stream

Login Required​

The camera requires credentials or authentication failed.

Needs Setup​

The device is reachable but missing key pieces for stable integration, most commonly:

  • RTSP URL missing
  • Substream missing
  • Profiles not configured

Detected​

The device is discovered but there is not enough information to confirm readiness.

Recommendation for this state is usually:

  • Run Test Selected Camera... for full readiness diagnostics

Credentials: Verify Credentials​

You can enter an ONVIF username and password and click Verify Credentials.

This is intended to confirm whether:

  • Credentials are correct
  • Login is required for the discovered device

Play RTSP (FFplay)​

Select a device row and click Play RTSP to launch FFplay against the camera RTSP URL.

Notes:

  • The tool uses TCP transport (-rtsp_transport tcp).
  • If you entered credentials, they are injected into the RTSP URL (when the URL does not already contain a username).

Open Local Camera Settings​

If a discovered IP matches a camera already configured locally in ITVDesk, the button Open Local Camera Settings becomes enabled.

This lets you jump directly to that camera configuration.

Copy Report​

Copy Report copies a plain-text report to clipboard including:

  • Timestamp + summary
  • One line per device (status, IP, vendor/model, main/sub hints, recommendation)
  • Full scan log

Tips​

  • For reliable integration, run Network Camera Test as the primary readiness check.
  • Use the advisor for a quick network overview (discovery, RTSP URL hints, login required), especially when you have many cameras.
caution

The advisor is a fast discovery + hint tool. It does not replace a full readiness test.

If you are adding a camera in ITVDesk for production use, run Network Camera Test.

  • If you see many Detected results, verify:
    • multicast/WS-Discovery is allowed on the network
    • cameras are on the same subnet (discovery may not cross subnets)
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