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OSD Overlay (On-Screen Display)

Overview​

OSD Overlay allows you to display custom text and system information directly on the video stream.

OSD is rendered inside the encoded video, which means:

  • It is visible in RTSP streams
  • It is recorded together with video
  • It is visible in ONVIF, VMS, NVR, and RTSP players

This feature is commonly used for identification, timestamps, operational context, and compliance requirements.

OSD overlay settings

What Can Be Displayed​

The following elements can be enabled or disabled individually:

  • Camera Name
    Displays the logical camera name

  • Date and Time
    Shows current system date and time

  • Channel Name (CH Name)
    Displays the active channel identifier

  • Keystroke Video Logging
    Captures and overlays user keystrokes (used for auditing and training)

Custom Text Overlay​

ITVDesk supports custom text overlays placed in predefined screen areas.

Available positions:

  • Up-Left
  • Up-Right
  • Down-Left
  • Down-Right

Each position can contain custom text, such as:

  • Location identifiers
  • Operator name
  • POS terminal ID
  • Transaction or system status
  • Custom labels or warnings

Text Appearance Settings​

You can control how OSD text looks on the video:

  • OSD Text Size
    Controls font size

  • OSD Text Color
    Selectable color (e.g. white, yellow, etc.)

Text is rendered with high contrast to remain readable across different backgrounds.

Real-Time Behavior​

  • OSD changes are applied live
  • No restart of ITVDesk is required
  • OSD updates immediately affect:
    • RTSP streams
    • ONVIF streams
    • Local recordings
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This allows dynamic updates during operation.

Integration with Other Features​

OSD Overlay works together with:

  • Desktop Capture
  • Webcam Capture
  • External IP Cameras
  • Combined Media Streams
  • Recording (ONVIF Profile G)

OSD is embedded before encoding, ensuring consistent behavior across all clients.

Common Use Cases​

  • Surveillance camera identification
  • POS transaction context
  • Operator or workstation labeling
  • Legal compliance (timestamp, camera ID)
  • Training and audit recordings
  • Remote monitoring and support

Summary​

OSD Overlay in ITVDesk allows you to:

  • Display system and custom text on video
  • Control position, size, and color
  • Apply changes in real time
  • Embed text into live streams and recordings

This makes ITVDesk suitable for professional surveillance, POS environments, auditing, and enterprise video workflows.

Next Steps​

👉 Motion Detection

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