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Video Stream Settings

Overview​

Video Stream Settings define how ITVDesk encodes, transcodes, exposes, and delivers live video streams to ONVIF clients, VMS/NVR systems, RTSP players, and HTTP snapshot consumers.

These settings apply after a camera and media source have been created and represent the final stage of the video pipeline.

Using these controls, you can:

  • Create and manage multiple stream profiles
  • Perform live transcoding (resolution, FPS, bitrate, codec)
  • Control snapshot generation and access
  • Secure or allow remote ONVIF management by NVR systems
  • Tune performance and bandwidth usage in real time
tip

All changes are applied live, without restarting ITVDesk or interrupting the RTSP service.

Video stream settings in ITVDesk

Stream Profiles​

ITVDesk supports multiple video stream profiles per camera, similar to professional hardware IP cameras.

Available profiles include:

  • MainStream – Primary, high-quality stream
  • SubStream – Lower-bitrate stream for remote or mobile viewing
  • P2PStream – Optimized for P2P or remote access

Each profile is:

  • Independently configurable
  • Exposed via its own RTSP URL
  • Managed as a separate ONVIF media profile

Typical usage​

  • MainStream → recording, monitoring, analytics
  • SubStream → low-bandwidth preview, WAN access
  • P2PStream → remote/cloud connectivity

Live Transcoding Behavior (Important)​

All changes made in Video Stream Settings are applied as live transcoding.

This means that ITVDesk will re-encode the stream in real time when you change:

  • Resolution (WxH)
  • Frame rate (FPS)
  • Bitrate
  • Codec (H.264 / H.265 / MJPEG)
  • GOP / encoding interval
  • Video quality

This applies regardless of the original media source:

  • Screen capture
  • Application window
  • External IP camera
  • Livestream Pusher
  • Media from file

ITVDesk always outputs the configured stream profile, not the original source format.

Video Encoding Settings​

Each stream profile exposes the following parameters.

Video Resolution​

You can select:

  • Predefined resolutions (e.g. 1920×1080)
  • Custom width × height values

Resolution can:

  • Match the source
  • Be downscaled or upscaled (live)

Impact:

  • Higher resolution → higher CPU usage and bandwidth
  • Lower resolution → better performance and lower latency

Video Codec​

Supported codecs:

  • H.264 (recommended, highest compatibility)
  • H.265 (higher compression, lower bandwidth)
  • MJPEG
  • JPEG (snapshot-style stream)
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H.264 Baseline is recommended for maximum NVR and ONVIF compatibility.

Frame Rate (FPS)​

Defines how many frames per second are encoded.

Typical values:

  • 10 FPS – low bandwidth, monitoring
  • 15 FPS – balanced
  • 25 FPS – smooth motion

Lower FPS:

  • Reduces CPU usage
  • Reduces bandwidth

Encoding Interval (GOP)​

Controls how often keyframes (I-frames) are generated.

  • Short GOP → faster seeking, better snapshots
  • Long GOP → lower bitrate, higher compression efficiency

Max Bitrate​

Limits the maximum bitrate in kb/s.

  • Can be fixed or auto-managed
  • Essential for WAN, LTE, or constrained networks
  • Prevents NVR overload

Video Quality​

Fine-tunes compression efficiency.

  • Higher quality → better image, higher bitrate
  • Lower quality → smaller stream size

H.264 Profile​

Available profiles:

  • Baseline – maximum compatibility
  • Main
  • High (if supported by client)

Baseline is safest for mixed VMS environments.

Snapshot Configuration​

ITVDesk can generate JPEG snapshots independently of RTSP streaming.

Snapshot URL​

Each profile exposes an HTTP snapshot endpoint, for example: http://192.168.68.83:7001/snapshot/PROFILE_ID

Snapshots can be used for:

  • VMS previews
  • Web dashboards
  • POS overlays
  • Thumbnails and status monitoring

Snapshot Interval​

Defines how often snapshots are refreshed.

Typical values:

  • 5–15 seconds → near-live preview low CPU/HDD
  • 15 seconds → default
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Snapshots are generated when an RTSP client is connected.

RTSP Stream URL​

Each stream profile exposes its own RTSP URL, for example: rtsp://192.168.68.82:5554/ipc1-stream1/screenlive

RTSP streams are compatible with:

  • VMS systems
  • NVR devices
  • ONVIF clients
  • RTSP players (VLC, FFplay)

Remote Management by NVR​

The Remote manage by NVR option controls whether external ONVIF clients are allowed to modify stream settings.

When enabled​

  • ONVIF clients (NVR/VMS) can change:
    • Resolution
    • FPS
    • Bitrate
    • Encoding parameters
  • Changes are synchronized with ITVDesk
  • ITVDesk behaves like a physical ONVIF camera

When disabled (security mode)​

  • All incoming ONVIF configuration commands are blocked
  • External devices cannot modify:
    • Video profiles
    • Encoding parameters
    • Stream configuration
  • Stream settings are locked locally in ITVDesk

This is strongly recommended when:

  • ITVDesk acts as a central stream gateway
  • Security and configuration integrity are critical
  • Multiple external systems connect to the same stream

Audio Stream (Overview)​

Audio settings are managed together with video profiles.

Supported codecs include:

  • G711A / G711U
  • G722
  • G726
  • AAC
  • OPUS

Audio options:

  • Enable or disable per profile
  • Mono or stereo
  • Configurable sample rate and bitrate
  • Two-way audio support (if enabled)

Detailed audio configuration is covered in a separate section.

Performance Notes​

  • Encoding uses a GPU-accelerated pipeline when supported (with automatic CPU fallback)
  • Each stream profile consumes resources independently
  • Live transcoding increases GPU/CPU usage proportionally to profile count and quality

Best practices:

  • Use one MainStream + one SubStream
  • Avoid unnecessary high resolutions
  • Lower FPS for WAN or mobile access
  • Disable unused profiles

Summary​

Video Stream Settings allow ITVDesk to function like a professional, enterprise-grade IP camera.

You can:

  • Create multiple ONVIF-compatible stream profiles
  • Perform live transcoding of video streams
  • Control bandwidth, quality, and latency
  • Secure stream configuration from external control
  • Generate snapshots and RTSP streams simultaneously

This makes ITVDesk suitable for:

  • Simple single-camera setups
  • POS and analytics integrations
  • Large-scale NVR/VMS deployments
  • Secure enterprise environments

Next Steps​

👉 Audio Stream Settings

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