Skip to content

How to Connect to FLIR IP Camera in C# .NET

Video Capture SDK .Net Media Blocks SDK .Net

Brand Overview

FLIR Systems (now Teledyne FLIR following the 2021 acquisition by Teledyne Technologies) is a leading manufacturer of thermal imaging cameras and visible-light security cameras. Headquartered in Wilsonville, Oregon, USA, FLIR serves enterprise, critical infrastructure, and government markets. FLIR is best known for thermal imaging but also produces a full range of visible-light IP cameras for professional surveillance. FLIR previously acquired Lorex and DVTEL (now FLIR Latitude VMS).

Key facts:

  • Product lines: Quasar (premium multi-sensor/mini-dome), Saros (perimeter detection), Elara (thermal+visible dual-sensor), CM (compact mini dome), CF (compact fixed), PT/PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom), FC (thermal-only), FLIR FX (consumer, discontinued)
  • Protocol support: RTSP, ONVIF (Quasar, Saros, Elara series), HTTP/CGI
  • Default RTSP port: 554
  • Default credentials: admin / admin (most models), admin / fliradmin (some Quasar models)
  • ONVIF support: Yes (Quasar, Saros, Elara series)
  • Video codecs: H.264, H.265 (Quasar series), MJPEG
  • Thermal specialization: FLIR thermal cameras output radiometric data in addition to visible-light video, with separate RTSP streams for each sensor

Thermal cameras have separate streams

FLIR dual-sensor cameras (Elara, PT-series) provide separate RTSP streams for visible and thermal channels. Typically ch0 is the visible channel and ch1 is the thermal channel.

RTSP URL Patterns

Current Models (Quasar, Saros, Elara)

Stream RTSP URL Notes
Visible channel rtsp://IP:554/ch0 Primary visible stream
Thermal channel rtsp://IP:554/ch1 Thermal stream (dual-sensor models)
Visible (alt) rtsp://IP:554/vis Visible on PT-series
Wide FOV thermal rtsp://IP:554/wfov PT-series, wide field of view
Auth stream rtsp://IP:554/0/USERNAME:PASSWORD/main With embedded credentials

Model-Specific URLs

Model Series RTSP URL Type Notes
Quasar CM-3308 rtsp://IP:554/ch0 Mini dome Compact multi-sensor
Quasar CM-6208 rtsp://IP:554/ch0 Mini dome Compact multi-sensor
D-series (fixed dome) rtsp://IP:554/ch0 Fixed dome Visible stream
F-series (fixed) rtsp://IP:554/ch0 Fixed Visible stream
PT-series (PTZ-35x140) rtsp://IP:554/vis PTZ Visible channel
PT-series (PTZ-35x140) rtsp://IP:554/wfov PTZ Wide FOV thermal
Elara (visible) rtsp://IP:554/ch0 Thermal+visible Visible channel
Elara (thermal) rtsp://IP:554/ch1 Thermal+visible Thermal channel
FC-series (thermal) rtsp://IP:554/ch0 Thermal only Thermal stream

Dual-Sensor Thermal Cameras

FLIR dual-sensor cameras provide both visible and thermal video on separate channels:

Stream RTSP URL Notes
Elara visible rtsp://IP:554/ch0 Visible-light sensor
Elara thermal rtsp://IP:554/ch1 Thermal sensor
PT visible rtsp://IP:554/vis Visible-light sensor
PT wide thermal rtsp://IP:554/wfov Wide FOV thermal sensor

Connecting with VisioForge SDK

Use your FLIR camera's RTSP URL with any of the three SDK approaches shown in the Quick Start Guide:

// FLIR Quasar mini-dome, visible stream
var uri = new Uri("rtsp://192.168.1.70:554/ch0");
var username = "admin";
var password = "admin";

For dual-sensor cameras, use ch1 to access the thermal stream. For PT-series cameras, use /vis for the visible channel or /wfov for the wide FOV thermal channel.

Snapshot and MJPEG URLs

Type URL Pattern Notes
JPEG Snapshot http://IP/jpg/image.jpg Some models
Snapshot (alt) http://IP/snapshot.jpg Alternative path

Troubleshooting

Thermal vs. visible channels

FLIR dual-sensor cameras (Elara, PT-series) expose separate RTSP streams for each sensor:

  • ch0 = visible-light channel (most models)
  • ch1 = thermal channel (most models)
  • /vis = visible channel (PT-series)
  • /wfov = wide FOV thermal (PT-series)

If you connect to the wrong channel, you may receive thermal imagery when you expected visible or vice versa. Check your camera's documentation for channel assignments.

Default credentials differ by model

  • Most FLIR cameras: admin / admin
  • Some Quasar models: admin / fliradmin
  • Current Teledyne FLIR firmware: Password may need to be set during initial configuration

Always change default credentials before deploying cameras on a production network.

Teledyne FLIR rebranding

Teledyne Technologies acquired FLIR Systems in 2021. Current firmware versions may display Teledyne FLIR branding, and newer cameras may ship with updated web interfaces and configuration tools. RTSP URL patterns remain consistent with legacy FLIR cameras.

FLIR FX consumer cameras

The discontinued FLIR FX consumer camera line used cloud-only access and does not support RTSP streaming. These cameras cannot be connected via direct RTSP URLs.

FLIR Lorex cameras

FLIR acquired Lorex, but Lorex cameras use their own RTSP URL patterns (based on Dahua firmware). Do not use FLIR URL patterns for Lorex cameras. See the Lorex page for Lorex-specific URLs.

ONVIF availability

ONVIF is supported on current-generation cameras (Quasar, Saros, Elara). Older FLIR cameras and consumer models (FLIR FX) do not support ONVIF. For ONVIF-supported models, use ONVIF discovery as an alternative to manual RTSP URL configuration.

FAQ

What is the default RTSP URL for FLIR cameras?

For most FLIR cameras, use rtsp://admin:admin@CAMERA_IP:554/ch0 for the visible stream. For dual-sensor thermal cameras, use ch1 for the thermal stream. For PT-series cameras, use /vis (visible) or /wfov (wide FOV thermal).

Does FLIR support H.265?

Quasar-series cameras support H.265 encoding. Other FLIR camera lines primarily use H.264 and MJPEG. Check your specific model's datasheet for codec support.

How do I access the thermal stream on a FLIR dual-sensor camera?

Dual-sensor cameras provide separate RTSP streams for visible and thermal channels. On Elara models, ch0 is visible and ch1 is thermal. On PT-series models, /vis is visible and /wfov is the wide FOV thermal stream. Connect to the appropriate URL for the desired sensor.

Are FLIR and Teledyne FLIR the same company?

Yes. Teledyne Technologies acquired FLIR Systems in 2021. The company now operates as Teledyne FLIR. Existing FLIR cameras continue to work with the same RTSP URL patterns. Newer products may carry Teledyne FLIR branding.

Can I use FLIR URL patterns for Lorex cameras?

No. Although FLIR acquired Lorex, Lorex cameras use Dahua-based firmware with different RTSP URL patterns. See the Lorex camera connection guide for the correct URLs.