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How to Connect to Panasonic (i-PRO) IP Camera in C# .NET

Video Capture SDK .Net Media Blocks SDK .Net

Brand Overview

Panasonic i-PRO (formerly Panasonic Security Systems, now operating as i-PRO Co., Ltd.) is a Japanese manufacturer of professional video surveillance equipment. Originally part of Panasonic Corporation, the security division was spun off as i-PRO in 2019. Panasonic/i-PRO cameras are widely deployed in enterprise, government, transportation, and retail environments worldwide.

Key facts:

  • Product lines: WV-S (current S-series), WV-X (X-series AI), WV-SF/SC/SP/SW (mid-generation), WV-NP/NS/NW (legacy professional), BL (consumer/SMB), BB/KX-HCM (legacy consumer)
  • Protocol support: RTSP, ONVIF (Profile S/G/T), HTTP/CGI, MJPEG, Panasonic proprietary
  • Default RTSP port: 554
  • Default credentials: admin / 12345 (current models require password change on first login); legacy BB/BL models often had no default password
  • ONVIF support: Yes (all current WV-S/WV-X models)
  • Video codecs: H.264, H.265 (current models), MPEG-4 (legacy), MJPEG

RTSP URL Patterns

Current Models (WV-S/WV-X Series, i-PRO)

Current Panasonic i-PRO cameras use the MediaInput URL format:

Stream RTSP URL Codec Notes
H.264 stream rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 H.264 Primary RTSP stream
H.265 stream rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h265 H.265 Current models only
MPEG-4 stream rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/mpeg4 MPEG-4 Legacy fallback
ONVIF stream rtsp://IP//ONVIF/MediaInput H.264 ONVIF-compatible (note double slash)

Double slash in ONVIF URLs

Panasonic ONVIF URLs use a double slash before ONVIF: rtsp://IP//ONVIF/MediaInput. This is intentional and required for ONVIF-based connections.

Model-Specific URLs

Model Series RTSP URL Generation
WV-S1131/S1132 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 Current (i-PRO)
WV-S2131L/S2231L rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 Current (i-PRO)
WV-X1551L/X2251L rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 Current AI series
WV-SF132/SF135/SF138 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 Mid-generation
WV-SF332/SF335/SF346 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 Mid-generation
WV-SC384/SC385/SC386 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 Mid-generation
WV-SP105/SP306/SP508 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 Mid-generation
WV-SW115/SW155/SW175 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 Mid-generation outdoor
WV-SW316/SW352/SW355 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 Mid-generation outdoor
WV-SW395/SW396/SW458 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 Mid-generation outdoor
WV-SW558/SW559/SW598 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 Mid-generation outdoor
WV-ST162/ST165 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 Mid-generation PTZ
WV-NP240/NP244/NP304 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/mpeg4 Legacy professional
WV-NP502/NP1000/NP1004 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/mpeg4 Legacy professional
WV-NS202/NS324/NS954 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/mpeg4 Legacy PTZ
WV-NW484/NW502/NW960/NW964 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/mpeg4 Legacy outdoor

Legacy Consumer Models (BB/BL/KX Series)

Older Panasonic consumer cameras used different URL patterns:

Model Series RTSP URL Codec Notes
BL-C210/C230 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 H.264 Late consumer models
BL-C210/C230 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/mpeg4 MPEG-4 MPEG-4 fallback
BL-VP101/VP104 rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 H.264 Compact
BB-HCM531A/735 rtsp://IP/nphMpeg4/g726-640x48 MPEG-4 Very old format
BB/BL/KX (HTTP only) http://IP/nphMotionJpeg?Resolution=640x480&Quality=Standard MJPEG HTTP MJPEG stream

Legacy BB/BL cameras

Many older Panasonic BB and BL series cameras do not support RTSP at all. They only provide HTTP-based MJPEG and JPEG snapshot streams. Current i-PRO cameras fully support RTSP.

Encoder/DVR URLs

Device RTSP URL Notes
WJ-GXE500 encoder http://IP/cgi-bin/camera MJPEG via HTTP
WJ-HD220 DVR http://IP/cgi-bin/jpeg Snapshot from DVR
WJ-ND400 NVR http://IP/cgi-bin/jpeg Snapshot from NVR
WJ-NV200 NVR http://IP/cgi-bin/checkimage.cgi?UID=USER&CAM=CHANNEL Channel snapshot

Connecting with VisioForge SDK

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

// Panasonic i-PRO camera, H.264 stream
var uri = new Uri("rtsp://192.168.1.80:554/MediaInput/h264");
var username = "admin";
var password = "YourPassword";

For H.265, use /MediaInput/h265 instead.

Snapshot and MJPEG URLs

Type URL Pattern Notes
MJPEG Stream (current) http://IP/cgi-bin/mjpeg?stream=1 Current WV-S/WV-X models
JPEG Snapshot http://IP/cgi-bin/camera Current models
Snapshot (sized) http://IP/SnapshotJPEG?Resolution=640x480 Mid-generation models
Snapshot (quality) http://IP/SnapShotJPEG?Resolution=320x240&Quality=Motion Legacy models
MJPEG Stream (legacy) http://IP/nphMotionJpeg?Resolution=640x480&Quality=Standard BB/BL/KX models
Server push http://IP/cgi-bin/nphContinuousServerPush Continuous JPEG push

Troubleshooting

Brand name confusion

The Panasonic security camera brand has evolved:

  • Panasonic (before 2019): Full Panasonic branding
  • i-PRO (2019-present): Spun off from Panasonic as i-PRO Co., Ltd.
  • Current products are branded i-PRO but many users still search for "Panasonic camera"

All use compatible RTSP URL patterns within their generation.

MediaInput/h264 vs ONVIF/MediaInput

  • Use rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h264 for direct RTSP connections (recommended)
  • Use rtsp://IP//ONVIF/MediaInput for ONVIF-compatible connections (note the double slash)
  • Both provide the same video stream but use different authentication mechanisms

Legacy cameras without RTSP

Many older Panasonic BB-series and BL-series cameras (particularly BL-C1, BL-C10, BL-C30, BL-C101, BL-C111, BL-C131 and earlier) do not support RTSP. These cameras only provide:

  • HTTP MJPEG: http://IP/nphMotionJpeg?Resolution=640x480&Quality=Standard
  • HTTP Snapshot: http://IP/SnapshotJPEG?Resolution=320x240

MPEG-4 vs H.264

Legacy WV-NP/NS/NW series cameras may only support MPEG-4 over RTSP. Try MediaInput/mpeg4 if MediaInput/h264 fails on older models.

FAQ

What is the default RTSP URL for Panasonic/i-PRO cameras?

For current i-PRO cameras, use rtsp://admin:password@CAMERA_IP:554/MediaInput/h264. For ONVIF connections, use rtsp://CAMERA_IP//ONVIF/MediaInput. Legacy models may need MediaInput/mpeg4.

Is Panasonic the same as i-PRO?

Yes. Panasonic's security camera division was spun off as i-PRO Co., Ltd. in 2019. Current cameras are branded i-PRO, but use the same RTSP URL patterns as late-generation Panasonic WV-series cameras.

Do Panasonic cameras support H.265?

Current i-PRO cameras (WV-S and WV-X series) support H.265. Use rtsp://IP:554/MediaInput/h265 for the H.265 stream. Mid-generation and older models support H.264 and MPEG-4 only.

Can I connect to legacy Panasonic BB/BL cameras?

Many older BB and BL series cameras don't support RTSP and only provide HTTP MJPEG streams. Use the HTTP MJPEG URL http://IP/nphMotionJpeg?Resolution=640x480&Quality=Standard with an HTTP source instead of RTSP.