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

Video Capture SDK .Net Media Blocks SDK .Net

Brand Overview

Sony (Sony Corporation, Security Systems Division) was a major manufacturer of professional IP surveillance cameras under the IPELA brand and later the SNC (Sony Network Camera) product line. Sony exited the security camera market in 2020, selling its security business to Bosch. However, a large installed base of Sony cameras remains in use worldwide, particularly in enterprise and government installations.

Key facts:

  • Product lines: SNC-CH (box, H.264), SNC-DH (dome, H.264), SNC-EB/ER (E-series), SNC-CX (compact), SNC-VB/VM/WR/XM (current-gen before exit), SNC-DF/RX/RZ/CS (legacy IPELA), SNT (video encoders)
  • Protocol support: RTSP, ONVIF, HTTP/CGI, Sony proprietary (DEPA)
  • Default RTSP port: 554
  • Default credentials: admin / admin (must be changed on setup)
  • ONVIF support: Yes (SNC-CH/DH and newer models)
  • Video codecs: H.264, H.265 (late models), MPEG-4 (legacy), MJPEG
  • Status: Sony exited security camera market in 2020

End of life

Sony exited the security camera market in 2020. While existing cameras continue to work, no new firmware updates or models are being released. The RTSP URLs documented here remain valid for existing installations.

RTSP URL Patterns

Current-Gen Models (SNC-CH/DH/EB/ER/CX/VB/VM/WR/XM)

Stream RTSP URL Codec Notes
Video 1 (main) rtsp://IP:554/media/video1 H.264 Main stream
Video 2 (sub) rtsp://IP:554/media/video2 H.264 Sub stream
ONVIF profile rtsp://IP//profile H.264 ONVIF-based (note double slash)
Direct rtsp://IP//media/video1 H.264 Alternative (double slash)

Model-Specific URLs

Model Series RTSP URL Resolution Notes
SNC-CH110 rtsp://IP/media/video1 1280x1024 Box camera
SNC-CH120/CH140 rtsp://IP/media/video1 1280x1024 / 1920x1080 Box camera
SNC-CH160/CH180 rtsp://IP/media/video1 1920x1080 Box camera
SNC-CH210/CH260/CH280 rtsp://IP/media/video1 1920x1080 / 2MP Box camera
SNC-DH110/DH120/DH140 rtsp://IP/media/video1 Up to 1080p Fixed dome
SNC-DH160/DH180 rtsp://IP/media/video1 1920x1080 Fixed dome
SNC-DH210/DH260 rtsp://IP/media/video1 1920x1080 Fixed dome
SNC-EB600B rtsp://IP/media/video1 1080p E-series
SNC-CX600W rtsp://IP:554//media/video1 1080p Compact
SNC-VB630/WR630/XM632 rtsp://IP//profile 1080p+ Latest gen
SNC-DM110 rtsp://IP:554//media/video1 720p Mini dome

Legacy IPELA Models (SNC-RX/RZ/DF/CS/EP)

Older Sony IPELA cameras typically don't support RTSP and use HTTP-based streaming:

Model Series URL Notes
SNC-RX530/RX550 http://IP/jpeg/vga.jpg JPEG snapshot
SNC-RZ25/RZ30/RZ50 http://IP/oneshotimage.jpg JPEG snapshot
SNC-DF40/DF50/DF70/DF80 http://IP/image JPEG snapshot
SNC-CS11/CS3P/CS50P http://IP/oneshotimage.jpg JPEG snapshot
SNC-EP520/EP580 http://IP/jpeg/vga.jpg JPEG snapshot
SNC-M1/M3 http://IP/image Very old MPEG-4

Video Encoder URLs

Encoder URL Notes
SNT-EX101/EX104 http://IP/oneshotimage.jpg Snapshot per channel
SNT-EX104 (channel) http://IP/CH1/oneshotimage.jpg Channel-specific
SNT-V704 http://IP/CH1/oneshotimage.jpg 4-channel encoder

Connecting with VisioForge SDK

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

// Sony SNC camera, main stream
var uri = new Uri("rtsp://192.168.1.55:554/media/video1");
var username = "admin";
var password = "YourPassword";

For sub-stream access, use /media/video2 instead.

Snapshot and MJPEG URLs

Type URL Pattern Notes
JPEG Snapshot http://IP/oneshotimage.jpg Most SNC models
JPEG (VGA) http://IP/jpeg/vga.jpg VGA resolution
JPEG (QVGA) http://IP/jpeg/qvga.jpg QVGA resolution
MJPEG Stream http://IP/img/mjpeg.cgi Continuous MJPEG
MJPEG (alt) http://IP/mjpeg Alternative MJPEG path
H.264 over HTTP http://IP/h264 H.264 stream via HTTP
Image http://IP/image Generic snapshot
Channel snapshot http://IP/oneshotimage1 Channel-specific

Troubleshooting

Double slash in URLs

Some Sony models use a double slash before the path in RTSP URLs:

  • rtsp://IP//media/video1 (double slash)
  • rtsp://IP:554/media/video1 (single slash with port)

Both formats usually work, but try the double-slash variant if the standard URL fails.

ONVIF vs direct RTSP

Sony cameras support both direct RTSP and ONVIF-based connections:

  • Direct RTSP: rtsp://IP:554/media/video1 (recommended)
  • ONVIF: rtsp://IP//profile (ONVIF-discovered URL)

Legacy cameras without RTSP

Older Sony IPELA cameras (SNC-RX, SNC-RZ, SNC-DF, SNC-CS, SNC-M series) often don't support RTSP and only offer HTTP JPEG/MJPEG. For these cameras, use HTTP snapshot integration.

Sony exited the market

Sony sold its security camera business in 2020. Existing cameras continue to function but receive no new firmware updates. Plan for eventual migration when deploying new integrations.

FAQ

What is the default RTSP URL for Sony SNC cameras?

For current Sony SNC cameras, use rtsp://admin:password@CAMERA_IP:554/media/video1 for the main stream and media/video2 for the sub stream.

Does Sony still make IP cameras?

No. Sony exited the security camera market in 2020. Existing Sony SNC cameras remain in use and their RTSP streams continue to work, but no new models or firmware updates are being released.

Do Sony cameras support ONVIF?

Yes. Sony SNC-CH, SNC-DH, and newer series support ONVIF Profile S. Use rtsp://IP//profile for ONVIF-based connections.

What about Sony IPELA cameras?

IPELA was Sony's earlier camera brand. Many IPELA models (SNC-RX, SNC-RZ, SNC-DF series) only support HTTP JPEG/MJPEG, not RTSP. Later IPELA models (SNC-CH/DH series) do support RTSP via media/video1.