RTSP Server Block - VisioForge Media Blocks SDK .Net

Media Blocks SDK .Net

The RTSP Server block creates an RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol) server endpoint for streaming audio/video content over networks. Clients can connect to receive live or recorded media streams with low latency.

Overview

The RTSPServerBlock provides a complete RTSP streaming server implementation with the following capabilities:

• Multiple Client Support: Handles simultaneous connections from multiple RTSP clients
• Standard Compliance: Compatible with VLC, FFmpeg, GStreamer, and IP camera viewers
• Video Codecs: H.264, H.265, and other compressed formats
• Audio Codecs: AAC, MP3, Opus, and other formats
• Transport Protocols: RTP/RTCP for reliable media delivery
• Authentication: Optional RTSP authentication support
• Configurable: Custom port binding and mount points
• Low Latency: Optimized for real-time streaming applications

Block Info

Name: RTSPServerBlock.

Pin direction	Media type	Pins count
Input video	compressed video (H.264, H.265)	1
Input audio	compressed audio (AAC, MP3, etc.)	1

The Sample Pipeline

graph LR;
    SystemVideoSourceBlock-->H264EncoderBlock;
    SystemAudioSourceBlock-->AACEncoderBlock;
    H264EncoderBlock-->RTSPServerBlock;
    AACEncoderBlock-->RTSPServerBlock;

Settings

The RTSPServerBlock is configured using RTSPServerSettings:

RTSPServerSettings Properties

• Port (int): The TCP port for the RTSP server (default: 8554)
• MountPoint (string): The URL path for the stream (e.g., "/stream1")
• Username (string): Optional username for authentication
• Password (string): Optional password for authentication
• Multicast (bool): Enable multicast streaming
• MulticastAddress (string): Multicast group address
• TTL (int): Time-to-live for multicast packets

Sample Code

Basic RTSP Server

var pipeline = new MediaBlocksPipeline();

// Create video source
var videoDevice = (await DeviceEnumerator.Shared.VideoSourcesAsync())[0];
var videoFormat = videoDevice.VideoFormats[0];
var videoSettings = new VideoCaptureDeviceSourceSettings(videoDevice)
{
    Format = videoFormat.ToFormat()
};
var videoSource = new SystemVideoSourceBlock(videoSettings);

// Create audio source
var audioDevice = (await DeviceEnumerator.Shared.AudioSourcesAsync())[0];
var audioFormat = audioDevice.Formats[0];
var audioSettings = audioDevice.CreateSourceSettings(audioFormat.ToFormat());
var audioSource = new SystemAudioSourceBlock(audioSettings);

// Create video encoder
var h264Settings = new H264EncoderSettings
{
    Bitrate = 2000,
    Profile = H264Profile.Main
};
var h264Encoder = new H264EncoderBlock(h264Settings);
pipeline.Connect(videoSource.Output, h264Encoder.Input);

// Create audio encoder
var aacSettings = new AACEncoderSettings
{
    Bitrate = 128
};
var aacEncoder = new AACEncoderBlock(aacSettings);
pipeline.Connect(audioSource.Output, aacEncoder.Input);

// Create RTSP server
var rtspSettings = new RTSPServerSettings
{
    Port = 8554,
    MountPoint = "/live"
};
var rtspServer = new RTSPServerBlock(rtspSettings);
pipeline.Connect(h264Encoder.Output, rtspServer.VideoInput);
pipeline.Connect(aacEncoder.Output, rtspServer.AudioInput);

// Start streaming
await pipeline.StartAsync();

// Server is now accessible at rtsp://localhost:8554/live
Console.WriteLine("RTSP server started at rtsp://localhost:8554/live");
Console.WriteLine("Connect with: vlc rtsp://localhost:8554/live");

RTSP Server with Authentication

var rtspSettings = new RTSPServerSettings
{
    Port = 8554,
    MountPoint = "/secure",
    Username = "admin",
    Password = "password123"
};
var rtspServer = new RTSPServerBlock(rtspSettings);

// Configure encoders and connect as above
// ...

await pipeline.StartAsync();

// Clients must authenticate: rtsp://admin:password123@localhost:8554/secure
Console.WriteLine("Secure RTSP server started at rtsp://localhost:8554/secure");

File Streaming over RTSP

var pipeline = new MediaBlocksPipeline();

// Use file as source
var fileSettings = await UniversalSourceSettings.CreateAsync(new Uri("video.mp4"));
var fileSource = new UniversalSourceBlock(fileSettings);

// Create RTSP server
var rtspSettings = new RTSPServerSettings
{
    Port = 8554,
    MountPoint = "/vod"
};
var rtspServer = new RTSPServerBlock(rtspSettings);

// Connect video and audio from file
pipeline.Connect(fileSource.VideoOutput, rtspServer.VideoInput);
pipeline.Connect(fileSource.AudioOutput, rtspServer.AudioInput);

await pipeline.StartAsync();

// Stream file content via RTSP
Console.WriteLine("Video-on-Demand RTSP server started at rtsp://localhost:8554/vod");

Client Connection

Clients can connect to the RTSP server using the URL format:

rtsp://hostname:port/mountpoint

Examples: - rtsp://localhost:8554/live - rtsp://192.168.1.100:8554/stream1 - rtsp://username:password@server.com:8554/secure

VLC Player

vlc rtsp://localhost:8554/live

FFmpeg

ffplay rtsp://localhost:8554/live
ffmpeg -i rtsp://localhost:8554/live -c copy output.mp4

GStreamer

gst-launch-1.0 rtspsrc location=rtsp://localhost:8554/live ! decodebin ! autovideosink

Use Cases

• Live Streaming: Broadcast live camera feeds over networks
• Security Systems: Stream surveillance cameras to monitoring stations
• Video Distribution: Distribute media content to multiple clients
• Remote Monitoring: Enable remote viewing of industrial processes
• Broadcasting: Create low-latency streaming solutions
• Video Conferencing: Stream participant feeds to viewers
• IoT Cameras: Provide RTSP endpoint for smart camera devices

Performance Considerations

• Encoding: Video/audio must be encoded before streaming
• Bandwidth: Monitor network bandwidth for multiple clients
• Latency: Optimize encoder settings for low-latency requirements
• Clients: Each client consumes server resources and bandwidth
• Port: Ensure firewall allows traffic on the configured port
• Multicast: Use for efficient one-to-many streaming on local networks

Remarks

• Video and audio streams should be compressed/encoded before feeding to RTSP server
• The server supports H.264/H.265 for video and AAC/MP3/Opus for audio
• Port 8554 is the standard RTSP port but can be changed
• Mount point defines the URL path for accessing the stream
• Server continues streaming as long as the pipeline is running
• Multiple RTSPServerBlock instances can run on different ports simultaneously
• Use authentication for secure streaming environments

Platforms

Windows, macOS, Linux.

Note: Requires GStreamer with RTSP server support (gst-rtsp-server plugin).

Sample Applications

• RTSP Webcam Server

Related Blocks

• H264EncoderBlock - H.264 video encoding
• H265EncoderBlock - H.265 video encoding
• AACEncoderBlock - AAC audio encoding
• SystemVideoSourceBlock - Camera capture
• SystemAudioSourceBlock - Audio capture