RTSP Server: Accept RTSP client connections for stream publishing and playback
RTSP Client: Pull streams from remote RTSP sources
Dual Transport Modes: Support both TCP and UDP transport protocols
Authentication: Built-in username/password authentication
Bidirectional Proxy: Support for both pull and push proxying
Standard Compliance: Implements RTSP protocol (RFC 2326/RFC 7826)

Configuration

rtsp:
  tcp:
    listenaddr: :554        # RTSP server listening address
  username: ""              # Authentication username (optional)
  password: ""              # Authentication password (optional)
  udpport: 20001-30000      # UDP port range for media transmission

Configuration Parameters

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
`tcp.listenaddr`	string	`:554`	RTSP server listening address and port
`username`	string	`""`	Authentication username (empty = no auth)
`password`	string	`""`	Authentication password
`udpport`	range	`20001-30000`	UDP port range for RTP/RTCP transmission

Usage

Pull RTSP Stream

Pull a remote RTSP stream into Monibuca:

rtsp:
  pull:
    camera1:
      url: rtsp://admin:password@192.168.1.100/stream

Or use the unified API:

curl -X POST http://localhost:8080/api/stream/pull \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "protocol": "rtsp",
    "streamPath": "camera1",
    "remoteURL": "rtsp://admin:password@192.168.1.100/stream"
  }'

Push Stream via RTSP

Push a stream from Monibuca to a remote RTSP server:

rtsp:
  push:
    camera1:
      target: rtsp://192.168.1.200/live/stream

Publish Stream to Monibuca RTSP Server

Use FFmpeg or other RTSP clients to publish streams:

ffmpeg -re -i input.mp4 -c copy -f rtsp rtsp://localhost:554/live/stream

Play Stream from Monibuca RTSP Server

Use any RTSP client to play streams:

ffplay rtsp://localhost:554/live/stream

Or with VLC, OBS, or other RTSP-compatible players.

Transport Modes

TCP Transport (Interleaved Mode)

More reliable, works through firewalls
Higher latency
Automatic fallback option

UDP Transport

Lower latency
Better for local networks
Requires open UDP port range
RTP/RTCP use separate ports

RTSP Methods Supported

Method	Direction	Description
OPTIONS	Both	Query supported methods
DESCRIBE	Pull	Get stream SDP information
ANNOUNCE	Push	Declare stream for publishing
SETUP	Both	Setup transport parameters
PLAY	Pull	Start playing stream
RECORD	Push	Start recording/publishing
TEARDOWN	Both	Close connection

Authentication

When username and password are configured, the server requires HTTP Basic Authentication:

rtsp:
  username: admin
  password: secret123

Clients must provide credentials in the URL:

rtsp://admin:secret123@localhost:554/live/stream

Advanced Features

Pull Proxy

Automatically pull and cache remote RTSP streams. Configure under the global node:

global:
  pullproxy:
    - id: 1                          # Unique ID, must be > 0
      name: "camera-1"               # Pull proxy name
      type: "rtsp"                   # Protocol type
      streampath: "live/camera1"     # Stream path in Monibuca
      pullonstart: true              # Auto-pull on startup
      pull:
        url: "rtsp://admin:password@192.168.1.100/stream"
      description: "Front door camera"
    - id: 2
      name: "camera-2"
      type: "rtsp"
      streampath: "live/camera2"
      pullonstart: false
      pull:
        url: "rtsp://admin:password@192.168.1.101/stream"

Or use the API to manage pull proxies dynamically (see API Endpoints section below).

Push Proxy

Automatically push streams to remote RTSP servers. Configure under the global node:

global:
  pushproxy:
    - id: 1                          # Unique ID, must be > 0
      name: "push-1"                 # Push proxy name
      type: "rtsp"                   # Protocol type
      streampath: "live/stream1"     # Source stream path
      pushonstart: true              # Auto-push on startup
      push:
        url: "rtsp://192.168.1.200/live/stream1"
      description: "Push to remote server"

Or use the API to manage push proxies dynamically (see API Endpoints section below).

Compatibility

Tested Devices/Software

✅ FFmpeg
✅ VLC Media Player
✅ OBS Studio
✅ ONVIF-compliant devices

Known Issues

See BAD_DEVICE.md for devices with non-standard RTSP implementations.

Codec Support

The plugin transparently passes through codec information. Supported codecs depend on the source and destination:

Video: H.264, H.265/HEVC, MPEG-4, MJPEG
Audio: AAC, G.711 (PCMA/PCMU), G.726, MP3, OPUS

Performance Tips

Use TCP transport for streams over the internet
Use UDP transport for local network streams (lower latency)
Adjust UDP port range based on concurrent stream count
Enable authentication to prevent unauthorized access
For high-concurrency scenarios, consider hardware transcoding

Troubleshooting

Connection Refused

Check if port 554 requires root/administrator privileges
Try a different port (e.g., 8554)
Verify firewall settings

No Video/Audio

Check codec compatibility between source and client
Verify SDP information in logs
Test with VLC or FFplay to isolate issues

UDP Packet Loss

Increase UDP port range
Switch to TCP transport
Check network quality and bandwidth

API Endpoints

Pull Stream

Use the unified pull API with protocol set to rtsp:

POST /api/stream/pull
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "protocol": "rtsp",
  "streamPath": "camera1",
  "remoteURL": "rtsp://admin:password@192.168.1.100/stream",
  "pubAudio": true,
  "pubVideo": true
}

Parameters:

protocol (required): Set to "rtsp"
streamPath (required): Local stream path in Monibuca
remoteURL (required): Remote RTSP URL to pull from
pubAudio (optional): Enable audio publishing
pubVideo (optional): Enable video publishing
testMode (optional): 0 = normal pull, 1 = pull without publishing
Additional publish configuration options available (see GlobalPullRequest in global.proto)

Stop Stream

POST /api/stream/stop/{streamPath}

Manage Pull/Push Proxy

GET /api/proxy/pull/list - List all pull proxies
POST /api/proxy/pull/add - Add a pull proxy
POST /api/proxy/pull/update - Update a pull proxy
POST /api/proxy/pull/remove/{id} - Remove a pull proxy
GET /api/proxy/push/list - List all push proxies
POST /api/proxy/push/add - Add a push proxy
POST /api/proxy/push/update - Update a push proxy
POST /api/proxy/push/remove/{id} - Remove a push proxy

Acknowledgments

This plugin references code and implementation ideas from the excellent go2rtc project by AlexxIT, which provides a comprehensive media server solution with advanced streaming capabilities.

License

This plugin is part of the Monibuca project and follows the same license terms.