Introduction

Once connected to an ONVIF device, you often need to retrieve its video/audio stream URI to consume the media (e.g., via RTSP player or decoder). This guide shows two methods to get the stream URI using the Happytimesoft ONVIF Client Library.

Method 1: Get the default stream URI (usually RTP over RTSP).

Method 2: Request a stream URI with a specific transport protocol (e.g., RTP over UDP or HTTP).

Method 1: Get Default Stream URI (RTP over RTSP)

Use the GetStreamUris function to retrieve the pre-configured stream URI, typically using RTP over RTSP.

// Call GetStreamUris to get the default RTP over RTSP stream address
if (!GetStreamUris(&g_device))
{   
    printf("%s, GetStreamUris failed\r\n", g_device.binfo.XAddr.host);
}

The resulting URI is typically in the format: rtsp://[IP]:[PORT]/[STREAM_PATH]

Method 2: Get Stream URI with Custom Protocol

Use the onvif_GetStreamUri function to request a stream using a specific transport protocol, such as RTP over UDP or HTTP tunneling.

Step 1: Define the Request

Specify the desired transport protocol and stream type (unicast/multicast).

ONVIF_Profile * p_profile = g_device.profiles; 
while (p_profile) 
{   
    GetStreamUri_REQ req;   
    GetStreamUri_RES res;   
    memset(&req, 0, sizeof(req));   
    memset(&res, 0, sizeof(res));   
    
    // Set transport protocol: UDP, RTSP (default), or HTTP
    req.StreamSetup.Transport.Protocol = TransportProtocol_UDP; 
    // Options: TransportProtocol_UDP, TransportProtocol_RTSP, TransportProtocol_HTTP
    
    // Set stream type: Unicast or Multicast
    req.StreamSetup.Stream = StreamType_RTP_Unicast; 
    // Options: StreamType_RTP_Unicast, StreamType_RTP_Multicast
    
    strcpy(req.ProfileToken, p_profile->token);

Step 2: Execute the Request

Call the API and store the returned URI.

    if (onvif_GetStreamUri(&g_device, &req, &res)) 
    {       
        strcpy(p_profile->stream_uri, res.Uri); 
        // URI is now stored in p_profile->stream_uri
    }   
    
    p_profile = p_profile->next;
}

Protocol Comparison

• RTP over RTSP (Method 1): Standard method, uses RTSP for control and RTP for media. Most common for live viewing.
• RTP over UDP (Method 2): Lower overhead, direct UDP transmission. May be blocked by firewalls.
• RTP over HTTP (Method 2): HTTP tunneling, useful for traversing restrictive firewalls.

Key Notes

• The ProfileToken identifies the video profile (e.g., main or sub stream).
• Always check the return value of API calls for error handling.
• The resulting URI can be used in media players (VLC) or libraries (FFmpeg) to decode the stream.