Ceptory

Camera setup guide

Connect Hikvision to Ceptory

Hikvision cameras and recorders serve every channel over RTSP on port 554. Ceptory Edge reads the sub stream, keeps watching for activity on your network, and sends only the clips that matter to your Ceptory index.

Connect a cameraHow it works

Also covers: HiLook, Prama, Hikvision NVRs and DVRs.

Stream URL

Hikvision RTSP URL format

On a camera the channel is 1. On an NVR or DVR it is the camera's position on the recorder: channel 3 gives /Streaming/Channels/302 for its sub stream.

Sub stream (use this one)
rtsp://<username>:<password>@<host>:<port>/Streaming/Channels/<channel>02
Main stream
rtsp://<username>:<password>@<host>:<port>/Streaming/Channels/<channel>01

On the camera

Prepare the stream

  1. 1

    Find the camera's IP address

    Use Hikvision SADP, your NVR's camera list, or your router's client list. Give the camera a fixed IP or a DHCP reservation so the URL keeps working.

  2. 2

    Set the sub stream to H.264

    In the web interface open Configuration → Video/Audio → Video, choose Sub Stream, and set Video Encoding to H.264, a resolution of about 640×360, and 10 to 15 fps. Turn off H.264+ for this stream and set the I-frame interval to about twice the frame rate.

  3. 3

    Check the RTSP port

    Configuration → Network → Basic Settings → Port shows the RTSP port. It is 554 unless someone changed it.

  4. 4

    Create a viewer account

    Under Configuration → System → User Management, add a user with live view rights only and use it in the stream URL instead of admin.

In Ceptory Edge

Add the camera to edge.toml

Or let the Connect a camera page in your dashboard build this file, including the stream URL, and check each step live.

edge.toml
[ceptory]
url = "https://www.ceptory.com"
api_key = "${CEPTORY_API_KEY}"   # a WRITE key from Dashboard → API keys

[defaults]
index_id = "your-index-id"        # from /dashboard/indexes/<index_id>
upload_mode = "motion"

[[cameras]]
id = "front-entrance"
name = "Front entrance"
url = "rtsp://admin:${CAMERA_PASSWORD}@192.168.1.64:554/Streaming/Channels/102"
Check the camera, then start
ceptory-edge check
ceptory-edge run

check opens every stream and reports the codec, resolution and frame rate, so a wrong URL or password shows up before anything is uploaded.

Good to know

Hikvision notes

  • Smart codecs such as H.264+ and H.265+ space keyframes far apart, which makes clips start late. Plain H.264 on the sub stream avoids that.
  • To use ceptory-edge discover, enable ONVIF under Configuration → Network → Advanced Settings → Integration Protocol and add an ONVIF user there.
  • If the password contains characters such as @, : or /, the connect flow in the dashboard encodes them for you. When you write the URL by hand, replace @ with %40, : with %3A and / with %2F.

FAQ

Troubleshooting

Still stuck? Email us your Hikvision model and the error you see, and we'll help you get it streaming.

Contact support

Error 401 Unauthorized

The username or password is wrong, or the device has locked the login after repeated failures (often for around 30 minutes, depending on the illegal-login lock setting). Wait, then try again with the correct password.

ceptory-edge check says it could not open the stream

Open the same URL in VLC (Media → Open Network Stream) from the edge box. If VLC fails too, the URL, username, password or port is wrong, or RTSP is turned off on the camera. If VLC works, check that nothing on the box blocks outbound connections to port 554.

The camera shows online but no clips arrive

Clips are only sent when something moves. Walk in front of the camera, or lower motion_sensitivity (for example to 0.01) in edge.toml. If the camera's on-screen clock is counted as motion, add it to ignore_regions.

Do I need to open ports on my router?

No. Ceptory Edge runs inside your network, reads the cameras locally, and only makes outbound HTTPS connections to Ceptory. Nothing on the internet can reach your cameras through it.

Does all my footage go to the cloud?

No. Ceptory Edge watches every frame locally and uploads only short clips with activity, with a few seconds of context either side. Still footage stays on your cameras or recorder. You can also set upload_mode to off to send health and snapshots only.

Are camera passwords sent to Ceptory?

No. Stream URLs and passwords stay in edge.toml on your edge box. Ceptory only receives the camera's name, health, an occasional snapshot and the activity clips.

Get started

Search your Hikvision footage in plain language

Connect a camera in a few minutes. Only activity clips are uploaded and indexed.

Connect a cameraAll camera guides