How to Use OBS As IP Camera Viewer?

Network or internet cameras, commonly known as IP cameras, are increasingly becoming important for keeping an eye on properties, families, and pets. Although they are similar to analog closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, they do not require a local recording device as these cameras convert the video signal into IP packets that are transmitted over the data network or internet to a network storage device such as a network-attached server (NAS). While most consumer-level IP cameras for home security live stream video to a companion app on the user’s phone and connect to the internet through Wi-Fi, Broadband, or Ethernet cable, many users are looking for customized solutions to reduce cost and improve security. In this article, let us examine how to use OBS as an IP camera viewer.

How to Connect IP Cameras with OBS?

OBS can connect to multiple IP-connected cameras in a LAN (Local Area Network). Users can create a custom scene with all the IP-connected cameras inside OBS to view them simultaneously. Here is how you can monitor IP camera footage with OBS.

• Adding IP Cameras to OBS

  Use the Media Source input to connect the IP camera using RTSP/ NDI video feed from the “Media Source” input. Ensure that you have unchecked “Local Source” and then click on “Restart playback when the source becomes active.” Enter the camera’s IP address, with a prefix to identify it, and ensure that the “Use hardware decoding when available.” option is checked. Reduce “Network Buffering” and “Reconnect Delay” to optimize performance on the network.

• Creating a Multiview Scene

  Once all the cameras have been added to OBS as sources, create a scene with all the cameras. Multiple cameras can be viewed and arranged within this scene. You can arrange the camera however you want in this scene. It is possible to view this screen in a “Full Screen” view from option the “View” menu.

• Optimizing OBS for viewing IP cameras

  Once the IP cameras are visible in the scene, OBS has to be optimized for IP camera connectivity. To do this, select “High” for “Process Priority” in the “Advanced” area of OBS. Then, to optimize the Network settings, choose the IP address that is local to your network in “Bind IP”. Ensure that the IP address is in the same range as the IP cameras and that” Enable Network Optimizations.” is checked.

Why Virtual Desktop for Monitoring IP Camera Feed with OBS?

Security is the key concern while transmitting data from IP cameras to OBS. Here are some of the most important advantages of hosting OBS on virtual desktops for monitoring camera feeds.

• Security features such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) can be implemented in addition to end-to-end encryption.
• As managed solutions, virtual desktops are always updated and protected with enterprise-grade security solutions.
• Multiple users can access the camera footage OBS using a virtual desktop using any device provided they are authorized.
• Unlike physical computers, virtual machines can be scaled easily to record or stream footage from hundreds of IP cameras even when they are running Full 1080P HD at 15-30 frames per second.

Apps4Rent Can Help with OBS Hosting for IP Cameras

Apps4Rent is a pioneer in providing customized GPU-enabled virtual desktops for OBS hosting. Our servers are based in top-tier SSAE 16 level datacenters in New York and New Jersey that offer best-in-class protection. Alternatively, as a Tier 1 Microsoft CSP, we can also build customized solutions for monitoring IP camera feed with OBS on Azure. Call, email, or chat with our experts for OBS hosting services.