How to find the RTSP URL for an Amcrest camera

This applies to Amcrest's IP cameras with their own web interface, and to NVR-connected systems where the recorder exposes RTSP per channel. Amcrest's Smart Home devices, its Wi-Fi doorbells among them, don't have a web interface at all: they're set up through the Amcrest Smart Home app instead, but they still expose an RTSP stream at the device's IP address once you have its admin credentials.

Finding it

On a camera with a web interface, log in and go to Setup > Network > Connection, where the RTSP port is shown, 554 by default. Amcrest's own support articles give the URL as rtsp://<username>:<password>@<ip>:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0, with subtype 0 for the main stream and subtype 1 for the lower-resolution one; on an NVR, the channel number is the recorder's channel, not always 1. Smart Home devices without a web interface use the same pattern once you know the device's IP and admin login, found in the Amcrest Smart Home app. Treat this as the standard pattern rather than a guarantee: check your model's own support page on amcrest.com if the URL above doesn't connect, since a few models add extra parameters for lower latency.

1. 01

   Find the device's IP address

   Check your router's device list, or the Amcrest View Pro or Smart Home app, for the local IP address.

2. 02

   Open the web interface, if it has one

   For cameras with a browser interface, sign in and go to Setup > Network > Connection.

3. 03

   Note the RTSP port

   Default is 554, shown on the same settings page.

4. 04

   Build the URL

   Use rtsp://username:password@ip:554/cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0, changing the channel for other cameras on an NVR.

5. 05

   Test it

   Open the URL in VLC's network stream option to confirm it connects.

Using it with Svid

Once the RTSP URL connects, adding it to Svid is the same as for any brand: Svid captures the stream server-side, so there's no new hardware and no separate viewer to run. It becomes a live feed like any other input, described frame by frame, and searchable and checkable the same way footage from a phone or an upload would be. The general RTSP connection guide covers the account setup and what happens once the stream is added.

Does my Amcrest camera need to be on the same network as Svid?

Only while you're finding the IP address and testing the URL locally. Once Svid is capturing the stream server-side, the camera or NVR just needs a reachable route to it, not a network shared with your own device.

What port does Amcrest use for RTSP?

554 by default, confirmed on Amcrest's own support pages, and it's the same setting screen you'd use to change it if needed.

Do I need an Amcrest subscription to get an RTSP URL?

No. RTSP is a free local feature that's on by default on Amcrest's cameras and NVRs. Amcrest's cloud and SD-card recording plans are separate subscriptions and have no bearing on the local RTSP stream.