An Internet Protocol camera, or IP camera, is a type of digital video camera that receives control data and sends image data via the Internet. They are commonly used for surveillance but unlike analog closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, they require no local recording device, only a local area network. Most IP cameras are webcams, but the term IP camera or netcam usually applies only to those that can be directly accessed over a network connection, usually used for surveillance.
IP Camera Streaming without NVRs
Some IP cameras require the support of a central network video recorder (NVR) to handle the recording, video, and alarm management. Ant Media’s destructive approach changes this definition because it is using normal server hardware and the support cost is relatively low compared to NVR. Also if NVR has a tech problem, it is a big thing but Ant Media Server Case is pretty practical by changing an OEM part.
Another important part is that it is quite difficult to scale IP camera numbers with NVR. They do have in general 8,16,24,32 channels and they are limited with these numbers. With Ant Media Server we are proportionally supporting any number of IP cameras with a server hardware upgrade, so it is very easy to scale IP camera number
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IP Camera Streaming with RTSP
There is a very important Protocol in the IP camera streaming world which is RTSP. RTSP stands for Real-Time Streaming Protocol, a network protocol for streaming videos in real time. In such a sense, an RTSP IP camera is capable of streaming live videos on RTSP-compatible media players such as VLC media player, QuickTime.
The incompatibility between RTSP IP Camera and Web Browsers is a headache. We need to use some third-party plugins for web browsers, IP camera streaming servers, or use native applications to watch the IP Camera. It absolutely doesn’t feel comfortable. Luckily, Ant Media provides 2 ways to make RTSP IP Camera WebRTC (Web browser) compatible, and directly you can have the stream from the browser.
WebRTC is supported by Web Browsers (Safari, Edge, Chrome, Firefox, Opera) natively. If we change the RTSP stream to WebRTC then RTSP IP Camera can be playable on the Web Browser. So let me give more details about how it happening.
Watch IP Cameras in WebRTC
Ant Media Server can be used as an IP camera streaming server. It can pull streams from RTSP, and RTMP. IP Cameras are also RTSP servers at the same time so that Ant Media Server can pull the IP Camera’s stream via its RTSP URL. Ant Media Server can convert RTSP stream to WebRTC stream internally and IP Camera stream can be watchable via WebRTC on Web Browser in real time.
Watching RTSP IP camera is also scalable which means Ant Media Server can pull stream from IP Camera once and provide many viewers to watch it. In other words, Ant Media Server just multiplexes the IP Camera’s RTSP stream to WebRTC Stream.
The emergence of thermal cameras and the penetration of IoT in video surveillance have led to a steep rise in the demand for Internet Protocol (IP)-based camera systems. The increased adoption of these cameras in commercial buildings and the need for security in residential applications coupled with the rising trend of smart homes are expected to drive the IP camera streaming market over the coming years. Residential security is a major concern among homeowners owing to the escalating rate of home burglary and squatting. The growing number of smartphone users and the availability of attractive installment policies for security solutions are driving the residential market.
The key benefits of these cameras are remote video surveillance, intruder alarms, access control, and perimeter surveillance. With the growth in fast pace living within cities and the aging world population, surveillance at home has become ubiquitous in ensuring comfort and safety. Ant Media is adding value for IP Camera producers with embedded SDK products. It is also enabling the P2P connection. Normally we will need additional an application or software for the residential camera but the use of embedded SDK of the Ant Media server will let the users see the video directly from the internet instead of going thru a server.
Interactive product releases and new product launches coupled with ongoing research & development (R&D) and innovation activities in the camera and networking technology are some of the key strategic initiatives adopted by market players. Remote monitoring, easy installation, cost-effective, and limitless storage capabilities have boosted the adoption of cameras across various industry verticals. Improvement in storage device capacities, such as server virtualization, decentralized storage solid-state devices (SSD), and adoption of H.264 Advanced Video Coding standard, will drive the growth of the market.
Users can view videos and images through any computer connected to the Internet (WAN) or within a local network (LAN) from anywhere in the world. These systems allow a higher degree of scalability and flexibility compared to an analog closed-circuit CCTV camera. In that sense, we are happily announcing that Ant Media has launched its new version 2.1 with H265 support in WebRTC stack to provide better quality with the same bitrate.
Let’s take a look at Ant Media’s IP Camera Streaming Solution.
You may want to check the 2 Simple Ways to make IP Camera WebRTC (Web) Compatible blog post.
If you have any questions or comments, just send an email to contact at antmedia dot io.
