[All cameras] How can you troubleshoot when you cannot watch video streaming?

Question

How can you troubleshoot when you cannot watch video streaming?

Answer

When you're unable to watch video streaming from a VIVOTEK camera, there are several troubleshooting steps you can follow:

 

1. Check that the browser is compatible with the camera:

VIVOTEK cameras are compatible with Internet Explorer for the 8000 series or older, and with Chrome and Edge for the 9000 series. Be sure to use the appropriate browser to access your camera. 

2. Upgrade the camera to the latest firmware available.

VIVOTEK constantly keeps improving camera firmware to increase product reliably and resolve know issues which might be related to the video stream. Please be sure to upgrade your camera to the latest version available:

3. Check if the camera sensor is still generating images

VIVOTEK cameras have a snapshot feature that works independently from the video stream and can be used to verify if the image sensor is functioning properly. If you find that your camera is not displaying videos, please use the following URL in your browser to see if you can retrieve a snapshot:

http://<Camera_IP_address>/cgi-bin/viewer/video.jpg

If there is no image displayed, this will mean that the video sensor might be compromised. 

4. Use and RTSP Player to verify if the camera can send data through RTSP

Try to use an RTSP player like VLC Media Player to verify if a VIVOTEK camera can send data through RTSP, you can follow these steps:

• Install VLC Media Player: If you don’t already have VLC installed, download and install it from the official VLC website: https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html.
• Find the stream RTSP URL: You need the RTSP URL specific to the stream you are unable to see in your camera. To find the RTSP URL please check the following article: [All cameras][2.2002.x.x] How to get RTSP streaming with camera firmware version 2.2002.x.x?
• Open VLC Media Player: Launch VLC, go to the Media menu, and select “Open Network Stream” or simply use the shortcut Ctrl+N.

  

• Enter the RTSP Stream URL: In the network URL box, enter the RTSP URL of your camera and click on the Play button to start streaming. 

  

If the player cannot play videos, this could mean that the camera's RTSP module is having trouble sending videos.

4. Reset the camera to factory defaults

Resetting the camera to factory defaults will return it to a state unaffected by any new external configurations. If you are experiencing video issues, please try resetting the camera to factory defaults to see if the problem can be resolved. The following guide explains how to reset your device to factory defaults: [All cameras] How to reset your camera to factory defaults?

If these steps do not resolve the streaming issue, contacting your camera vendor might be necessary. They can provide more specific guidance based on the exact model and configuration of your camera.