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Camzify

HTTPS camera setup

HTTPS is one of Camzify’s three camera connection types, alongside RTSP and RTMP. It covers both stream formats a device can deliver over the web: HLS and WebRTC. You pick HTTPS once and paste the stream URL; there is no separate choice to make between the two at setup.

Which of the two you are using

HLS

.m3u8 playlist

Widely supported by cameras, NVRs and media servers, and the easier of the two to obtain. It runs several seconds behind live, which is immaterial for scheduled patrol rounds and noticeable when watching a feed in real time.

HLS setup guide →

WebRTC

WHEP / WHIP endpoint

Sub-second latency, which is what you want for live viewing and for alerts someone is expected to act on immediately. Fewer devices expose a WHEP or WHIP endpoint without a media server in front of them.

WebRTC setup guide →

Connecting an HTTPS stream

  1. 1

    Get the stream URL from the camera, NVR or media server

    An HLS stream is a playlist URL ending in .m3u8. A WebRTC stream is a WHEP or WHIP endpoint URL. Either comes from the device serving the stream, not from Camzify — check its streaming, publishing or integration settings.

  2. 2

    Add the camera under the HTTPS connection type

    In Camera Management, choose Add Camera, select HTTPS, and paste the URL. HLS and WebRTC are both added here; there is no separate option to pick between them.

  3. 3

    Confirm the picture is good enough for detection

    Check the live preview before going further. If a person reviewing the feed can identify a person or vehicle at the distance that matters, the detection models have enough to work with. Framing and lighting matter more than resolution.

  4. 4

    Configure detections and add the camera to a patrol

    Set up zones, lines and the AI features you want on the feed, then add the camera to a patrol sequence so it is included in scheduled rounds.

If the stream only exists inside a private network, connect it through the Camzify Connector instead of opening a port. For background on how these protocols differ, see ONVIF and RTSP explained, or return to the camera connectivity guides.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Three. A camera is added over RTSP, RTMP, or HTTPS. RTSP covers most IP cameras and NVRs, RTMP covers encoders and appliances that push a stream out, and HTTPS covers streams delivered over the web, both HLS and WebRTC are added under it.

Because both are delivered over HTTPS rather than as a dedicated video transport. An HLS playlist is fetched over HTTPS, and a WebRTC session is negotiated over HTTPS using WHEP or WHIP before media flows. Grouping them reflects how the stream reaches Camzify, so there is one connection type to choose rather than two that behave the same way at the point of setup.

Choose on latency. WebRTC delivers sub-second latency and suits live viewing and real-time alerting. HLS typically runs several seconds behind but is more widely supported by cameras, NVRs and media servers. Both are adequate for scheduled patrol rounds, where a few seconds of delay changes nothing about whether a gate was closed.

Only if the stream is not reachable from the internet. An HLS or WebRTC endpoint that a browser can already reach needs nothing extra. A camera or NVR that only serves its stream inside a private network needs the Camzify Connector to relay it, which avoids port forwarding and never exposes the camera directly.

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