Connect Hikvision cameras to Camzify
Hikvision IP cameras connect to Camzify over RTSP, so the cameras already installed can run AI detections, virtual patrol rounds and cloud recording without being replaced. Hikvision uses one RTSP pattern, /Streaming/Channels/, for cameras and recorders alike: the number at the end picks the channel and the stream. On cameras that show an ONVIF option it is switched on with its own user, and on Hikvision NVRs ONVIF is off by default.
Hikvision RTSP URL format
As Hikvision’s own documentation gives it. Replace the parts in angle brackets with the camera’s values.
- Camera, main stream
rtsp://<username>:<password>@<camera-ip>:<port>/Streaming/Channels/101Channel 1, main stream. Hikvision's NVR manual gives 554 as the default RTSP port.
- Camera, sub stream
rtsp://<username>:<password>@<camera-ip>:<port>/Streaming/Channels/102Channel 1, sub stream.
- Through a Hikvision NVR or DVR
rtsp://<username>:<password>@<nvr-ip>:<port>/Streaming/channels/<channel>01The channel number followed by 01 for the main stream or 02 for the sub stream: Hikvision's own examples are 1701 (channel 17, main) and 1902 (channel 19, sub).
Turning on RTSP and ONVIF on a Hikvision camera
On a Hikvision camera, ONVIF is under Configuration > Network > Advanced Settings > Integration Protocol: tick Enable ONVIF (Enable Open Network Video Interface on some firmware), then click Add to create an ONVIF user. Hikvision's Media User level gives access to real-time streaming, the list of supported functions and a read-only view of the configuration, which is what a streaming integration needs.
If Integration Protocol shows no ONVIF option, Hikvision says ONVIF is already enabled and uses the camera's own username and password.
On a Hikvision NVR, ONVIF is disabled by default: go to Maintenance > System Service > ONVIF, tick Enable ONVIF, then Add a user. The NVR's RTSP authentication can be basic or digest; Hikvision recommends digest, and with digest selected only digest requests can open the stream.
Can a Hikvision camera push RTMP?
Hikvision's documentation, as checked for this page, does not describe pushing RTMP from its cameras. Use RTSP instead; if a site needs a push, an encoder can convert the RTSP stream, as the RTMP setup guide explains. RTMP setup in Camzify.
Worth knowing before you connect
- If a camera encodes in H.265 or MJPEG and the receiving system does not support that format, Hikvision's fix is to switch the camera's encoding to a format the receiver does support.
- Hikvision's camera article writes the path as Streaming/Channels and its NVR article as Streaming/channels; both are as Hikvision publishes them.
Adding the Hikvision stream to Camzify
- 1
Check the stream plays
Open the RTSP URL above in a player such as VLC. If it plays from outside the camera’s network, Camzify can connect it directly.
- 2
Local only? Use the Connector
If the camera is only on the local network, the Camzify Connector on a Windows, macOS or Linux machine there relays it, with no port forwarding.
- 3
Add it in the console
Camera Management → Add Camera, paste the URL (or pick the relayed stream) and enter the camera’s credentials. The RTSP setup guide has the detail.
What runs on Hikvision cameras once they are connected
Once the stream is in Camzify, a Hikvision camera is treated exactly like any other: the brand decides nothing about which features it can use.
- Virtual patrol roundsscheduled checks of each camera against its checklist, with a report per round
- AI detectionsintrusion, loitering, tailgating, weapons, fire and smoke, slip and fall, and the rest of the 23
- Camera tampering detectionan alert when a camera is covered, moved, defocused or frozen
- Cloud recordingfootage kept off site, under a retention period set per camera
- Custom detectionsbuilt to order when the standard set does not cover what a site needs
Sources, checked 7 October 2026
Every Hikvision-specific detail on this page comes from Hikvision’s own documentation, listed below. Firmware changes menus over time; when the camera’s own interface differs, it is the authority.
- Hikvision USA: Format for getting an RTSP stream from a camera
- Hikvision USA: Format for getting an RTSP stream from an NVR/DVR
- Hikvision USA: How do I enable ONVIF on a Hikvision camera?
- Hikvision USA: Why can't I find ONVIF on my camera in Integration Protocol?
- Hikvision NVR manual: Configure Port
- Hikvision NVR manual: Configure ONVIF
- Hikvision NVR manual: RTSP Authentication
- Hikvision NVR manual: Why is the video recorder notifying the stream type is not supported?
Hikvision is a trademark of its owner. This page states that Hikvision cameras exposing a standard RTSP stream interoperate with Camzify; it does not imply partnership, endorsement or certification by Hikvision.