rtsp-relay

Node.js server to relay RTSP video stream from 'producer' to 'consumer' client endpoint.

The Problem:

• I was looking at Android apps that stream video
  • of the display screen
  • from the camera/microphone
• surprisingly, there are very few good options
• the only stream protocol they support is RTSP
  • I'm no expert, but apparently:
    • this protocol requires the app to connect (as a client) to an external media server
    • the video stream is published to the server
    • clients must then connect to this server, in order to subscribe to (and view) the video stream

Attempted Workarounds:

• rtsp-simple-server
  • pros:
    • written in golang, so it cross-compiles statically linked binaries for several platforms
    • small size
    • no dependencies
    • portable
    • simple to use
      • both 'producer' and 'consumer' connect to the same URL: rtsp://[IP]:8554/[stream_id]
  • cons:
    • v0.10.1 isn't fully compatible with the Android app I was testing: Larix Screencaster v1.0.29
      • it would repeatedly: connect, work a few seconds, disconnect

This Workaround:

• based on: rtsp-streaming-server
  • written by: Chris Wiggins
  • written in: TypeScript
  • inspired by: rtsp-server
    • written by: Mischa Spiegelmock
    • written in: Perl
• changes:
  • converted from TypeScript to ES6 syntax
    • why:
      • I fkn hate TypeScript
      • now it can run in node without being transpiled
    • how:
      • rebased to v1.0.2
      • manually merged subsequent updates
  • added a CLI
• limitations (inherited from rtsp-streaming-server library)
  • doesn't support RTP/RTSP/TCP
    • which is:
      • a strategy to interleave the RTP packets into the (TCP) RTSP stream, rather than allocating 2x additional (UDP) RTP and RTCP ports per stream
    • for example:
      • SETUP request from 'producer':

          SETUP rtsp://192.168.0.100:5554/screen/streamid=0 RTSP/1.0
          Transport: RTP/AVP/TCP;unicast;interleaved=0-1;mode=record
          User-Agent: Larix/1.0.29

      • response:

          501 Not implemented

• status:
  • Android 'producer' apps/libraries that have been successfully tested with rtsp-relay
    • libstreaming
      • library
        • official source code repo
      • demo app: example3
        • official source code repo
        • unofficial source code repo w/ Android Studio project
        • unofficial prebuilt apks (signed by me)
  • Android 'consumer' apps/libraries that have been successfully tested with rtsp-relay
    • ExoPlayer pull request 3854
      • library
        • unofficial source code development branch
      • demo app: RTSP IPCam Viewer
        • source code repo
        • prebuilt apks (signed by me)
  • cross-platform 'consumer' apps/libraries that have been successfully tested with rtsp-relay
    • VLC
      • app
        • official source code repo

Installation:

npm install --global @warren-bank/rtsp-relay

CLI Usage:

rtsp-relay <options>

options:
========
"--help"
    Print a help message describing all command-line options.

"-v"
"--version"
    Display the version.

"-pport" <integer>
"--producer-port" <integer>
    [optional] Port number for RTSP server to which the 'producer' connects.
    Default: 5554

"-pu" <username>
"--producer-username" <username>
    [optional] Authenticate connections to 'producer' port with secret 'username'.

"-pp" <password>
"--producer-password" <password>
    [optional] Authenticate connections to 'producer' port with secret 'password'.

"-cport" <integer>
"--client-port" <integer>
"--consumer-port" <integer>
    [optional] Port number for RTSP server to which the 'consumer' connects.
    Default: 6554

"-cu" <username>
"--client-username" <username>
"--consumer-username" <username>
    [optional] Authenticate connections to 'consumer' port with secret 'username'.

"-cp" <password>
"--client-password" <password>
"--consumer-password" <password>
    [optional] Authenticate connections to 'consumer' port with secret 'password'.

"-rlp" <integer>
"--rtp-low-port" <integer>
    [optional] Low end of UDP port number range for RTP server.
    Default: 10000

"-rhp" <integer>
"--rtp-high-port" <integer>
    [optional] High end of UDP port number range for RTP server.
    Default: 20000

"-L" <integer>
"--log" <integer>
"--log-level" <integer>
    [optional] Enumeration value to specify log output filter.
    Values:
     -1:  custom: obey DEBUG environment variable
      0:  silent
      1:  quiet
      2:  debug quiet
      3:  debug verbose
      4+: verbose
    Default: 1

Legal:

• copyright: Warren Bank
• license: GPL-2.0