LTS (Hikvision) NVR & VLC: Can't see main stream via RTSP, only substream

[horseflesh]

This is the format of an RTSP URL for my NVR:

rtsp:/admin:*******@192.168.1.15:8554/Streaming/Channels/50x

... where x is 1 or 2 for main or sub stream.

(LTS uses 8554 as the RTSP port on the NVRs.)

502 works fine but obviously I would like higher quality.

When I try 501, I get a black screen in VLC. The player window is trying hard to play something, because the Play button becomes Pause... but there is no image. The VLC log does contain one error:

main error: buffer deadlock prevented

Any ideas how to handle this?

 

[najman]

I am currently having the exact same issue but Dahua brand. I looked at the verbose VLC logs and found that "buffer deadlock prevented" error.

Just posted my problem here.

Intermittent RTSP from IPC-HFW2831T-ZS

I have 3 Dahua IPC-HFW2831T-ZS for outdoors. I also have an Amcrest for indoor. Both brands have been working fine in BI. I emailed Ken about a camera lag issue I was having with the Dahua's when the CPU was high (loading games/other programs). He emailed back and suggested I use the new sub...

ipcamtalk.com

Did you ever find a solution?

 

[horseflesh]

Unfortunately, I never found a solution for this issue.

 

[Securame]

Unfortunately, I never found a solution for this issue.

Have you checked your main stream enconding? You might have a h264 substream which VLC understands just fine, and maybe a h265/h265+ which VLC might not be able to decode.

 

[horseflesh]

I will double check that, but I am 99% sure my NVR only supports h264.

However in related good news, my NVR maker has released new firmware which allows you to log in to the NVR and see video with a modern web browser--instead of relying on an ancient Internet Explorer plugin. So while VLC may never work, at least I can get video in a web browser somehow.

 

[najman]

TLDR: Changed the buffer back from 1mb back to 6mb.

So...I did stumble on a solution, at least for me. When I was having lagging issues with the Dahua cameras another thread suggested I lower the buffer, a lot. I changed it from 6mb to 1mb. That seemed to help, sometimes, with the cascading lagging issue. I couldn't stop thinking and tinkering with my system for the past week. Somehow in VLC I got through to the mainstream, I was watching the debug log while it was connecting and it changed the buffer, twice. This made me remember I had changed the buffer once before...so I changed it and the cameras immediately came back online.

 

[horseflesh]

HOLY SMOKES

That worked! In the VLC Open Stream dialog there is a buffer setting in milliseconds... It defaults to 1000 ms. I changed it to 100 ms and I have a beautiful 2688x1520 picture!!

Best forum followup ever, thanks @najman!