Prama and Hikvision RTSP URL Format and ONVIF Setup (IP Camera and NVR)
Hikvision documents one RTSP pattern for cameras, NVRs, DVRs and encoders: rtsp://user:pass@ip:554/Streaming/channels/101. The number is channel then stream: 101 is channel 1 main, 102 channel 1 sub, 1701 channel 17 main. ONVIF needs a separate ONVIF user on firmware V5.5.0 and later. Prama publishes no RTSP path of its own.
Verified against
- Hikvision, RTSP et HTTP URLs (French how-to, NVR/DVR/IPC/encoder), 1 page (PDF; hikvision.com serves a bot check, so we read the Wayback archived copy of that official URL).
- Hikvision, Network Camera User Manual UD19347B-C, firmware baseline V5.6.5, 28 Dec 2023 (PDF).
- Hikvision, How to Enable ONVIF Protocol on IP Camera, v1.0, 07/03/2019 (PDF, archived copy).
- Hikvision, How to Add IPC with ONVIF Protocol using HIKVISION NVR (PDF, archived copy).
- Prama: PT-NC120D3-N(D2) camera page, PT-NRAS3A32-I8/S NVR page, Security Advisory (24 Nov 2023), blog How to add a third-party camera with your Prama NVR (17 Jun 2024) and How to Get Your IP Camera Activation Password (28 Jun 2024).
- ONVIF, Core Specification v26.06, §5.9.
- Checked 7 Oct 2026.
- Not verified: any RTSP path, default IP or ONVIF default for Prama cameras (Prama's user-manual and knowledge-base pages returned no documents); whether Prama firmware behaves like Hikvision V5.5.0+; Hikvision's English RTSP bulletin (blocked, so the French version is used); any of this on hardware.
Hikvision RTSP URL, ports and defaults
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| RTSP URL, no login | rtsp://<ip>:<rtsp port>/Streaming/channels/<channel><stream> |
Hikvision RTSP/HTTP URLs (FR) |
| RTSP URL, with login | rtsp://<user>:<password>@<ip>:<rtsp port>/Streaming/channels/<channel><stream> |
Same |
| Stream number | 01 main, 02 sub |
Same |
| Device types covered | NVR, DVR, IP camera, encoder | Same |
| Channel examples | 101 ch 1 main; 102 ch 1 sub; 1701 ch 17 main; 1902 ch 19 sub |
Same |
| Snapshot (HTTP) | http://<ip>:<http port>/Streaming/channels/1/picture |
Same |
| MJPEG over HTTP | /Streaming/channels/102/httpPreview, sub-stream only, set to MJPEG, firmware above v4.1 |
Same |
| RTSP port | 554, changeable 1–65535 | Manual V5.6.5, Port Settings |
| HTTP / HTTPS / server port | 80 / 443 / 8000 (server 2000–65535) | Manual V5.6.5 |
| Default camera IP | 192.168.1.64; DHCP-default models must be found with SADP | Manual V5.6.5, Activation |
| SADP behaviour | Rescans the PC's subnet every 15 s; offline devices drop off after 45 s | Manual V5.6.5, Appendix 1 |
| Third stream | Off by default on some models; enable under System > Maintenance > System Service > Software | Manual V5.6.5 |
ONVIF and authentication (ISAPI vs ONVIF)
| Setting | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Enable ONVIF | Configuration > Network > Advanced Settings > Integration Protocol > Enable ONVIF, then Add user | ONVIF how-to v1.0 |
| Before V5.5.0 | ONVIF on by default, same login as the camera | ONVIF how-to v1.0 |
| ONVIF users | Separate from camera users; up to 32; media user, operator or administrator; cleared when the camera is restored | Manual V5.6.5, Integration Protocol |
| Hikvision CGI (ISAPI) | Separate Enable Hikvision_CGI checkbox with its own authentication choice; digest recommended | Manual V5.6.5 |
| RTSP and web login | Configuration > System > Security > Authentication; digest recommended over basic | Manual V5.6.5 |
| Security Reinforce | When on, MD5 digest is disabled and SHA256 used | Manual V5.6.5 |
| NVR adding a camera | Hikvision protocol uses port 8000; ONVIF uses HTTP port 80 (or whatever HTTP port you set) | NVR ONVIF how-to |
| ONVIF standard | Digest (RFC 2617) or legacy WS-UsernameToken; RTSP authenticated with digest; MD5 default, SHA-256 optional | ONVIF Core v26.06 §5.9.1, §5.9.3 |
So there are three separate doors: RTSP (camera login, digest), ISAPI/CGI (camera login, its own switch) and ONVIF (its own user list). A login that works in the browser can still fail over ONVIF.
Where Prama differs from Hikvision
What Prama itself publishes:
- The PT-NC120D3-N(D2) page lists ONVIF Profile S and T, "WSSE and digest authentication for ONVIF", digest for HTTP, RTSP and SRTP/RTSPS, up to 32 users and 3 user levels (product page).
- The PT-NRAS3A32-I8/S NVR lists ONVIF Profile S and G "for connecting third party network cameras", and SADP among its network protocols (NVR page).
- Adding a camera on a Prama NVR: Camera > IP Camera > Custom Adding, protocol ONVIF, then the camera's web login (Prama blog).
- Activation password: 8–16 characters with at least two of digits, upper case, lower case and symbols; the IP is printed on the camera label (Prama blog).
- Firmware strings such as "V5.7.12_220321" fixed by "V5.8.3 build230808 and later" (Security Advisory).
What is inferred, not documented by Prama: that /Streaming/channels/101, default IP 192.168.1.64, SADP discovery and the V5.5.0 separate-ONVIF-user behaviour carry over. The V5.x firmware numbering and SADP on the NVR point that way, but Prama does not say so. The safe route is ONVIF: let the NVR or VMS ask the camera for its stream URI. Our cheat sheet marks Prama's path "not published" for the same reason.
Against Dahua-family brands: CP Plus and Dahua use /cam/realmonitor?channel=1&subtype=0, not /Streaming/channels/ (CP Plus page).
Steps (Hikvision firmware V5.5.0 and later)
- Activate the camera in SADP and give it a static IP (full steps, reset and NTP: Prama/Hikvision setup page).
- Test
rtsp://user:pass@ip:554/Streaming/channels/101and/102in VLC. - For a third-party NVR, VMS or analytics box: Configuration > Network > Advanced Settings > Integration Protocol > Enable ONVIF, then add an ONVIF user (the manual offers media user, operator or administrator; give the recorder the lowest level your VMS accepts).
- Add the camera on the HTTP port (80), not 8000.
- Set the Video Standard to 50 Hz (manual: "normally 50 Hz for PAL").
What breaks in a factory
- Camera VLANs and NVR PoE ports. SADP only scans the PC's own subnet. Cameras on an NVR's built-in PoE ports or a separate VLAN stay invisible from the office LAN (NVR not detecting cameras).
- Reset after a surge. Restoring a camera clears ONVIF users, per the manual. If a third-party recorder lost a camera after a power event and reset, recreate the ONVIF user first (reset behaviour).
- Firmware upgrades. Per Hikvision's how-to, older firmware shares the camera login with ONVIF. After moving to V5.5.0 or later, plan to enable ONVIF and create the user. Users report upgrades breaking VMS integrations (IPVM forum).
- SHA256 vs MD5. ONVIF makes MD5 the default and SHA-256 optional. If Security Reinforce is on and an older recorder only speaks MD5, authentication may fail. This is our inference; check the recorder's spec.
- 50 Hz lighting. Leaving the video standard at 60 Hz under Indian 50 Hz mains can cause banding (flicker fix).
- Remote access. The manual's remote-access steps port-map 80, 8000 and 554. Behind carrier-grade NAT port forwarding cannot reach the camera at all, and an exposed 554 is a security risk where it does (remote view behind CGNAT).
When to call the installer / what to ask the vendor
Call the installer if the camera does not appear in SADP from inside its own VLAN. Ask Prama, in writing, for three things: the RTSP path for your model and firmware, whether ONVIF ships on or off, and the default IP. Ask Hikvision dealers for the firmware version before any upgrade on cameras feeding a third-party recorder.
Mama reads existing cameras over RTSP or ONVIF and tells the owner how long each machine sat idle yesterday. Learn more at askthemama.com. Leave an email or phone in the form below.
FAQ
What is the RTSP URL for a camera connected to a Hikvision NVR?
A common ipcamtalk question. Use the NVR's IP and the channel number: rtsp://user:pass@nvr-ip:554/Streaming/channels/101 for channel 1 main, 201 for channel 2, 1701 for channel 17. Hikvision's URL document says the pattern covers NVRs and DVRs as well as cameras.
Why does my third-party NVR reject the Hikvision login over ONVIF? On firmware V5.5.0 and later, ONVIF uses its own user list. Enable ONVIF under Integration Protocol, create an ONVIF user, and add the camera on HTTP port 80.
Can a Prama NVR record cameras from other brands? Yes, per Prama's own blog: Camera > IP Camera > Custom Adding, protocol ONVIF. Its NVR spec lists ONVIF Profile S and G for third-party cameras.