HLS, m3u8 and RTSP: understand and watch a stream

RTSP vs HLS: what’s the difference?

RTSP is the cameras’ native protocol: great on a local network, but poorly handled by browsers. HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) splits the video into small segments served over HTTP: it works everywhere (desktops, mobiles, routers) and passes through firewalls with no setup.

What is an .m3u8 link?

The .m3u8 is the HLS stream’s “table of contents”: a text file listing the video segments. This is the link you share or embed. It plays in most modern players (VLC, web players, mobile apps).

How to watch the stream

• In a browser: via the HTML5 player we provide (copy-paste iframe).
• In VLC: Media → Open Network Stream → paste the .m3u8 link.
• On a website: embed the iframe; the player adapts to the screen.

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