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RTSP multicast and other RTSP transports (research: Majestic RTSP has no multicast) #69

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@compot-dev

Split out of #7, together with #67 (UDP unicast RTSP) and #68 (Majestic outgoing RTP). Everything else about RTSP transports lives here: RTSP-negotiated multicast first of all, and any other transport variants (RTSP over HTTP tunnelling, RTSPS, ...) if they are ever needed.

Feasibility with OpenIPC: Majestic RTSP does not do multicast. Checked on 2026-10-12 on 172.17.32.133 and 172.17.32.126 (Lite SigmaStar infinity6b0, master+012cd47, Server: OpenIPC.org RTSP Server/0.1):

SETUP Transport: Reply
RTP/AVP/TCP;unicast;interleaved=0-1 200, interleaved
RTP/AVP;unicast;client_port=50000-50001 200, RTP/AVP/UDP;unicast;...;server_port=...
RTP/AVP;multicast 400 `client_port' not found
RTP/AVP;multicast;destination=239.1.2.3;port=50010-50011;ttl=4 400 `client_port' not found
RTP/AVP;multicast;client_port=50020-50021 200, but silently unicast (RTP/AVP/UDP;unicast)

The SDP has c=IN IP4 0.0.0.0 and no multicast address. The RTSP server takes only client_port; a multicast request is either rejected or downgraded to unicast.

Conclusion: for OpenIPC cameras, multicast is only available through Majestic outgoing (plain RTP to udp://<group>:port), #68. RTSP multicast in the decoder would only help with third-party servers and NVRs (live555-based, some Hikvision/Dahua, VLC/ffserver-style servers).

If it is done anyway

  • SETUP with RTP/AVP;multicast, parse destination, port, ttl; fall back to UDP unicast / TCP when the reply is 400/461 or comes back as unicast.
  • Join the group with MulticastSocket (+ MulticastLock on Wi‑Fi), reuse the receive path of Receive plain RTP from Majestic outgoing over UDP (unicast and multicast) #68.
  • Needs a server that supports it for testing; none in the lab right now.
  • Majestic side: adding multicast to the RTSP server would be a separate issue in OpenIPC/majestic.

Deferred until there is a concrete server that needs it.

Activity

  1. compot-dev commented on Oct 12, 2026

    @compot-dev
    CollaboratorAuthor

    Same result on the XM camera with stock firmware (172.17.32.53, Server: H264DVR 1.0, H.264, ..._channel=1_stream=0.sdp):

    SETUP Transport: Reply
    RTP/AVP/TCP;unicast;interleaved=0-1 200
    RTP/AVP;unicast;client_port=50000-50001 200, RTP/AVP;unicast;mode=PLAY;source=172.17.32.53;client_port=50000-50001;server_port=40008-40009;ssrc=00001BCC
    RTP/AVP;multicast 451 ERROR
    RTP/AVP;multicast;destination=239.1.2.3;port=50010-50011;ttl=4 451 ERROR
    RTP/AVP;multicast;client_port=50020-50021 200, silently unicast

    The SDP has c=IN IP4 172.17.32.53 (a unicast address). So neither Majestic nor this XM RTSP server does RTSP multicast; it still has no server in the lab to be tested against.

  2. added
    in progressBeing worked on right now (open PR)
    and removed
    deferredPostponed, not planned for now
    on Oct 12, 2026
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