Generic Camera RTSP Feed not streaming

[bold sequoia]

Ok this is now getting silly.
I've got two cameras running RTSP Feeds, a hikvision and a eufy floodlight. Both have got their own integrations, sure, but both don't stream properly so I need to use the RTSP stream via "generic camera" integration.

Neither works.
Regardless of the connection I choose (and i've tried every single combination of TCP/UDP etc. Basic and digest auth. None makes any difference.
Communication isn't an issue.
VLC using my mobile phone can connect to the streams without issue.
Console into my HA container and running ffmpeg -rtsp_transport tcp -i rtsp://username:password@CAMERA_IP/live0 -t 10 -f null - connects and streams fine.
as does webrtc as a card on one of my lovelace pages.

there are some errors in the logs but none are really helping. as I say, i've tried many variations (the rtsp link above with username/pass in the url. also using the username and password specific boxes in the setup.

logs

2025-09-08 16:04:10.810 ERROR (stream_worker) [homeassistant.components.stream.stream.camera.192_168_0_44] Error from stream worker: Unauthorized error opening stream (HTTP_UNAUTHORIZED, Server returned 401 Unauthorized (authorization failed), rtsp://****:****@192.168.0.44/live0)

and the other camera
2025-09-08 15:59:21.553 ERROR (stream_worker) [homeassistant.components.stream.stream.generic.test_stream] Error from stream worker: Error opening stream (ERRORTYPE_5, I/O error, rtsp://****:****@192.168.0.51:554/ISAPI/Streaming/Channels/102)

any pointers? I can't see how it could be a bug when i'm using 2 different cameras and noone else is complaining of issues. but then as i say, I'm using 2 different cameras which work ok elsewhere.

[bold sequoia]

I mean if this is the wrong place to ask then please someone let me know.

[obsidian forge]

@bold sequoia your pw have special characters in it ?

[bold sequoia]

no just normal numbers and letters in different cases.

[bold sequoia]

the static image loads fine so I have to assume it cant be Auth related

[bold sequoia]

anyone?

[undone junco]

Login the Hikvison website, do some setting of RSTP setting. Lower the camera video quanlity and H264, other's problem please reference the link:https://community.home-assistant.io/t/rtsp-stream-solved/396335/3

[bold sequoia]

@undone junco thanks but it's only 1080p anyway. Lowering the quality even further I might as well just squint from the other side of the house. I can look at it but it's not a tenable solution. And given that it's doing this for 2 other, non hikvision cameras, and works fine using the webrtc card , unless 'generic camera' is broken completely, which I'm yet to be able to tell if it is or isn't, I can't see why it would be doing this.

[icy mason]

Only 1080p? Eh?

[bold sequoia]

whats the question @icy mason ?

my hikvision is a 1080 camera and my eufy floodlight camera is automaticcally turned down to 1080 if you enable the rstp part of it

[bold sequoia]

?

[regal pawn]

do you have a link of a guide for setting up the hikvision camera? I intend on doing something smiilar, so anything you used would be great

ive got some free cameras and switches cuz i work at a tech store, so im setting up a video feed for my parents house

[regal pawn]

or is it pretty straight forward? Set it up in hikvision, then link it to HA with yaml in config

[bold sequoia]

its pretty straight forward usually, but as you can see from my entire post here, things relating to generic camera are not working. 🙁 you can just use the hikvision integration to get all the motion sensors and stuff, and then use generic camera and/or the Webrtc lovelace card to view the camera in the home assistant interface.

[bold sequoia]

anyone? i am baffled why it seems that i'm the only one experiencing this

[undone junco]

hi bro ,today i check the camera datasheet, Hikvision have different stream channel, if you use RTSP, u can lower the stream radio bro, this is a solution.

[bold sequoia]

makes no difference which stream I choose. but everything I said in my last reply to you bears repeating .... a) that's only one of my camera makes and b) I don't want to use a stream that's a resolution which is a 16th of what it is capable of....?
with respect , that isn't a solution

[undone junco]

maybe the addon or HA browser limitation, cuz the RSTP video stream can work well in VLC player not the camera issue.