[Live-devel] rtsp proxy error on first request

[Ross Finlayson]

Thanks for sending the log.  It shows that the problem is with your ‘back-end’ server (i.e., IP camera).  The LIVE555 Proxy Server is working properly.


> Attached. As before, the sequence of actions:
> 
> - start proxyserver
> - run player: fails
> 
> Playing: rtsp://proxyaddr/proxyStream
> [ffmpeg/demuxer] rtsp: method DESCRIBE failed: 404 File Not Found, Or In Incorrect Format

The only problem here is that you didn’t wait long enough after starting the proxy server before trying to access it.  Before the proxy server can serve a back-end stream, it needs to set it up.  Specifically, it needs to do a successful RTSP “DESCRIBE” transaction with the back-end server.  Only then can it serve this stream to front-end clients.

If you had waited until the back-end “DESCRIBE” completed (you can see this by running the proxy server with -V), then the front-end stream would have run properly.


> - run player again: works
> 
> I let it stream for ~10s
> 
> - quit
> - run player again: fails
> 
> [ffmpeg/demuxer] rtsp: method PLAY failed: 454 Session Not Found

The problem here is with the back-end server (IP camera).  It is not properly handling a second “PLAY” command (after the stream had already started).  Specifically, the back-end server is returning "RTSP/1.0 400 Bad Request” error message in response to the second “PLAY” command (from the proxy server).  When the proxy server sees this error message, it is closing down the stream.  That explains why the proxy server returns "RTSP/1.0 454 Session Not Found” to the front-end client when it tries to “PLAY” the stream again.

To summarize: Your IP camera is not working properly.  Your only solution is to fix it.  Perhaps a firmware upgrade is available?  (And, as always, I am willing to work with any manufacturer of IP cameras to fix/improve their RTSP/RTP/RTCP implementation, if they contact me directly.)


Ross Finlayson
Live Networks, Inc.
http://www.live555.com/