VLC Media Player is a powerful and versatile tool for playing various media formats, including RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol) streams from IP cameras. In this guide, I’ll show you how to set up VLC on Xubuntu 24.04 LTS and stream an RTSP feed from an IP camera.
Installing VLC on Xubuntu
If VLC is not already installed, you can install it via Snap:
sudo snap install vlc
After installation, grant the necessary network permissions:
sudo snap connect vlc:network
sudo snap connect vlc:network-bind
Streaming RTSP Feed Using VLC
You can open the stream using the VLC GUI or via the command line.
Method 1: Using the VLC GUI
Open VLC Media Player.
Go to Media → Open Network Stream.
Enter the RTSP URL of your IP camera:
rtsp://admin:password@192.168.29.2:554/live/ch00_0
If you have no password for camera
rtsp://admin:@192.168.29.2:554/live/ch00_0
Replace admin with the camera username.
Add the password if required.
Use ch00_0 for HD and ch00_1 for SD.
Click Play to start streaming.
Method 2: Using the Terminal
You can also launch VLC with the RTSP stream directly from the terminal:
snap run vlc "rtsp://admin:password@192.168.29.2:554/live/ch00_0"
Understanding the RTSP URL Components
- rtsp:// → Protocol
- admin: → Username for the camera
- password: Password for the camera if any
- @192.168.29.2 → Camera's IP address
- :554 → RTSP default port
- /live/ch00_0 → HD Stream (use ch00_1 for SD)
NB: If there is not password for your camera, leave it empty
That’s it! You should now be able to view your IP camera’s feed using VLC on Xubuntu 24.04 LTS.
