Reolink RLC-820A camera entity cannot play video stream

[pedrams1]

The problem

Hi folks,

I'm facing an issue when using the Reolink integration with an RLC-820A camera, details as follows:

Firmware: v3.0.0.124_20112601
Hardware: IPC_523128M8MP

Essentially what is happening is the integration works correctly, the camera can be added and everything appears to work as you would expect. However, when viewing either the 'main' or 'sub' camera entities only a preview image is shown, and the video stream never starts.

Viewing the logs, there appears to be 404 / "Not found" errors; these errors persist when either using RTMP or RTSP.

My suspicion is that for this particular camera the integration is using the wrong URL for accessing the stream, this is documented in the following post - https://www.reddit.com/r/reolinkcam/comments/kziu4t/820a_no_substream/. For the 'main' stream, I have replicated the behaviour in VLC by trying the h264 path (which returns an error) and the h265 path which works. When looking at the logs, it appears the integration is trying to access the h264 path on the main stream, which doesn't exist for this camera.

My confusion comes with the sub stream, which suffers from exactly the same issue (preview only, stream won't play). The sub stream does in fact have a h264 path which is confirmed to work with VLC. When viewing this camera entity, there are no errors produced by the integration, the stream just sits there frozen. If I leave the preview open for some time (1-2 minutes) I do start to see the following logs which confusingly refer to the main URL:

2023-01-11 11:12:49.894 ERROR (stream_worker) [homeassistant.components.stream.stream.camera.living_room_camera_main] Error from stream worker: Error opening stream (HTTP_NOT_FOUND, Server returned 404 Not Found) rtsp://:@192.168.4.45:554/h264Preview_01_main
2023-01-11 11:13:11.479 ERROR (stream_worker) [homeassistant.components.stream.stream.camera.living_room_camera_main] Error from stream worker: Error opening stream (HTTP_NOT_FOUND, Server returned 404 Not Found) rtsp://:@192.168.4.45:554/h264Preview_01_main

I'm not sure if this is caused by the sub stream entity switching to the main stream, or just coincidence caused by some other background polling.

Please let me know if there is any further debug information I can provide to help diagnose this one!

What version of Home Assistant Core has the issue?

2023.1.2

What was the last working version of Home Assistant Core?

N/A

What type of installation are you running?

Home Assistant OS

Integration causing the issue

reolink

Link to integration documentation on our website

https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/reolink

Diagnostics information

Not possible for this integration

Example YAML snippet

N/A configured via the UI

Anything in the logs that might be useful for us?

(When using RTMP)

2023-01-11 10:46:26.438 ERROR (stream_worker) [homeassistant.components.stream.stream.camera.living_room_camera_main] Error from stream worker: Error opening stream (EOF, End of file) rtmp://192.168.4.45:1935/bcs/channel0_main.bcs?channel=0&stream=0&user=****&password=****
2023-01-11 10:55:41.000 ERROR (stream_worker) 

(When using RTSP)
[homeassistant.components.stream.stream.camera.living_room_camera_main] Error from stream worker: Error opening stream (HTTP_NOT_FOUND, Server returned 404 Not Found) rtsp://****:****@192.168.4.45:554/h264Preview_01_main

Additional information

No response

[home-assistant]

Hey there @starkillerOG, mind taking a look at this issue as it has been labeled with an integration (reolink) you are listed as a code owner for? Thanks!

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[starkillerOG]

@pedrams1 could you turn on debug logging for the reolink integration (through the devices menu and the more settings of the integartion), let it run for 5 minutes and post the debug log here.

I would like to see which encodings the camera reports to support.

[pedrams1]

@pedrams1 could you turn on debug logging for the reolink integration (through the devices menu and the more settings of the integartion), let it run for 5 minutes and post the debug log here.

I would like to see which encodings the camera reports to support.

Hi @starkillerOG! Thanks for getting back to me, and thank you for your efforts with this integration. I've run the integration in debug mode for 5 minutes and produced the following logs:

2023-01-14 23:24:06.159 ERROR (stream_worker) [homeassistant.components.stream.stream.camera.living_room_camera_main] Error from stream worker: Error opening stream (HTTP_NOT_FOUND, Server returned 404 Not Found) rtsp://****:****@192.168.4.45:554/h264Preview_01_main 2023-01-14 23:25:11.396 DEBUG (MainThread) [homeassistant.components.reolink] Finished fetching reolink.Living Room Camera data in 0.097 seconds (success: True) 2023-01-14 23:25:26.199 ERROR (stream_worker) [homeassistant.components.stream.stream.camera.living_room_camera_main] Error from stream worker: Error opening stream (HTTP_NOT_FOUND, Server returned 404 Not Found) rtsp://****:****@192.168.4.45:554/h264Preview_01_main 2023-01-14 23:26:11.433 DEBUG (MainThread) [homeassistant.components.reolink] Finished fetching reolink.Living Room Camera data in 0.134 seconds (success: True) 2023-01-14 23:26:56.231 ERROR (stream_worker) [homeassistant.components.stream.stream.camera.living_room_camera_main] Error from stream worker: Error opening stream (HTTP_NOT_FOUND, Server returned 404 Not Found) rtsp://****:****@192.168.4.45:554/h264Preview_01_main 2023-01-14 23:27:11.406 DEBUG (MainThread) [homeassistant.components.reolink] Finished fetching reolink.Living Room Camera data in 0.107 seconds (success: True) 2023-01-14 23:28:11.445 DEBUG (MainThread) [homeassistant.components.reolink] Finished fetching reolink.Living Room Camera data in 0.145 seconds (success: True) 2023-01-14 23:28:36.280 ERROR (stream_worker) [homeassistant.components.stream.stream.camera.living_room_camera_main] Error from stream worker: Error opening stream (HTTP_NOT_FOUND, Server returned 404 Not Found) rtsp://****:****@192.168.4.45:554/h264Preview_01_main 2023-01-14 23:29:11.082 ERROR (MainThread) [frontend.js.latest.202301040] :0:0 ResizeObserver loop completed with undelivered notifications. 2023-01-14 23:29:12.177 DEBUG (MainThread) [homeassistant.components.reolink] Finished fetching reolink.Living Room Camera data in 0.878 seconds (success: True)

I opened the main and sub streams while in debug mode to try and generate more logs. I don't see the encoding settings you're looking for in the logs though - is there another way to generate this information?

[starkillerOG]

@pedrams1 ah yea you are right, the debug logging of reolink-aio is broken.
I already fixed that yesterday, but that has not been released in HomeAssistant yet (will be in next patch release).

you could run the following python script to get the info I need:

import logging
import asyncio
from reolink_aio import api

_LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
logging.basicConfig(level="INFO")

IP = '192.168.1.FILL_THIS_IN'
username = 'FILL_THIS_IN'
password = 'FILL_THIS_IN'


async def asyncio_demo(loop):
    host = api.Host(host=IP, username=username, password=password, protocol="rtsp")

    # Obtain/cache NVR or camera settings and capabilities, like model name, ports, HDD size, etc:
    await host.get_host_data()
    await host.get_states()
    print(host._enc_settings)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
    loop.run_until_complete(asyncio_demo(loop))

But if you are not familiar with running python scripts (on a computer, does not have to be HomeAssistant), just wait untill the patch release that will fix the debug logging.

[starkillerOG]

@pedrams1 I already have a HomeAssitant PR here: #85871 that will probably fix the encoding of the RTSP main stream. (set it to h265 instead of h264).

RTMP does not use the encoding in its url, the camera is supposed to select this automatically.
I do not know why the RTMP stream is failing...

Are you using a admin account for the HomeAssistant reolink integration?
Do you have other camera's where the stream is working properly?

Did you try the RTMP streams in VLC?

The next HomeAssistant release 2023.02 will include the additional HTTP(s) FLV streaming protocol.
So you could then also try if those streams work....

[starkillerOG]

If you appreciate the reolink integration and want to support its development, please consider sponsering the upstream library.

[pedrams1]

I've run the script as you requested and got the following response:

{0: {'Enc': {'audio': 0, 'channel': 0, 'mainStream': {'bitRate': 6144, 'frameRate': 25, 'height': 2160, 'profile': 'High', 'resolution': 51, 'size': '3840*2160', 'width': 3840}, 'subStream': {'bitRate': 256, 'frameRate': 10, 'height': 360, 'profile': 'High', 'resolution': 21, 'size': '640*360', 'width': 640}}}}
ERROR:asyncio:Unclosed client session
client_session: <aiohttp.client.ClientSession object at 0x7f13de0b1c40>
ERROR:asyncio:Unclosed connector
connections: ['[(<aiohttp.client_proto.ResponseHandler object at 0x7f13de36eac0>, 519.9217565)]']
connector: <aiohttp.connector.TCPConnector object at 0x7f13de0b1b20>

With regards to your questions:

Are you using a admin account for the HomeAssistant reolink integration?

Yes I am using the admin account

Do you have other camera's where the stream is working properly?

Yes I have other non-Reolink cameras connected via the Generic Camera integration which work fine, but unfortunately no other Reolink cameras. I stopped buying Reolink cameras waiting for the day this integration arrived :)

Did you try the RTMP streams in VLC?

I've tried but I have not been successful, though this could just be my inability to generate the valid URL for testing this. I tried the URL from the log generated by the integration but that didn't work (as we'd expect).

The next HomeAssistant release 2023.02 will include the additional HTTP(s) FLV streaming protocol.

I will certainly test this!

If you appreciate the reolink integration and want to support its development, please consider sponsering the upstream library.

It would be my pleasure.

[starkillerOG]

@pedrams1 thank you very much for sending the response to the script.
It is in fact not what I was expecting, the "vType" is missing in the encoding information, on my cameras and in the API documentation it is there.

So this PR #85871 will not fix your issue, in fact it will disable both RTSP stream entities.

I will make some adjustments, but I need some more information.

Could you try the following two rtsp streams in VLC player with filling in your PASSWORD and IP:
rtsp://admin:PASSWORD@192.168.1.IP:554/Preview_01_main
rtsp://admin:PASSWORD@192.168.1.IP:554/Preview_01_sub

Could you also try running the script below and post the output here:

import logging
import asyncio
from reolink_aio import api

_LOGGER = logging.getLogger(__name__)
logging.basicConfig(level="INFO")

IP = '192.168.1.FILL_THIS_IN'
username = 'FILL_THIS_IN'
password = 'FILL_THIS_IN'


async def asyncio_demo(loop):
    host = api.Host(host=IP, username=username, password=password, protocol="rtsp")

    # Obtain/cache NVR or camera settings and capabilities, like model name, ports, HDD size, etc:
    await host.get_host_data()
    await host.get_states()
    print(host._enc_settings)

    body = [{"cmd":"GetRtspUrl", "action": 0, "param": {"channel": 0}}]
    print(await host.send(body))

    await host.logout()


if __name__ == "__main__":
    loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
    loop.run_until_complete(asyncio_demo(loop))

[pedrams1]

Could you try the following two rtsp streams in VLC player with filling in your PASSWORD and IP:

I've tested these, and neither of these URLs work

Could you also try running the script below and post the output here:

The result of the script is as follows:

{0: {'Enc': {'audio': 0, 'channel': 0, 'mainStream': {'bitRate': 6144, 'frameRate': 25, 'height': 2160, 'profile': 'High', 'resolution': 51, 'size': '3840*2160', 'width': 3840}, 'subStream': {'bitRate': 256, 'frameRate': 10, 'height': 360, 'profile': 'High', 'resolution': 21, 'size': '640*360', 'width': 640}}}} [ { "cmd" : "Unknown", "code" : 1, "error" : { "detail" : "not support", "rspCode" : -9 } } ]

[starkillerOG]

@pedrams1 on which firmware version of the RLC-820A are you?

I see you are on firmware version v3.0.0.124_20112601 of the RLC-820A.

The latest version is v3.1.0.956_22041501 from April 18th 2022, which can be downloaded from https://reolink.com/download-center/

Could you try updating and trying the last script and the two rtsp streams again?

[pedrams1]

Could you try updating and trying the last script and the two rtsp streams again?

It's amazing what some new firmware can do! After upgrading it, everything is up and running perfectly now. After the upgrade, your script started returning much more information:

{0: {'Enc': {'audio': 0, 'channel': 0, 'mainStream': {'bitRate': 6144, 'frameRate': 25, 'gop': 2, 'height': 2160, 'profile': 'High', 'size': '3840*2160', 'vType': 'h265', 'width': 3840}, 'subStream': {'bitRate': 256, 'frameRate': 10, 'gop': 4, 'height': 360, 'profile': 'High', 'size': '640*360', 'vType': 'h264', 'width': 640}}}} [ { "cmd" : "GetRtspUrl", "code" : 0, "value" : { "rtspUrl" : { "channel" : 0, "mainStream" : "rtsp://192.168.4.45:554/Preview_01_main", "subStream" : "rtsp://192.168.4.45:554/Preview_01_sub" } } } ]

The stream URLs without the codec in the path seem to have sprung to life, and the API is returning the addresses. I guess somewhere between my ancient and the current firmware this was implemented?

Brilliant, thank you so much! And silly me for not checking something so simple before raising the issue.

May I suggest as a future enhancement to have the integration fail to add a camera that isn't advertising the stream URLs via the "GetRtspUrl" endpoint? I don't know if it's possible to report out of date firmware to the user but maybe it's something we can add to the documentation?

[pedrams1]

I don't know if it's possible to report out of date firmware to the user but maybe it's something we can add to the documentation?

I suppose I could do this myself :) I've raised this small PR to update the documentation home-assistant/home-assistant.io#25779

[starkillerOG]

Greath to hear your system is now working properly.

I will implement the GetRtspURL as the primary method, upon fail use the GetEnc with the old style h264/h265 URL and if that fails default to the new style URL withouth the h264/h265.
Will make a PR for this soon.

Besides next up on my to do list for reolink is implementing a update entity so HomeAssistant will notify you about reolink firmware updates and you can update from within HomeAssistant just like you update HomeAsssitant itself.
That way users will be propted to update their old firmware.