In many video projects, stream pulling from surveillance cameras is required to support diversified video services. RTSP is widely adopted to pull raw streams directly from cameras. The RTSP stream can be used directly for AI analysis scenarios, or converted via a video access gateway into other streaming formats such as FLV, HLS and WebRTC for playback on web pages or mobile APPs.

However, as business requirements grow more complex, RTSP stream pulling often fails to meet project demands. In such cases, GB/T28181 is commonly used for stream acquisition, and the video stream is then converted into required formats through a video access gateway for system integration. What are the core differences between these two approaches?

The most significant distinction between RTSP and GB/T28181 lies in cross-public-network capability. RTSP pulls streams directly via IP addresses. It works smoothly when the stream client and camera are on the same LAN or the camera has a reachable public IP address. Nevertheless, if the camera resides in an internal LAN while the stream client is on the public network, direct RTSP stream pulling will fail — a very common real-world scenario.

For cross-intranet and cross-public-network stream pulling, GB/T28181 is the preferred solution. GB/T28181 relies on a publicly accessible server and adopts a registration & authentication mechanism. All LAN cameras register with the GB/T28181 platform by configuring the server address and registration parameters, and report real-time IP traversal information. This enables public-network clients to locate LAN cameras and pull video streams via the national standard platform. This is why GB/T28181 has gained wider adoption; this networking architecture simplifies stream pulling workflows and facilitates centralized networking and management of surveillance devices.

RTSP stream pulling is a native camera capability designed for direct video delivery to third-party applications. It was developed at a time when surveillance services and concurrent stream clients were limited. Today, enterprises run abundant video services. Multiple direct RTSP connections to a single camera frequently cause issues such as device rebooting, black screens and frame stuttering.

GB/T28181 typically supports only one account, which usually corresponds to a single video stream. How to support multiple business channels? GB/T28181 is deployed together with video gateways and management platforms. Taking the video gateway from Sizai Technology as an example: after acquiring camera video via GB/T28181, the gateway can output streams in FLV, HLS, RTSP, RTMP, RTP, SIP, WebRTC and other formats simultaneously for multiple channels. It also supports encoding conversion and adjustment of frame rate, bitrate and resolution as required.

RTSP stream pulling offers relatively limited functionality, mainly for retrieving live video footage. It cannot obtain additional device metadata, and only supports unidirectional video transmission. It is suitable for simple use cases but falls short for sophisticated requirements.

GB/T28181 typically supports only one account, which usually corresponds to a single video stream. How to support multiple business channels? GB/T28181 is deployed together with video gateways and management platforms. Taking the video gateway from Sizai Technology as an example: after acquiring camera video via GB/T28181, the gateway can output streams in FLV, HLS, RTSP, RTMP, RTP, SIP, WebRTC and other formats simultaneously for multiple channels. It also supports encoding conversion and adjustment of frame rate, bitrate and resolution as required.

RTSP stream pulling offers relatively limited functionality, mainly for retrieving live video footage. It cannot obtain additional device metadata, and only supports unidirectional video transmission. It is suitable for simple use cases but falls short for sophisticated requirements.

GB/T28181 integrates a full set of surveillance features, including lens focus control, PTZ adjustment and alarm information reception. For cameras with audio input and output, bidirectional audio is available via GB/T28181 stream pulling. It can even access recorded footage stored on the camera. Besides cameras, it supports interconnection with NVRs and management platforms. Once configured, the device directory can be imported in bulk instead of manual setup for each individual unit.

There are also operational differences in stream pulling workflows. RTSP generally requires minimal camera configuration, provided RTSP service is enabled. Each manufacturer defines its own stream URL format. Users only need the camera IP address, username and password to construct the access address.

Example RTSP stream URL for Hikvision cameras: rtsp://admin:admin@192.168.10.199:554/Streaming/Channels/101

Replace the IP, username and password with the actual device credentials to pull the stream via RTSP.

GB/T28181 requires manual configuration on the camera. Users must obtain the IP of the GB gateway or platform, as well as the assigned national standard ID and password for the camera. In the camera network settings, locate the platform access menu and complete the GB/T28181 parameters. Once registration succeeds, video can be pulled from the camera on the GB platform.

The above summarizes the differences between RTSP and GB/T28181 for surveillance stream pulling. Neither solution is universally superior. The selection depends on project scenarios, to properly acquire surveillance video for deep integration and secondary development.