Using Video Push to stream video

You can set up Video Push so that users can keep others informed about a situation or record a video to investigate it later by streaming video from their mobile device's camera to your XProtect surveillance system. The video stream may have audio as well.

See also Video Push tab and Requirements for Video Push setup.

Set up Video Push to stream video

To let users stream video from their mobile devices to the XProtect system, set up Video Push on the XProtect Mobile server.

In Management Client, perform these steps in the following order:

  1. On the Video Push tab, select the Video Push check box to enable the feature.
  2. Add a Video Push channel for streaming video.
  3. Add the Video Push Driver as a hardware device on the Recording Server. The driver simulates a camera device so that you can stream video to the Recording Server.
  4. Add the Video Push Driver device to the channel for Video Push.

Add a Video Push channel for streaming video

To add a channel, follow these steps:

  1. In the navigation pane, select Mobile Servers, then select the mobile server.
  2. On the Video Push tab, select the Video Push check box.
  3. Under Channels mapping, in the bottom-left corner, click Add to add a video push channel.
  4. In the dialog box that appears, enter the user name of the user account (added under Roles) that will use the channel. This user account must be allowed to access the XProtect Mobile server and the recording server (on the Overall Security tab).

    5. To use Video Push, users must log in to XProtect Mobile on their mobile device using the user name and password for this account.

    When you add a new Video Push channel on the mobile server, the system generates the port number and the MAC address of the channel that are used when the channel is added as a hardware device on the recording server. The system also generates the password that is used for connecting the Recording Server with the Mobile Server. The default password is Milestone.

  5. Make a note of the port number. You will need it when you add the Video Push driver as a hardware device on the recording server.
  6. Click OK to close the Video Push Channel dialog box.
  7. To save the channel, click Save in the upper-left corner of the navigation pane.

Edit a Video Push channel

You can edit the configuration details of a Video Push channel that you added:

  1. Under Channels mapping, select the channel to edit, then click Edit.
  2. When you are done with editing, click OK to close the Video Push Channel dialog box.
  3. To save the edits, click Save in the upper-left corner of the navigation pane.

When you edit the port number and the MAC address of a Video Push channel, make sure to also replace the Video Push channel configuration details that you previously added on the recording server with the new information. Otherwise, the connection between the Recording Server and the Mobile Server will be broken.

Remove a Video Push channel

You can remove channels that you no longer use:

  1. Under Channels mapping, select the channel to remove, then click Remove.
  2. To save the change, click Save in the upper-left corner of the navigation pane.

Change password

You can change the automatically-generated password that is used to connect the Recording Server with the Mobile Server:

  1. Under Channels mapping, in the bottom-right corner, click Change password.
  2. In the Change Video Push password dialog box, type the new password in the first field, then repeat the new password in the second field, then click OK.
  3. To save the change, click Save in the upper-left corner of the navigation pane.

When you change the Video Push channel password, the change will be applied to all Video Push channels that already exist in the list or will be added in the future. Even if you remove all existing Video Push channels from the list, the new password remains active and will be applied to future channels.

After the change is saved, all existing Video Push channels stop working because the connection between the Recording Server and the Mobile Server is broken. To restore this connection, in the navigation pane, by right-clicking the Recording servers tab, you must run the Replace Hardware wizard and enter the new password for the Video Push Driver that you added as a hardware device on the Recording Server.

 

Add the Video Push Driver as a hardware device on the recording server

  1. In the navigation pane, click Recording Servers.
  2. Right-click the server that you want to stream video to and click Add Hardware to open the Add Hardware wizard.
  3. Select Manual as the hardware detection method and click Next.
  4. Enter the login credentials for the Video Push Driver:
    • User name: Leave the filed blank to use the default user name.
    • Password: Enter Milestone - the password that is generated by the system. If you have changed it when adding the Video Push channel on the mobile server, enter the password that you prefer using. Then click Next

    These credentials are for the hardware, not for the user. The credentials are not related to the user account that is used for accessing the Video Push channel.

  5. In the list of drivers, expand Milestone, select the Video Push Driver check box, and click Next.
  6. In the Address field, enter the IP address of the computer where the XProtect Mobile server is installed.

    7. It is recommended that you use the MAC address generated by the system. Change it only if you experience problems with the Video Push Driver device or, for example, if you have edited the port number and the MAC address of the Video Push channel on the mobile server.

  1. In the Port field, enter the port number for the channel that you created for streaming video. The port number was assigned when you created the channel.
  2. In the Hardware model column, select Video Push Driver, and then click Next.
  3. When the system detects the new hardware, click Next.
  4. In the Hardware name template field, specify whether to display either the model of the hardware and the IP address or the model only.
  5. Specify whether to enable related devices by selecting the Enabled check box. You can add related devices to the list for Video Push Driver, even though they are not enabled. You can enable them later.

    If you want to use location information when you stream video, you must enable the Metadata port.

    If you want to play audio when you stream video, you must enable the microphone related to the camera that you use for video streaming.

  6. Select the default groups for the related devices on the left, or select a specific group in the Add to Group field. Adding devices to a group can make it easier to apply settings to all devices at the same time or replace devices.

Add the Video Push Driver device to the channel for Video Push

To add the Video Push Driver device to the channel for video push, follow these steps:

  1. In the Site navigation pane, click Mobile Servers, and then click the Video Push tab.
  2. Click Find Cameras. If successful, the name of the Video Push Driver camera displays in the Camera Name field.
  3. Save your configuration.

Enable audio for existing video push channel

After you have fulfilled the requirements for enabling audio in video push (see Requirements for Video Push setup), in Management Client:

  1. In the Site Navigation pane, expand the Servers node and click Recording Servers.
  2. In the overview pane, select the relevant recording server folder, then expand the Video Push Driver folder and right-click the video push-related microphone.
  3. Select Enabled to enable the microphone.
  4. In the same folder, select the video push-related camera.
  5. In the Properties pane, click the Client tab.
    For more information, see Client tab (devices).
  6. On the right-hand side of the Related microphone field, click . The Selected device dialog box opens.
  7. On the Recording Servers tab, expand the recording server folder and select the video-push related microphone.
  8. Click OK.