CamViewer is a simple web-based CCTV dashboard that allows you to stream multiple RTSP camera feeds through a clean HLS interface. It uses FFmpeg for transcoding and a Node.js backend to serve the interface and handle stream startup. It is compatible with Arch Linux and macOS (including Apple Silicon). The frontend is optimized for desktop and Android TV browsers.
- FFmpeg
- Node.js ≥ 14
- Python ≥ 3.6 (optional fallback server)
- OS support: Arch Linux, macOS
camviewer/
├── backend/
│ ├── server.js # Node.js backend server
│ └── start_streams.sh # Shell script to start FFmpeg streams
├── frontend/
│ └── index.html # Web dashboard
├── .gitignore
├── package.json
└── README.md
Clone the repository and install dependencies:
git clone https://github.com/yourusername/camviewer.git
cd camviewersudo pacman -S --noconfirm ffmpeg nodejs npm pythonbrew install ffmpeg node pythonInstall Node.js dependencies:
npm installMake sure the streaming script is executable:
chmod +x backend/start_streams.shEdit the backend/start_streams.sh file and set your camera login and IPs:
USER="admin"
PASS="your_camera_password"
IP1="192.168.100.31"
IP2="192.168.100.74"
IP3="192.168.100.38"These represent your camera login credentials and IP addresses.
Start everything together:
npm startAlternatively:
bash backend/start_streams.sh
node backend/server.jsThis will:
- Start FFmpeg processes in the background to transcode the RTSP feeds to HLS.
- Launch a Node.js server on port 8080 to serve the frontend interface.
Open your browser and navigate to:
http://<your_local_ip>:8080
Example:
http://192.168.100.12:8080
Tested on desktop browsers and Android TV browsers like Puffin or TV Bro.
To stop the streams:
pkill -f ffmpegOr simply press Ctrl+C in the terminal running the server.
You can modify frontend/index.html to:
- Rename camera labels
- Change layout or styling
- Add new camera streams (update backend/start_streams.sh accordingly)
The layout is responsive and uses HLS.js to render the live streams via
This project includes the following .gitignore:
node_modules/
cam1/
cam2/
cam3/
*.m3u8
*.ts
.DS_Store
*.log- Test your RTSP URLs in VLC to ensure connectivity
- Verify all IPs are reachable from your local network
- Use htop or ps to monitor ffmpeg processes
BSD 3-Clause License
Copyright (c) 2025, CamViewer Contributors
All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
- Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
- Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
- Neither the name of the copyright holder nor the names of its contributors may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software without specific prior written permission.
THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS AND CONTRIBUTORS "AS IS" AND ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE DISCLAIMED. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.