RTSP Recorder for Android

A robust Android application for recording RTSP (Real-Time Streaming Protocol) video streams to local storage with automatic segmentation, reconnection handling, and comprehensive logging.

Features

Core Functionality

RTSP Stream Recording: Record video streams from IP cameras and RTSP sources
Automatic Segmentation: Splits recordings into 3-minute segments for easier file management
Auto-Reconnection: Automatically reconnects if the stream drops or network issues occur
Background Recording: Continues recording even when the app is in the background
Persistent Storage: Saves recordings to user-selected folders using Android's Storage Access Framework

Advanced Features

Intelligent Retry Logic: Adaptive reconnection delays based on failure count (3s → 10s)
Connection Watchdog: Detects and handles connection timeouts (30-second limit)
Partial Segment Recovery: Saves valid partial segments when connections drop
Wake Lock Management: Keeps CPU active during recording to prevent interruptions
Real-time Logging: Comprehensive logging system with timestamps
Log Export: Save logs to text files for troubleshooting

Technical Specifications

Requirements

Minimum Android Version: Android 5.0 (API 21)
Recommended: Android 8.0+ (API 26+) for optimal notification support
Dependencies:
- LibVLC for Android (VLC media player library)
- AndroidX libraries
- DocumentFile provider

Recording Parameters

Video Codec: H.264
Video Bitrate: 2000 kbps
Audio Codec: MP4A (AAC)
Audio Bitrate: 128 kbps
Container Format: MP4
Segment Duration: 3 minutes
Minimum Segment Size: 100 KB

Connection Settings

Network Caching: 3000ms
File Caching: 3000ms
RTSP Protocol: TCP (forced)
Frame Buffer Size: 500,000 bytes
Connection Timeout: 30 seconds
Short Reconnect Delay: 3 seconds
Long Reconnect Delay: 10 seconds (after 5+ failures)

Installation

Prerequisites

Android Studio (latest stable version)
Android SDK with API 21+
LibVLC Android library

Build Steps

Clone or download the project

git clone <your-repo-url>
cd rtsp-recorder

Add LibVLC dependency to app/build.gradle:

dependencies {
    implementation 'org.videolan.android:libvlc-all:3.5.0'
    // ... other dependencies
}

Configure AndroidManifest.xml with required permissions:

<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.INTERNET" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.FOREGROUND_SERVICE" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.WAKE_LOCK" />
<uses-permission android:name="android.permission.POST_NOTIFICATIONS" />

Declare the service in AndroidManifest.xml:

<service
    android:name=".MainActivity$RecordingService"
    android:enabled="true"
    android:exported="false"
    android:foregroundServiceType="mediaProjection" />

Build and run
```
./gradlew assembleDebug
```

Usage

Basic Workflow

Launch the app
- Grant necessary permissions when prompted
Select output folder
- Tap "Select Output Folder"
- Choose a directory where recordings will be saved
- Grant persistent write permission
Enter RTSP URL
- Format: rtsp://username:password@ip:port/path
- Example: rtsp://admin:password@192.168.1.100:554/stream1
Start recording
- Tap "Start Recording"
- App will connect and begin recording segments
- Status updates shown in notification and log
Stop recording
- Tap "Stop Recording"
- Final segment will be saved automatically

RTSP URL Formats

Common RTSP URL patterns:

rtsp://192.168.1.100:554/stream1
rtsp://username:password@192.168.1.100:554/live.sdp
rtsp://camera.example.com:8554/h264
rtsps://secure-camera.example.com/stream  # Secure RTSP

Log Management

View Logs: Real-time logs displayed in the scrollable log area
Toggle Logging: Tap "Log: ON/OFF" to enable/disable UI logging
Clear Logs: Tap "Clear Log" to clear the log display
Save Logs: Tap "Save Log" to export logs to a timestamped text file

File Output

Segment Naming Convention

recording_segment_0_1234567890.mp4
recording_segment_1_1234567891.mp4
recording_segment_2_1234567892.mp4
...

Log File Naming

recording_log_20250124_143025.txt

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

Problem: "Connection timeout" after 30 seconds

Solution: Check camera credentials and network connectivity
Verify RTSP URL format
Ensure camera supports RTSP over TCP

Problem: Frequent reconnections

Solution: Check network stability
Consider increasing network caching values
Verify camera stream is stable

Storage Issues

Problem: "Output folder not accessible"

Solution: Re-select the output folder
Check available storage space
Ensure app has persistent URI permissions

Problem: Segments not saving

Solution: Check minimum segment size requirements (100 KB)
Verify write permissions
Check available disk space (app cache + output folder)

Performance Issues

Problem: App stops recording in background

Solution: Disable battery optimization for the app
Settings → Apps → RTSP Recorder → Battery → Unrestricted

Problem: High battery usage

Solution: This is expected due to continuous recording
Wake lock keeps CPU active
Consider reducing video bitrate if needed

Advanced Configuration

Modifying Recording Parameters

Edit constants in RecordingService class:

// Segment duration (default: 3 minutes)
private static final long SEGMENT_DURATION_MS = 3 * 60 * 1000;

// Reconnection delays
private static final long RECONNECT_DELAY_SHORT_MS = 3000;
private static final long RECONNECT_DELAY_LONG_MS = 10000;

// Minimum valid segment size
private static final long MIN_SEGMENT_SIZE_BYTES = 1024 * 100;

// Connection timeout
private static final long CONNECTION_TIMEOUT_MS = 30000;

Modifying Video Quality

In startNewSegment() method, adjust the sout chain:

// Current: H.264 @ 2000kbps, AAC @ 128kbps
String soutChain = ":sout=#transcode{vcodec=h264,vb=2000,acodec=mp4a,ab=128}:...";

// Higher quality example:
String soutChain = ":sout=#transcode{vcodec=h264,vb=4000,acodec=mp4a,ab=192}:...";

// Lower quality example:
String soutChain = ":sout=#transcode{vcodec=h264,vb=1000,acodec=mp4a,ab=96}:...";

Architecture

Component Overview

MainActivity
├── UI Management
├── Preference Storage
├── Service Binding
└── Log Display

RecordingService (Foreground Service)
├── LibVLC Integration
├── Stream Connection Management
├── Segment Recording
├── File I/O Operations
├── Reconnection Logic
└── Wake Lock Management

State Management

The service maintains several states:

DISCONNECTED: No active connection
CONNECTING: Attempting to establish connection
CONNECTED: Successfully streaming and recording
RECONNECTING: Connection lost, attempting to reconnect
ERROR: Encountered an error

Known Limitations

No Live Preview: App records without displaying video preview
Fixed Segment Duration: 3-minute segments (hard-coded)
No Concurrent Streams: Records one stream at a time
No Streaming Formats: Only saves to local MP4 files
Limited Error Details: LibVLC errors may lack specific details

Future Enhancements

Security Considerations

Credentials in URL: RTSP credentials are stored in SharedPreferences (unencrypted)
Network Security: Use RTSPS for encrypted streams when possible
Storage Security: Recordings saved to user-selected folders without encryption
Wake Lock: Held continuously during recording (impacts battery)

License

[Specify your license here]

Support

For issues, questions, or contributions:

Create an issue in the repository
Check existing issues for solutions
Review logs for detailed error information

Credits

Built with:

LibVLC for Android - Video streaming and transcoding
AndroidX Libraries - Modern Android development
Storage Access Framework - File system access

Version History

v1.0.0 (Current)

Initial release
RTSP stream recording with segmentation
Automatic reconnection
Comprehensive logging
Background recording support
Wake lock management

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
.idea		.idea
app		app
gradle		gradle
.gitignore		.gitignore
README.md		README.md
build.gradle.kts		build.gradle.kts
gradle.properties		gradle.properties
gradlew		gradlew
gradlew.bat		gradlew.bat
settings.gradle.kts		settings.gradle.kts

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