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The Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), developed by the IETF and created in 1998 as RFC 2326, is a protocol for use in streaming media systems, which allows a client to remotely control a streaming media server, issuing VCR-like commands such as "play" and "pause", and allowing time-based access to files on a server.

The sending of streaming data itself is not part of the RTSP protocol. Most RTSP servers use the standards-based RTP as the transport protocol for the actual audio/video data, acting somewhat as a metadata channel. The RTSP server from RealNetworks also features RealNetworks' proprietary RDT as the transport protocol.

Clients

• GStreamer
• Media Player Classic
• MPEG4IP
• MPlayer
• QuickTime
• RealPlayer
• Skype
• VLC media player
• Winamp
• Windows Media Player
• Xine
• MythTV via Freebox

RTSP commands

The protocol is similar in syntax and operation to HTTP, but RTSP adds new requests. While HTTP is stateless, RTSP is a stateful protocol. A session ID is used to keep track of sessions when needed. This way, no permanent TCP connection is needed. RTSP messages are sent from client to server, although some exceptions exist where the server will send to the client. Below are the basic RTSP requests. A number of typical HTTP requests, like an OPTION request, are also frequently used. The default port is 554.

DESCRIBE

A DESCRIBE request includes an RTSP URL (rtsp://...), and the type of reply data that can be handled. The default port for the RTSP protocol is 554 for both UDP and TCP transports. This reply includes the presentation description, typically in SDP format. Among other things, the presentation description lists the media streams controlled with the aggregate URL. In the typical case, there is one media stream for audio and one video

SETUP

A SETUP request specifies how a single media stream must be transported. This must be done before a PLAY request is sent. The request contains the media stream URL and a transport specifier. This specifier typically includes a local port for receiving RTP data (audio or video), and another for RTCP data (meta information). The server reply usually confirms the chosen parameters, and fills in the missing parts, such as the server's chosen ports. Each media stream must be configured using SETUP before an aggregate play request may be sent.

PLAY

A PLAY request will cause one or all media streams to be played. Play requests can be stacked by sending multiple PLAY requests. The URL may be the aggregate URL (to play all media streams), or a single media stream URL (to play only that stream). A range can be specified. If no range is specified, the stream is played from the beginning and plays to the end, or, if the stream is paused, it is resumed at the point it was paused.

PAUSE

A PAUSE request temporarily halts one or all media streams, so it can later be resumed with a PLAY request. The request contains an aggregate or media stream URL. When to pause can be specified with a range parameter. The range parameter can be left out to pause immediately.

RECORD

The RECORD request can be used to send a stream to the server for storage.

TEARDOWN

A TEARDOWN request is used to terminate the session. It stops all media streams and frees all session related data on the server.

Server implementations

• QuickTime Streaming Server: Apple's closed-source streaming server that ships with Mac OS X Server
• Darwin Streaming Server: Open-sourced version of Quicktime Streaming Server maintained by Apple
• pvServer: Formerly called PacketVideo Streaming Server, this is Alcatel-Lucent's streaming server product.
• Helix DNA Server: RealNetworks' streaming server. Comes in both open-source and proprietary flavors.
• Live555: Open source C++ server and client libraries used in well known clients like VLC and mplayer.
• VideoLAN: Open source media player and streaming server
• Windows Media Services: Microsoft's streaming server included with Windows Server.
• VX30: Streaming video server and embedded JAVA client from Maui X-Stream.

See also

• Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP)
• Fusion RTSP solution for embedded systems, e.g. IPTV, internet TV and mobile internet devices.

External links

• RTSP.org, a central information repository about RTSP.
• RFC 2326, Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP).
• RFC 3550, RTP: A Transport Protocol for Real-Time Applications.
• Tunneling RTSP and RTP Over HTTP A standard solution to help RTSP work through firewalls and web proxies

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