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Share One Camera Across Applications

Keep using your preferred recording, annotation, or reporting tool while Vidsy Pipes performs real-time analysis on the same live video source.

If you also want Vidsy Pipes to send detected observations into that external tool, pair this setup with App Control.

Why this setup is useful​

Many camera drivers only allow one application to open a physical camera directly. That becomes a problem when you want to:

  • record video in another tool
  • annotate or report in a separate application
  • watch the same live feed in Vidsy Pipes for real-time analysis

There are two practical ways to solve this:

  1. MediaMTX: run a lightweight background stream server that distributes one shared camera feed to multiple clients over RTSP.
  2. OBS Studio: run a normal desktop application that opens the camera once, lets you preview or transform it, and then shares it through a virtual camera, window output, or an RTSP-capable workflow.
tip

with obs you can also stream a video as a live web cam to multiple applications, handy for demos.

Which option to choose​

Use MediaMTX when​

  • you want a server-style setup that can run for longer periods
  • your workflow already supports RTSP
  • you want multiple clients to connect to the same live source
  • you want to distribute the feed as a network stream instead of a Windows webcam device
  • you may later move from USB cameras to IP cameras

Use OBS when​

  • you want an interactive app that you can start, preview, and adjust on demand
  • your existing tools work better with Windows webcam drivers or windows than RTSP
  • you want to combine overlays, crops, or multiple sources
  • you need a desktop-friendly setup without running a separate stream server
  • you want one tool that can work with either a local webcam or an RTSP/IP camera

A practical rule of thumb​

Both tools can be part of an RTSP workflow.

  • MediaMTX is the better fit when you want a shared feed to behave like a small local service that stays available in the background.
  • OBS is the better fit when you want a foreground app where you can see the picture, add scenes, crop, overlay, and route the output in different ways.

OBS can also ingest RTSP cameras directly, typically through a Media Source that points at the RTSP URL. In practice, performance depends on the specific camera, stream profile, and decoder behavior. Some cameras work well directly in OBS, while others show more delay or stream quirks there and are better handled through MediaMTX or another dedicated RTSP path.

Option 1: MediaMTX RTSP relay​

MediaMTX is a lightweight media server. In this workflow, one application captures the physical camera and publishes it to MediaMTX. Vidsy Pipes and your other tools then connect to the RTSP output instead of opening the camera directly.

Typical MediaMTX workflow​

  1. The physical camera is opened by one publisher.
  2. That publisher sends the feed to MediaMTX.
  3. Vidsy Pipes reads the RTSP stream.
  4. Other applications read the same RTSP stream as needed.

Prerequisites​

  • A Windows PC with the physical camera working normally
  • MediaMTX
  • One application that can publish the camera as a stream
    • OBS with an RTSP output plugin or FFmpeg-based workflow
    • FFmpeg directly
    • another capture tool that can publish RTSP, RTMP, SRT, or WebRTC into MediaMTX

Step 1: Install and start MediaMTX​

  1. Download MediaMTX from the official GitHub releases page.
  2. Extract the archive to a folder on your PC.
  3. Start mediamtx.exe.
  4. Keep the console window open while you use the stream server.

By default, MediaMTX listens on the standard RTSP port:

rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/

Step 2: Choose a stream path​

Pick a short path name for the shared camera feed, for example:

rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/camera1

Use the same path in the publishing tool and in every application that reads the stream.

Step 3: Publish the physical camera into MediaMTX​

You need one publisher. The exact steps depend on the tool you use.

Example using FFmpeg​

If FFmpeg can access your physical camera, it can publish the live feed into MediaMTX.

Example structure:

ffmpeg -f dshow -i video="Your Camera Name" -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -tune zerolatency -f rtsp rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/camera1

Adjust the input device name and encoding settings to match your machine.

note

The exact FFmpeg command depends on your camera driver, frame size, frame rate, and whether your system uses DirectShow or another capture backend. The important part is the target URL: rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/camera1.

Example using OBS as publisher​

OBS can capture the physical camera once. From there, you can publish that scene to MediaMTX if you use an RTSP-capable output workflow.

This is useful when you want to:

  • crop the frame before Vidsy receives it
  • add labels or overlays
  • normalize resolution and frame rate

Step 4: Connect Vidsy Pipes to the RTSP stream​

In Vidsy Pipes:

  1. Open the camera or input setup.
  2. Add a source that supports an RTSP or network stream.
  3. Enter the stream URL, for example:
rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/camera1
  1. Confirm that the preview updates correctly.
  2. Start real-time analysis.

Step 5: Connect your other applications​

Any application that supports RTSP can connect to the same URL. This lets your recorder, viewer, or reporting tool consume the feed without fighting for direct access to the USB camera.

MediaMTX recommendations​

  • Start with 127.0.0.1 when everything runs on the same PC.
  • Use a fixed resolution such as 1280x720 or 1920x1080.
  • Keep frame rates realistic. 20 to 30 FPS is usually enough.
  • Prefer low-latency encoder settings if real-time response matters.
  • If another PC should also consume the feed, replace 127.0.0.1 with the host machine IP address and allow the connection through the firewall.

When MediaMTX is the better fit​

MediaMTX is usually the better long-term option when you want one source to feed several tools reliably. It is especially useful when your workflow already includes network streams or when you want Vidsy Pipes to analyze the exact same encoded stream that is being recorded elsewhere.

Option 2: OBS Studio for camera sharing, virtual cameras, and desktop routing​

OBS Studio is useful when you want to open a camera once and then expose it in other ways for the rest of your workflow. That input can be a normal Windows webcam or an RTSP/IP camera.

OBS-based workflows​

There are three common patterns:

  1. Virtual camera output: OBS turns one physical camera into a reusable virtual camera feed.
  2. Window duplication: OBS or another application shows the feed in a dedicated window, and Vidsy Pipes captures that window instead of the physical camera.
  3. Direct RTSP ingest: OBS reads an RTSP camera as a media source, then you use the OBS scene as the shared source for the rest of the workflow.

OBS is often the better fit than a pure RTSP setup when the rest of the toolchain expects webcam drivers, preview windows, or operator-controlled scenes instead of a raw network stream.

Step 1: Install OBS Studio​

  1. Download OBS Studio from the official website.
  2. Install and start OBS.

Step 2: Add the camera source in OBS​

  1. Create a new scene, for example Shared Camera.
  2. In Sources, add one of these source types:
    • Video Capture Device for a local USB or Windows webcam
    • Media Source for an RTSP camera URL
  3. Select the physical webcam or enter the RTSP URL.
  4. Set the desired resolution and frame rate when those settings are available.
  5. Confirm that the live preview looks correct.

If you opened a local webcam in OBS, OBS now owns the physical camera, so other applications should consume the OBS output instead of opening the camera directly.

Step 3A: Use the OBS virtual camera​

  1. In OBS, click Start Virtual Camera.
  2. Open the other application and select the OBS virtual camera as its video source.
  3. In Vidsy Pipes, either:
    • select the OBS virtual camera directly if it is listed as a camera input
    • or capture a window that displays the OBS output

Direct RTSP cameras in OBS​

If your camera already provides RTSP, OBS can often connect to it directly through Media Source with a URL such as:

rtsp://username:password@camera-ip:554/path

The exact path depends on the camera vendor and stream profile.

note

Users on the OBS forums describe successful RTSP camera setups with Media Source, but they also report that behavior can vary by camera model. If OBS shows extra delay, unstable preview, or trouble reconnecting, test the same camera in MediaMTX or another RTSP viewer and choose the path that behaves best on your hardware.

OBS versus MediaMTX in practice​

The main difference is the kind of output and the kind of workflow you want to maintain:

  • OBS fits best when the rest of your software expects Windows webcam devices or a normal desktop preview window.
  • MediaMTX fits best when you want a long-running server-style setup with RTSP distribution.

In practice, choose OBS when you want a visible operator-facing application and flexible output options, and choose MediaMTX when you want to turn the camera into a shared RTSP service that other applications can consume in the background.

Step 3B: Use OBS window output for Vidsy Pipes​

This is often the simplest desktop workflow.

  1. Keep the camera running in OBS or in your preferred recording tool.
  2. Open the live preview in a dedicated window.
  3. In Vidsy Pipes, add a Window input instead of a direct camera input.
  4. Select the preview window.
  5. Start analysis on that captured window.

This avoids direct camera conflicts because Vidsy Pipes no longer opens the USB device.

Step 3C: Create multiple derived views in OBS​

OBS is also useful when you need more than one version of the same camera feed, for example:

  • one clean recording view
  • one zoomed crop for analysis
  • one operator view with overlays

You can build these as separate scenes and choose which output goes to your recording tool, which preview window is captured by Vidsy Pipes, and which feed is published to MediaMTX.

Setup A: Fastest setup​

  • Open the physical camera in your existing recording or annotation tool.
  • Make that tool display the live feed in a normal desktop window.
  • In Vidsy Pipes, add the feed as a Window input.

Use this when you want the least setup effort.

Setup B: Clean webcam-style workflow​

  • Open the physical camera in OBS.
  • Start the OBS virtual camera output.
  • Use those virtual Windows camera devices in your other application and in Vidsy Pipes where supported.
  • Use window capture or RTSP for Vidsy Pipes.

Use this when another tool expects a webcam device.

Setup C: OBS as the central camera app​

  • Open the camera in OBS, either as a Video Capture Device or as an RTSP Media Source.
  • Add any crop, overlay, or scene setup you need.
  • Share the result through OBS Virtual Camera, a preview window, or an RTSP publishing workflow.

Use this when you want one visible desktop app to control the camera path.

Setup D: Most robust multi-app workflow​

  • Open the physical camera once in OBS or FFmpeg.
  • Publish it to MediaMTX.
  • Let Vidsy Pipes and all other tools connect to the RTSP stream.

Use this when several applications need the same source reliably.

Troubleshooting​

Another application says the camera is busy​

  • Do not let multiple programs open the physical USB camera directly.
  • Open the camera once in OBS or a streaming publisher.
  • Feed the other applications from RTSP, a virtual camera, or a preview window.

Vidsy Pipes has no picture from the RTSP source​

  • Confirm that mediamtx.exe is still running.
  • Confirm that the publisher is sending to the expected path.
  • Check the exact URL, for example rtsp://127.0.0.1:8554/camera1.
  • Test the stream in another RTSP-capable player first.

Delay is too high​

  • Reduce resolution or frame rate.
  • Use low-latency encoder settings.
  • Avoid unnecessary re-encoding stages.
  • Keep everything on the same machine or LAN when possible.
  • If the camera is connected directly to OBS over RTSP and remains laggy, compare that with the same camera routed through MediaMTX or consumed by another RTSP viewer first. Some cameras simply behave better with one path than the other.

Window capture quality is poor​

  • Increase the preview window size before capturing it.
  • Avoid capturing a heavily scaled or low-resolution preview.
  • Prefer RTSP when image fidelity matters more than quick setup.

Summary​

If you only need a quick solution, capture your existing preview window in Vidsy Pipes. If you need an operator-friendly app that can work with webcams or RTSP cameras, use OBS. If you need the most reliable background setup for multiple consumers, use MediaMTX with RTSP.

That lets you keep your preferred video recording, annotation, and reporting workflow while Vidsy Pipes runs real-time analysis on the same live video feed.

When you want Vidsy Pipes to do more than analyze the feed and also trigger updates inside the reporting application, continue with App Control.