# Cannot transcode camera stream to h264 **URL:** \ **Category:** Wowza Streaming Engine\ **Created:** [August 2, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/cannot-transcode-camera-stream-to-h264/93636 "2021-08-02T14:04:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Filiz\_Celik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/858c86/32.png) [@Filiz\_Celik](https://community.wowza.com/u/Filiz_Celik)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2021, 2:04pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/cannot-transcode-camera-stream-to-h264/93636/1 "2021-08-02T14:04:40Z")
Hi everybody, I am new to wowza and trying to connect an IP camera to streaming engine. I can connect it via a stream file but the test is unsuccessful (i cannot see it in test page). When I record the stream, the recorded mp4s cannot be opened by VLC since there is no H265 codec. After some research I have enabled the transcoding option. However, while I can see the original stream is streaming (bytes input is increasing), the bytes in value for the transcoded streams is zero. So I cannot transcode H265 to H264. Streaming Engine is running on Ubuntu 18.4. The error in server log is as follows: |ERROR|server|comment|2021-08-02|17:01:57|-|-|-|-|-|712.151|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|RTPStream.getMetadataPacket : java.lang.NullPointerException|at com.wowza.wms.media.h265.H265CodecConfigParts.getSpropPPS(H265CodecConfigParts.java:70)|at com.wowza.wms.rtp.model.RTPStream.getMetadataPacket(RTPStream.java:1959)|at com.wowza.wms.rtp.model.RTPStream.a(RTPStream.java:2094)|at com.wowza.wms.rtp.model.RTPStream.checkSendMetadata(RTPStream.java:2135)|at com.wowza.wms.rtp.model.RTPTrack.checkSendMetadata(RTPTrack.java:1548)|at com.wowza.wms.rtp.depacketizer.RTPPacket.write(RTPPacket.java:1375)|at com.wowza.wms.rtp.depacketizer.RTPDePacketizerVideoBase.sendPacket(RTPDePacketizerVideoBase.java:106)|at com.wowza.wms.rtp.depacketizer.RTPDePacketizerRFCXXXXH265.sendPacket(RTPDePacketizerRFCXXXXH265.java:506)|at com.wowza.wms.rtp.depacketizer.RTPDePacketizerRFCXXXXH265.onRtpPacket(RTPDePacketizerRFCXXXXH265.java:146)|at com.wowza.wms.rtp.depacketizer.RTPDePacketizerBase.handleRTPPacket(RTPDePacketizerBase.java:371)|at com.wowza.wms.rtp.model.RTPTrack$HandleRTPMessage.handleMessage(RTPTrack.java:64)|at com.wowza.wms.mediacaster.rtp.RTPSessionDescriptionDataProviderBasicRTSPWorker.onMessage(RTPSessionDescriptionDataProviderBasicRTSPWorker.java:727)|at com.wowza.wms.mediacaster.rtp.RTPSessionDescriptionDataProviderBasicRTSPHandler.messageReceived(RTPSessionDescriptionDataProviderBasicRTSPHandler.java:36)|at org.apache.mina.common.support.AbstractIoFilterChain$2.messageReceived(AbstractIoFilterChain.java:181)|| |—|---|—|---|—|---|—|---|—|---|—|---|—|---|—|---|—|---|—|---| |WARN|server|comment|2021-08-02|17:01:57|-|-|-|-|-|712.173|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|TranscoderWorkerVideoDecoder.frameDimensionsValid[_defaultVHost_:liveCamera/_definst_/camera1.stream: decodeIterations:0]: videoDecoderDecodeDisplayWidth failed [0:32:8192]: Encodes will not be playable| Can anybody help me identify the problem? thanks filiz. ---
**Author:** ![Rose\_Power-Wowza\_Com](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.wowza.com/rose_power-wowza_com/32/431_2.png) [@Rose\_Power-Wowza\_Com](https://community.wowza.com/u/Rose_Power-Wowza_Com)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2021, 6:29pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/cannot-transcode-camera-stream-to-h264/93636/2 "2021-08-02T18:29:36Z")
Hello @Filiz_Celik are you saying you are using an IP camera with H.265 and you are trying to convert it to H.264? Are you using the latest version of Engine- 4.8.14? Because we changed our transcoder to Beamr and you may need to adjust a few settings. You can restream H.265 to H.264 following this doc and tutorial and is a demo how you can play it in VLC player. [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/wowza1/original/1X/41412556257292f510f07166e11df5556eb220e4.jpeg "Stream an IP Camera to Websites and Social Media") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djvhZ1w6qco) ---
**Author:** ![Rose\_Power-Wowza\_Com](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.wowza.com/rose_power-wowza_com/32/431_2.png) [@Rose\_Power-Wowza\_Com](https://community.wowza.com/u/Rose_Power-Wowza_Com)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2021, 6:31pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/cannot-transcode-camera-stream-to-h264/93636/3 "2021-08-02T18:31:23Z")
Be sure to check out this doc and confirm the codec coming and going out: > **[Stream from an IP camera over RTSP to Engine](https://www.wowza.com/docs/how-to-re-stream-video-from-an-ip-camera-rtsp-rtp-re-streaming)** > > Configure and troubleshoot re-streaming from an IP camera (RTSP/RTP re-streaming) using Wowza Streaming Engine. ![Screen Shot 2021-08-02 at 12.30.00 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/wowza1/original/1X/321ded4d30b772d7832570337a0618408cc2f82c.png) If you’re still having issues, send us a support ticket in case we need to advise on some transcoder settings for you. We’ll need to review your camera and configuration. ---
**Author:** ![Filiz\_Celik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/858c86/32.png) [@Filiz\_Celik](https://community.wowza.com/u/Filiz_Celik)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 6:19am UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/cannot-transcode-camera-stream-to-h264/93636/4 "2021-08-03T06:19:10Z")
Hi and thanks for your reply. - I have an IP camera stream and, I can get the stream via VLC, and checked that Codec: H264 - MPEG-4 AVC (part 10) (h264). - I connect to this camera via a stream file (as described in video mentioned in rge reply post.) - when I test playback, the video screen is all black. - Then i tried to record this stream which is successful, however when i try to play the recorded video, I cannot play it neither in video Test Player in Wowza (again black screen), nor in VLC player (VLC could not decode the format “hevc” (MPEG-H Part2/HEVC (H.265))). - Then I tried to transcode it to H264 (thinking that is the problem) but this time, as I have mentioned in the post, the “bytes in” value in network throughput is zero (for the transcoded streams) I have opened a support ticket, thanks again. ---
**Author:** ![video\_streaming](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/22d042/32.png) [@video\_streaming](https://community.wowza.com/u/video_streaming)\ **Post date:** [August 3, 2021, 1:32pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/cannot-transcode-camera-stream-to-h264/93636/5 "2021-08-03T13:32:52Z")
Weird, I wonder what’s going on and will look for your ticket and the discussion. It might be the camera url- they vary per manufacturer but I don’t know and am glad you sent the ticket! We’ll get it figured out! ---
**Author:** ![Filiz\_Celik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/858c86/32.png) [@Filiz\_Celik](https://community.wowza.com/u/Filiz_Celik)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2021, 12:00pm UTC](https://community.wowza.com/t/cannot-transcode-camera-stream-to-h264/93636/6 "2021-08-06T12:00:23Z")
Hi, thanks for the solution. Changing the URL to rtsp://[user]:[pass]@[cameraIP]:[port]/ ?h26x=4&inst=2 solved the problem.