for chunk in stream.iter_content(chunk_size=4096): bytes_buffer += chunk a = bytes_buffer.find(b'\xff\xd8') # JPEG start b = bytes_buffer.find(b'\xff\xd9') # JPEG end if a != -1 and b != -1: jpg = bytes_buffer[a:b+2] bytes_buffer = bytes_buffer[b+2:] frame = cv2.imdecode(np.frombuffer(jpg, dtype=np.uint8), cv2.IMREAD_COLOR) cv2.imshow('Axis MJPEG', frame) if cv2.waitKey(1) & 0xFF == ord('q'): break
This is a video format where each video frame is a separately compressed JPEG image. Unlike H.264 or H.265, it does not use inter-frame compression. This makes it resource-heavy on bandwidth but incredibly easy to decode in web browsers and low-power applications without complex decoders. The Core Axis MJPEG CGI URL
The standard endpoint for requesting an MJPEG video stream from an Axis network camera is:
| Resolution | JPEG Quality | FPS | Approx CPU (Axis P1346) | |------------|--------------|-----|-------------------------| | 320×240 | 30 | 30 | 8-12% | | 640×480 | 30 | 30 | 15-20% | | 1280×720 | 30 | 30 | 35-45% | | 1920×1080 | 30 | 15 | 50-60% | axis cgi mjpg
For authenticated access, credentials can often be embedded in the URL (though HTTPS is recommended for security): http://root:password@ /axis-cgi/mjpg/video.cgi Key Arguments and Customization
For a functional example, you can create an index.html file and host it on a local server. The following code will display the Axis camera feed within an iframe:
Understanding Axis CGI and MJPG: A Comprehensive Guide to Video Streaming and Integration for chunk in stream
: Adjust the image quality and bandwidth usage, typically on a scale from 0 to 100 (e.g., compression=25 ).
This example requests a video stream at 320×240 resolution with compression level 25 from the default camera.
The Mechanics and Management of Axis CGI MJPEG Video Streaming The Core Axis MJPEG CGI URL The standard
To understand how this works, we need to break down the two core technologies involved:
For developers, one of the most common use cases is to access the video stream within a Python script for processing with OpenCV. The good news is that OpenCV's cv2.VideoCapture function can directly accept the axis-cgi/mjpg/video.cgi URL, though it sometimes requires a specific RTSP URL for optimal performance.
Almost any web browser or media player can natively render or easily decode an MJPEG stream. Requesting MJPEG via Axis CGI