ORB Driver for Milestone XProtect · Part of StreamForce

Bring specialist video sources into Milestone XProtect

ORB Driver runs on your XProtect Recording Server and presents RTSP, SRT, MJPEG, MP4 and other supported sources as native, manageable cameras. Up to four streams per camera, plus GPS/NMEA, audio and metadata. No custom MIP development and no separate viewer.

RTSPRTSPSSRTHTTP(S) MJPEGMxPEGMP4NMEA 0183

Start your 30-day trialDownload the manual

The trial starts automatically on installation. ORBNET and Milestone device licences are both required.

Sources

IP cameras & encoders
RTSP / RTSPS
Remote feeds
SRT
Web & legacy
MJPEG / MxPEG
Files & data
MP4, images, NMEA

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XProtect Recording Server

ORB Driver

Up to 4 streams per camera · audio · metadata · GPS · events

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Milestone XProtect

Management Client & Smart Client

Configure, license, view, record, play back and use in rules

The integration problem

The video works. XProtect just can’t use it.

A feed that plays perfectly in a standalone player can still be awkward to bring into a VMS. The usual workarounds cost time and money:

  • Custom MIP development to introduce a single source
  • Separate viewing applications that sit outside operator workflows
  • Ad-hoc streaming bridges that need their own maintenance
  • Repeated engineering every time a new source arrives

The ORB Driver approach

One configurable driver, inside XProtect

Install ORB Driver on the Recording Server, add ORBNET hardware in Management Client and point each camera at its source. It then behaves like any other XProtect camera for live view, recording, playback and rules.

Source → ORB Driver (Recording Server) → Management Client → Smart Client

Capabilities

Built for more than conventional camera streams

Flexible ingestion, multistreaming, optional transcoding and operational metadata, all configured through the XProtect Management Client.

Broad source support

RTSP, RTSPS, SRT, HTTP/HTTPS MJPEG and HTTP MxPEG, plus local MP4 files, JPG/PNG images and image folders. UDP MPEG-TS and RTP are available as advanced options; test them with your source first.

Four streams per camera

Each Single Driver camera carries up to four independently configured streams. Each can point at a different source or quality: a main stream, a sub stream or another device.

Adaptive streaming

Give each stream an advertised resolution and Smart Client picks the closest match for each view: full resolution for a large tile, a lighter stream for a busy video wall. The advertised value labels a stream; it does not resize it.

Optional transcoding

Re-encode a stream to H.264 Baseline with your own width, height, bitrate, frame rate and GOP. It is optional and uses Recording Server CPU, so use a camera’s native sub streams wherever you can.

GPS and NMEA

Accepts NMEA 0183 RMC and GGA sentences over TCP (client or server), or replays a looping NMEA file. Updates from 100 ms to 60 s, plus random-movement simulation. Positions are delivered as live metadata.

Audio, metadata and events

Embedded or separate microphone audio. RTSP/ONVIF and TCP text metadata with alerts, overlays and automatic bookmarks. Video started/stopped and metadata events drive XProtect rules and alarms.

Multistreaming

One camera, four streams, the right one for every view

Smart Client’s adaptive streaming requests the stream closest to each view size, cutting bandwidth and decode load on busy layouts.

  • Stream 1 carries the full-resolution source, passed through unchanged.
  • Streams 2–4 can use a camera’s sub streams, a different device, or an optional H.264 transcode of the same source.
  • Advertised resolution tells Smart Client what each stream delivers. Set it to the real output size.

Skip transcoding when you can. If the camera already offers a 720p sub stream, use it as Stream 2. It costs no Recording Server CPU.

Source
Camera or encoder main & sub streams, another device, or one source transcoded

↓

STREAM 1  1920 × 1080
STREAM 2  1280 × 720
STREAM 3  854 × 480
STREAM 4  640 × 360

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XProtect Smart Client
Adaptive streaming requests the stream closest to each view size

Default advertised resolutions shown. Streams 2–4 are inactive until given a source.

ORB Driver Single Driver stream settings in XProtect Management Client showing four streams, each with its own source, advertised resolution and transcoding values
Four streams, configured in Management Client. Each stream has its own source, advertised resolution and optional transcoding settings.

Use cases

Connect the video your operations depend on

Where a source delivers a supported stream or file, ORB Driver brings it into the XProtect environment your operators already use.

Drone and mobile video

Bring live video from drone and mobile platforms that output a compatible stream, such as RTSP or SRT. Compatibility depends on the platform’s stream output; this is not a native integration with any specific drone or bodycam system.

Remote sites over SRT

SRT’s reliable transport suits lossy or long-distance links from remote facilities, temporary installations and mobile deployments.

Demonstrations and simulation

Present a local MP4 file as a looping XProtect camera for repeatable demos, training and test environments. A file source behaves as a camera feed; it is not an evidence import tool.

GPS-enabled mobile assets

Pair video with live NMEA positions and TCP text metadata, giving operators location and operational context, with alerts and bookmarks.

Multi-camera load testing

Multi Driver creates many virtual cameras from one hardware device for demos, bulk file playback and Recording Server load tests. It is not intended for production.

Native XProtect experience

Familiar administration. More flexible video.

ORB Driver is a device driver, not a separate VMS. Administrators use the normal Management Client hardware workflow; operators use Smart Client as usual.

01

Install

Driver on each Recording Server; plug-in on Management Client

02

Add hardware

Manual detection, ORBNET Single Driver

03

Configure source

Enter the URI or file path for each stream

04

Verify licensing

Confirm the camera shows Licensed

05

View and record

Live, recording, playback and rules in XProtect

See it in Management Client

XProtect Add Hardware wizard with the ORBNET Single, Multi and ONVIF drivers selected
Add hardware. ORBNET drivers appear in the standard XProtect Add Hardware wizard.
ORB Driver Camera Licensing tab in XProtect Management Client showing licensed ORBNET cameras and channel usage
Camera licensing. See every ORBNET camera, its channels and licence status at a glance.
ORB Driver Configuration License tab showing licence details with export request and import controls
Licence management. Request, import and check your ORBNET licence inside Management Client.
ORB Driver GPS simulator settings in Management Client with Off, NMEA and Random Direction options
GPS and NMEA. Choose NMEA file replay or random-direction simulation for the GPS metadata channel.

Three driver editions

Recommended for production

ORBNET Single Driver

One camera with up to four streams, microphone, metadata, GPS/NMEA, virtual outputs and events.

Demos and testing

ORBNET Multi Driver

Many virtual cameras from one hardware device, for simulations, bulk file playback and load testing.

Beta

ORBNET ONVIF Driver

Reads media profiles from compatible ONVIF cameras. Not ONVIF-certified; test with your camera model and firmware before operational use.

FAQ

ORB Driver questions, answered

What is ORB Driver?

ORB Driver is a device driver for Milestone XProtect, made by ORBNET Systems. It runs on the XProtect Recording Server and presents external video, audio, GPS and metadata sources as native XProtect devices for live view, recording, playback and rules.

Which video sources does ORB Driver support?

RTSP, RTSPS, SRT, HTTP/HTTPS MJPEG and HTTP MxPEG streams, local MP4 files, and JPG/PNG images or image folders. UDP MPEG-TS and RTP are advanced options that should be tested with your source.

Does ORB Driver support RTMP, HLS or WebRTC?

Not directly. ORBNET Streaming Engine, also part of the StreamForce ecosystem, can ingest RTMP, HLS or WebRTC and redistribute the stream as RTSP or SRT, which ORB Driver ingests.

Where is ORB Driver installed?

The driver installs on every XProtect Recording Server that hosts ORBNET hardware. A companion plug-in installs on Management Client computers for licensing and configuration, and on the Event Server if you use ORBNET events.

Does ORB Driver support XProtect adaptive streaming?

Yes. Each Single Driver camera can carry up to four streams, each with its own source and advertised resolution, so Smart Client can pick the stream closest to each view size. Transcoding is optional.

Can ORB Driver bring GPS data into XProtect?

Yes. It accepts NMEA 0183 RMC and GGA sentences over TCP or from a replayed NMEA file, with updates as often as every 100 ms. Positions are delivered as live metadata, not as historical positioning playback.

How is ORB Driver licensed?

A 30-day trial starts automatically on installation. After that, each camera needs an ORBNET camera-channel licence and a Milestone XProtect device licence, which are managed separately.

The StreamForce ecosystem

Part of a complete video ingest toolkit

ORB Driver works seamlessly with ORBNET Streaming Engine and StreamLink, so sources that need protocol conversion or secure transport from the edge can still reach XProtect.

You are here

ORB Driver

Presents supported streams, files, GPS and metadata as native XProtect devices on the Recording Server.

Protocol conversion

Streaming Engine

The conversion and distribution layer. It ingests RTSP, SRT, RTMP, HLS and WebRTC and redistributes in any supported protocol, so sources ORB Driver can’t take directly can still reach XProtect.

Explore Streaming Engine →

Edge contribution

StreamLink

A lightweight edge application that ingests local ONVIF or RTSP sources and forwards them securely over SRT to Streaming Engine, ideal for remote and distributed sites.

Explore the StreamForce ecosystem

Try it in your own environment

Ready to bring more video into XProtect?

ORB Driver includes a 30-day trial that starts automatically when you install it. Test your own sources, streams and Recording Servers before you commit.

Download ORB Driver and manualBook a call

Not sure your source is compatible? Book a call to talk through protocol, codec and deployment.

Before you install

  • A running, supported XProtect system with a Recording Server and Management Client access
  • Local administrator rights on each computer that receives an installer
  • A maintenance window, as the installer can restart XProtect services
  • A source the Recording Server itself can reach

Licensing

  • 30-day trial starts automatically on installation
  • After the trial, a purchased ORBNET camera-channel licence
  • Every ORBNET camera also needs a Milestone XProtect device licence; the two are managed separately