Open-source | One phone, one camera | Hardware phone encoding | Local Wi-Fi
Important
This branch simplifies OpenStream to one Android camera per OBS process and adds a native Linux build. Published V1.0.1 downloads predate these changes. Candidate builds need the device acceptance checks in docs/testing.md before release.
The supported V1.0.1 path is the legacy Android app plus the legacy OBS camera source/dock over local Wi-Fi. USB transport and USB camera-source support are not included in this release.
| Step | Download | Install on |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | openstream-android.apk |
Android phone |
| 2 | openstream-obs-plugin-installer-windows-x64.exe |
Windows OBS PC |
| Fallback | openstream-obs-windows-x64.zip |
Manual OBS plugin install |
| Linux candidate | Build and install from source | Native Linux OBS; the next tagged release will include a matched Linux package |
Need the non-technical walkthrough with screenshots? Start with docs/set-up.md.
OpenStream V1.0.1 sends your Android phone camera directly into OBS Studio over local Wi-Fi. It uses Camera2, MediaCodec video/audio encoding, MPEG-TS muxing, SRT transport, two-way LAN discovery, single-camera pairing, and a native OBS source plugin.
Phone camera -> hardware AVC/H.264 + AAC -> SRT over Wi-Fi -> OpenStream camera source in OBS
| Area | V1.0.1 release detail |
|---|---|
| OBS setup | The V1.0.1 release uses its legacy source controls. The current candidate exposes controls in source properties. |
| Scene compatibility | Existing OpenStream V7 scene sources keep loading while new sources appear as OpenStream V8. |
| Pairing clarity | One camera per OBS process, with a simple computer picker on Android. |
| Release polish | Version defaults, release notes, and setup docs are aligned around V1.0.1. |
Download the APK from the release, copy it to your Android phone, open it, and allow the install prompt. Grant camera and microphone permissions on first launch.
Connect the phone with USB debugging enabled and run cd android && ./gradlew installDebug. Repeating this command installs the updated app in place when
the installed build has the same application ID and signing key. The version
name and code come from android/gradle.properties; increase the code there
for a release. Android rejects an in-place update if the APK uses a different
signing key, such as when switching between a local debug build and the
published release. Keep using the same build type for day-to-day updates.
Download and run openstream-obs-plugin-installer-windows-x64.exe on the Windows PC that has OBS Studio installed. Restart OBS after the installer finishes.
Note
If you prefer manual installation, download openstream-obs-windows-x64.zip, extract it, and run install-openstream-plugin.bat as administrator.
In OBS, click + in Sources, choose OpenStream V8, and press OK. Keep one OpenStream source. To use the camera in another scene, select Add Existing. If upgrading a scene with multiple camera sources, remove the extras; additional capture sessions are blocked with an explanation.
Open the OpenStream Android app on the same Wi-Fi network as the PC. Its discovery panel lists available OBS computers; tap yours to connect. The camera feed should appear in OBS within a few seconds.
Use OBS as usual. Open Docks → OpenStream Camera Control for the camera controls. Phone audio appears on the OpenStream source’s OBS mixer channel.
Tip
Use a 5 GHz or Wi-Fi 6 network, keep both devices on the same subnet, and disable VPNs or router client isolation during first setup.
| Area | Current support |
|---|---|
| Phone OS | Android 10+ with Camera2 and hardware MediaCodec support. |
| OBS host | Windows x64: OBS Studio 32.2.1. Native Linux: build against the installed OBS, Qt, and FFmpeg packages; see Linux setup. Flatpak/Snap builds are not covered. |
| Network | Same LAN/subnet; guest Wi-Fi, VPNs, and client isolation can block discovery. |
| Release maturity | V1.0.1. Expect device-specific camera quirks and Wi-Fi-dependent latency. |
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Full HD Streaming | Streams a sustainable 1080p30 camera feed over SRT, with a 720p30 fallback profile. |
| Hardware Encoding | Uses an explicit hardware AVC/H.264 surface encoder; unsupported hardware is reported instead of silently using software video encoding. |
| Audio Streaming | Sends microphone audio with the video stream as AAC. |
| Multi-Lens Switching | Supports rear, ultrawide, telephoto, and front cameras when available. |
| Pinch-to-Zoom | Smooth digital zoom with a live zoom indicator. |
| Screen-Off Streaming Mode | Dims the phone to a black overlay while keeping capture and streaming active. |
| Torch and Screen Controls | Keeps the phone awake and can toggle torch while streaming. |
| OBS Picker | Choose your OBS computer and see whether the camera is available or connected. |
| Auto-Discovery | Finds OpenStream OBS listeners on the same LAN and advertises the phone back to OBS. |
| Manual Connect | Enable Receive manual connection from phone in OBS advanced settings, then enter the PC IP/port on the phone. Remote camera controls stay on the phone in this mode. |
| Live Stream Telemetry | Shows frames, keyframes, transferred megabits, errors, and active lens while streaming. |
| Identify Overlay | Displays a connection label on the phone when triggered from OBS. |
| Reconnect Hold | Keeps a reserved OBS connection for 45 seconds after a disconnect to make brief Wi-Fi drops less disruptive. |
For native Linux build and installation instructions, see docs/linux.md. Linux packages must match the OBS installation; do not copy a native plugin into a Flatpak or Snap installation.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Native OBS Source | Adds an OpenStream V8 source type inside OBS Studio while preserving V7 scene compatibility. |
| OBS controls | Connection, phone selection, zoom, torch, lens, and identify controls are exposed through source properties. |
| One-Click Installer | Windows installer copies the plugin into the OBS plugin folder. |
| Phone ownership | Each phone can be reserved by one OBS source at a time. Reuse that source across scenes. |
| Phone Discovery | Lists discovered Android phones, includes a refresh action, and can let the phone choose the OBS computer. |
| Auto-Connect | Listens for the Android app and connects without typing IP addresses. |
| Deep-Link Pairing URL | Exposes an openstream://connect pairing URL with slot, port, latency, and source identity. |
| Separate Audio Mixer | Phone microphone audio uses the OpenStream source’s OBS mixer channel. |
| Remote Controls | Adjust zoom, torch, rear/front camera, and the phone identify overlay from OBS source properties. |
| Reconnect Handling | Reserves and releases phones per source so streams recover into the same OBS source. |
| Moment | Experience |
|---|---|
| First launch | The phone explains camera/microphone access, then presents a guided discovery state over the camera preview. |
| OBS setup | Add a camera source and use its properties to select a phone and control the connection. |
| Pairing | The phone scans for available OBS computers and provides refresh, empty-state recovery, and manual fallback. |
| Going live | A LIVE badge, zoom chip, stream stats, and status text make the active connection visible at a glance. |
| Other scenes | Choose Add Existing to reuse your camera without opening another session. |
| On-set checks | Use Identify Phone in OBS to flash the connection label on the physical phone. |
| Battery and heat | Use DISPLAY for a black screen-off overlay or STAY to keep the phone awake. |
Android phone
Camera2 preview/capture
MediaCodec hardware AVC/H.264 video
MediaCodec AAC audio
MPEG-TS muxer
libsrt sender
|
| SRT media stream on port 9100
v
Windows or native Linux PC
OBS Studio
OpenStream native source plugin
FFmpeg SRT receive/decode
OBS video frame + audio mixer output
Current candidate defaults (SRT :9100, phone control :9101, discovery :51615, 12 Mbps, 120 ms) are canonical in docs/protocol.md. The standalone Python receiver remains a developer tool and can use a separately selected port.
Development build:
cd android
$env:JAVA_HOME = 'C:\Program Files\Android\Android Studio\jbr'
.\gradlew.bat :app:assembleDebugDebug APK output:
android/app/build/outputs/apk/debug/app-debug.apk
Note
Normal APK builds link bundled libsrt static libraries for real network streaming. Use -Popenstream.nonStreamingCiBuild=true only for intentional source-compile checks.
Signed release build:
$env:OPENSTREAM_RELEASE_KEYSTORE = "$PWD\openstream-release.keystore"
$env:OPENSTREAM_RELEASE_STORE_PASSWORD = "<store-password>"
$env:OPENSTREAM_RELEASE_KEY_ALIAS = "<key-alias>"
$env:OPENSTREAM_RELEASE_KEY_PASSWORD = "<key-password>"
.\gradlew.bat :app:assembleReleaseFor native Linux build and installation instructions, see docs/linux.md. Linux packages must match the OBS installation; do not copy a native plugin into a Flatpak or Snap installation.
The easiest local build path on Windows is the included script:
.\build_plugin.batTo package without installing:
$env:OPENSTREAM_SKIP_INSTALL = "1"
$env:OPENSTREAM_PLUGIN_PACKAGE_DIR = "$PWD\artifacts"
.\build_plugin.batThe package output is artifacts/openstream-obs-windows-x64.zip.
GitHub Actions publishes:
| Asset | Purpose |
|---|---|
openstream-android.apk |
Signed Android app install package |
openstream-obs-plugin-installer-windows-x64.exe |
Recommended Windows OBS plugin installer |
openstream-obs-windows-x64.zip |
Manual OBS plugin package |
See docs/release.md for release tagging and validation.
Validate SRT transport without OBS:
python tools/openstream_receiver.py --port 9100 --latency-ms 120 --ffplayThis is a developer/debug tool only. Normal users should install the OBS plugin.
| Link | URL |
|---|---|
| Website | OpenStream V1.0.1 |
| Releases | github.com/YashasVM/OpenStream/releases |
| Issues | github.com/YashasVM/OpenStream/issues |
Made by @YashasVM
Turn your phone into a pro OBS camera source. No cables required.