🐦 Piepswatch - Bird Camera Live Stream

Simple and reliable Raspberry Pi bird camera with RTSP streaming that works on all devices.

🚀 Quick Start

Stream is automatically running! Just open in any app:

rtsp://192.168.1.169:8554/emily

📱 How to View

iPhone/iPad

• Install VLC App (free from App Store)
• Open Network Stream: rtsp://192.168.1.169:8554/emily

Android

• Install VLC App or MX Player
• Open Network Stream: rtsp://192.168.1.169:8554/emily

Mac/PC

• VLC Player: Open Network Stream
• QuickTime: File → Open Location
• Any RTSP-capable app

Browsers (Chrome, Safari, Firefox)

❌ RTSP does not work in browsers - this is normal!
✅ Solution: Use VLC app (30 seconds to install)

⚙️ Control

# Check status
sudo systemctl status emily-stream.service

# Restart if needed  
sudo systemctl restart emily-stream.service

# View logs
journalctl -u emily-stream.service -f

🎯 Available Scripts

Script	Purpose	Command
wifi-setup.sh	Switch WiFi networks	sudo ./scripts/wifi-setup.sh
youtube-stream.sh	Stream to YouTube Live	./scripts/youtube-stream.sh
usb-ethernet-setup.sh	USB backup connection	sudo ./scripts/usb-ethernet-setup.sh

🌐 Network Setup

For different WiFi networks (IT courses, etc.):

sudo ./scripts/wifi-setup.sh

Stream URLs for different networks:

• Home: rtsp://192.168.1.169:8554/emily
• Hotspot: rtsp://10.42.0.1:8554/emily
• Course: rtsp://[PI-IP]:8554/emily

📺 YouTube Streaming

Stream to YouTube Live from Mac/PC:

# 1. Add your YouTube stream key
cp config/youtube-key.txt.template config/youtube-key.txt
nano config/youtube-key.txt  # Add your key

# 2. Start YouTube stream
./scripts/youtube-stream.sh

Get your stream key from YouTube Studio.

🎓 IT Course Ready

Perfect for teaching networking concepts:

• RTSP protocol understanding
• Network troubleshooting
• Multiple WiFi configurations
• Cross-device compatibility

See IT Course Documentation for detailed lesson plans.

📋 Technical Details

• Protocol: RTSP (Real Time Streaming Protocol)
• Format: H.264 video stream
• Resolution: 640x480 @ 30fps
• Latency: < 1 second (true live streaming)
• Compatibility: All major devices and apps (except browsers)

🏠 Network Addresses

Network	IP	Stream URL
Home WiFi	192.168.1.169	rtsp://192.168.1.169:8554/emily
Hotspot	10.42.0.1	rtsp://10.42.0.1:8554/emily
Course WiFi	[variable]	rtsp://[PI-IP]:8554/emily

🛠 Troubleshooting

Stream not working?

sudo systemctl restart emily-stream.service

Wrong IP address?

hostname -I  # Get current IP

Network issues?

sudo ./scripts/wifi-setup.sh  # Switch networks

Browser doesn't work?
✅ This is normal! Browsers don't support RTSP.
✅ Solution: Install VLC app instead.

📂 Project Structure

piepswatch-birdcam/
├── README.md                 # This file
├── BEDIENUNG.md             # German instructions
├── scripts/
│   ├── wifi-setup.sh        # WiFi network switching
│   ├── youtube-stream.sh    # YouTube Live integration  
│   └── usb-ethernet-setup.sh # USB backup connection
├── config/
│   └── youtube-key.txt.template # YouTube key template
└── docs/it-course/          # IT course materials

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Created by: Astrid Lanz, 2025
Purpose: Bird watching and IT education
Tech: RTSP streaming - simple and reliable! 🎥✨