OpenStream

### Turn any Android phone into a wireless camera source for OBS Studio [](https://github.com/YashasVM/OpenStream/releases) [](https://github.com/YashasVM/OpenStream) [](https://obsproject.com) [](https://openstream.pages.dev) **Open-source** | **Low-latency** | **Hardware-accelerated** | **Local Wi-Fi** ---

[!IMPORTANT] OpenStream V2 is a beta release. It is ready for local Wi-Fi camera workflows, but device-specific camera behavior and network quality can still vary. Please report bugs in GitHub Issues.

Quick Downloads

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

Need the non-technical walkthrough with screenshots? Start with docs/set-up.md.

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What is OpenStream?

OpenStream 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, source-slot pairing, and a native OBS source plugin.

Phone camera -> HEVC/H.264 + AAC -> SRT over Wi-Fi -> OpenStream camera slot in OBS

What Changed in V2

Area	V2 improvement
OBS setup	The source properties now follow a Camera Slot -> Live Camera Controls -> Network & Pairing flow.
Upgrade safety	Existing OpenStream V7 scene sources keep loading while new sources appear as OpenStream V8.
Pairing clarity	OBS and Android both describe slots as production camera positions instead of raw listener ports.
Release polish	Version defaults, release notes, and setup docs are aligned around the V2 beta release.

OpenStream vs DroidCam

DroidCam is a mature phone-as-webcam product with Wi-Fi, USB, desktop webcam clients, and an OBS plugin. OpenStream is a beta open-source alternative focused on local OBS camera slots, SRT transport, high-bitrate video, and a repo-controlled release/update path.

Feature	OpenStream	DroidCam / DroidCam OBS
Project model	Open-source repo with Android app, native OBS plugin, CI builds, and public release assets.	Commercial app/client/plugin from Dev47Apps with free SD usage and paid HD/pro features.
Primary workflow	Turn Android phones into dedicated OBS camera sources over local Wi-Fi.	Use a phone as a webcam for video calls or as an OBS camera source.
OBS integration	Native OpenStream V8 source with camera slots, discovery, pairing URLs, and live controls.	Direct DroidCam OBS plugin; no separate desktop client needed for OBS use.
Transport	SRT over LAN with MPEG-TS carrying HEVC/H.264 video and AAC audio.	Wi-Fi and USB transfer options; DroidCam OBS advertises hardware-accelerated video.
Video target	1080p60 default with high local bitrate and HEVC preference.	Standard-definition free mode; HD/Full-HD/4K options depend on DroidCam mode and pro upgrade.
Audio path	AAC microphone audio into a separate OBS mixer channel, tuned for 48 kHz live production.	Sound capture is supported, including webcam-style audio paths.
Multi-camera setup	Source slots such as CAM A and CAM B reserve phones and recover reconnects into the same OBS source.	DroidCam OBS supports adding multiple devices as OBS sources.
Remote camera controls	OBS source properties can control zoom, torch, lens switching, and phone identification overlay.	Pro features include manual camera controls and PC remote controls.
Release updates	GitHub Releases provide openstream-android.apk and updater metadata for in-app update prompts.	Updates are delivered through DroidCam's app/client/plugin distribution channels.
Best fit	Builders and streamers who want an inspectable, hackable OBS-first camera pipeline.	Users who want a polished cross-app webcam product with mature USB and desktop-client options.

Sources: DroidCam official site, DroidCam OBS plugin, and DroidCam OBS usage notes.

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Quick Start

1. Install the Android App

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.

2. Install the OBS Plugin

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.

3. Add Camera Slots in OBS

In OBS, click + in Sources, choose OpenStream V8, keep the camera slot enabled, and press OK. Each source gets a slot such as CAM A or CAM B, so multi-phone setups can stay organized.

4. Pair the Phone

Open the OpenStream Android app on the same Wi-Fi network as the PC. Tap an available OBS camera slot from the phone, or choose a discovered phone from the OBS source properties. The camera feed should appear in OBS within a few seconds.

5. Stream

Use OBS as usual. Phone audio appears as a separate OBS mixer channel, camera controls live under 2. Live Camera Controls, and the selected phone is held for quick reconnects if Wi-Fi drops briefly.

[!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.

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Compatibility & Limits

Area	Current support
Phone OS	Android 10+ with Camera2 and hardware MediaCodec support.
OBS host	Windows x64 with OBS Studio and FFmpeg SRT support.
Network	Same LAN/subnet; guest Wi-Fi, VPNs, and client isolation can block discovery.
Release maturity	Beta. Expect device-specific camera quirks and Wi-Fi-dependent latency.

---

Features

Android App

Feature	Details
Full HD Streaming	Streams a 1080p camera feed at up to 60 fps over SRT.
Hardware Encoding	Uses MediaCodec HEVC/H.265 with H.264 fallback.
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 Slot Picker	Shows available OBS camera slots on the phone and blocks busy slots from accidental reuse.
Auto-Discovery	Finds OpenStream OBS listeners on the same LAN and advertises the phone back to OBS.
Manual Connect	Supports manual IP and port entry when discovery is blocked.
Live Stream Telemetry	Shows frames, keyframes, transferred megabits, errors, and active lens while streaming.
Identify Overlay	Displays a large slot label on the phone when triggered from OBS.
Reconnect Hold	Keeps a reserved OBS slot for 45 seconds after a disconnect to make brief Wi-Fi drops less disruptive.

OBS Plugin

Feature	Details
Native OBS Source	Adds an OpenStream V8 source type inside OBS Studio while preserving V7 scene compatibility.
One-Click Installer	Windows installer copies the plugin into the OBS plugin folder.
Camera Slots	Gives each source a stable slot label such as CAM A, CAM B, or a custom slot name.
Phone Discovery	Lists discovered Android phones, includes a refresh action, and can let the phone choose the OBS slot.
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 gets its own OBS mixer channel.
Remote Controls	Adjust zoom, torch, rear/front camera, and the phone slot label overlay from source properties.
Reconnect Handling	Reserves and releases phones per source so streams recover into the same OBS slot.

---

UX Flow

Moment	Experience
First launch	The phone opens directly to the camera preview, requests camera/microphone permissions, and waits for OBS.
OBS setup	Add one OpenStream V8 source per camera angle, then name slots for the production layout.
Pairing	The phone lists available OBS slots; OBS can also select a discovered phone or show a pairing URL.
Going live	A LIVE badge, zoom chip, stream stats, and status text make the active connection visible at a glance.
Multi-camera work	Busy and reserved slots prevent two phones from fighting over the same source.
On-set checks	Use Show Slot Label on Phone in OBS to flash the slot label on the physical phone.
Battery and heat	Use DISPLAY for a black screen-off overlay or STAY to keep the phone awake.

---

Architecture

Android phone
  Camera2 preview/capture
  MediaCodec HEVC/H.264 video
  MediaCodec AAC audio
  MPEG-TS muxer
  libsrt sender
        |
        | SRT media stream on port 9000
        v
Windows PC
  OBS Studio
  OpenStream native source plugin
  FFmpeg SRT receive/decode
  OBS video frame + audio mixer output

Discovery uses UDP port 51515. Camera remote controls use the phone HTTP control server on port 9001.

Transport Defaults

Parameter	Default	Notes
Resolution	1920x1080	Full HD capture target
Frame rate	60 fps	30-60 fps depending on device support
Video codec	HEVC/H.265	H.264 fallback
Bitrate	50 Mbps	High-quality local Wi-Fi default; lower if the link drops frames
SRT latency	120 ms	80-200 ms useful range
Discovery port	51515/udp	LAN discovery beacon
SRT port	9000	Media stream
Control port	9001/http	Remote zoom, torch, lens

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Building

Android App

Development build:

cd android
$env:JAVA_HOME = 'C:\Program Files\Android\Android Studio\jbr'
.\gradlew.bat :app:assembleDebug

Debug 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:assembleRelease

OBS Plugin

The easiest local build path on Windows is the included script:

.\build_plugin.bat

To package without installing:

$env:OPENSTREAM_SKIP_INSTALL = "1"
$env:OPENSTREAM_PLUGIN_PACKAGE_DIR = "$PWD\artifacts"
.\build_plugin.bat

The package output is artifacts/openstream-obs-windows-x64.zip.

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Release Notes

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.

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Developer Smoke Test

Validate SRT transport without OBS:

python tools/openstream_receiver.py --port 9000 --latency-ms 120 --ffplay

This is a developer/debug tool only. Normal users should install the OBS plugin.

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Roadmap

• [x] Camera2 hardware-accelerated capture
• [x] HEVC/H.265 and H.264 encoding with MediaCodec
• [x] SRT transport with MPEG-TS muxing
• [x] Native OBS source plugin with FFmpeg decode
• [x] LAN auto-discovery
• [x] Audio streaming into the OBS mixer
• [x] Remote camera controls from OBS
• [x] Windows plugin installer
• [ ] Adaptive bitrate based on network conditions
• [ ] QR pairing for restricted networks
• [ ] GPU zero-copy receive path
• [ ] macOS/Linux OBS plugin packages

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Links

Link	URL
Website	OpenStream.pages.dev
Releases	github.com/YashasVM/OpenStream/releases
Issues	github.com/YashasVM/OpenStream/issues

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**Made by [@YashasVM](https://github.com/YashasVM)** *Turn your phone into a pro OBS camera source. No cables required.*

Built With

• batchfile
• c++
• cmake
• inno-setup
• kotlin
• powershell
• python