Definition
ONVIF is an open standard describing how video surveillance devices from different manufacturers communicate. It covers device discovery on the network, stream retrieval, pan-tilt-zoom control and event reading.
Why it exists
Before standardisation every manufacturer had its own way of communicating, so pairing one brand's cameras with another's recorder was often impossible. ONVIF reduced that to a common denominator.
For analytics deployments it means predictability: if a camera declares conformance with a given profile, the available functions are known in advance.
Profiles and why they matter
The standard is divided into profiles. Profile S covers video streaming, profile G recording and playback, profile T newer codecs and analytics events, profile M analytics metadata.
A bare claim of ONVIF conformance without a profile says little. When specifying hardware you ask about the profile, not the standard.
Frequently asked questions
Does ONVIF conformance guarantee analytics will work?
It guarantees you can connect and pull the image. Whether detection is effective depends on framing, resolution and lighting, not on the protocol.
How does ONVIF differ from RTSP?
RTSP is the streaming protocol. ONVIF is a broader standard that covers, among other things, discovering where that stream is.
Do older cameras support ONVIF?
Some do, some need a firmware update. Cameras more than a decade old usually do not, but they usually fail the image requirements anyway.