> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dwe.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# exploreHD GStreamer Guide

> A guide to using GStreamer with the exploreHD camera for high-performance video streaming and capture.

## Overview

GStreamer is a powerful multimedia framework that allows for efficient video streaming and processing. The exploreHD supports multiple compression formats including hardware-accelerated **H.264**, **MJPEG**, and raw **YUYV**.

## Requirements

You must have GStreamer installed on a Linux computer for this. You can use the following install command to get the required packages.

```bash theme={null}
sudo apt install v4l-utils libgstreamer1.0-dev libgstreamer-plugins-base1.0-dev gstreamer1.0-tools gstreamer1.0-x gstreamer1.0-plugins-base gstreamer1.0-plugins-good gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-libav gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly
```

## Identifying Device Nodes

When you plug in an exploreHD camera, the Linux kernel (via V4L2) typically creates four device nodes (e.g., `/dev/video0` through `/dev/video3`).

* **MJPEG / YUYV:** Usually found on the first node of the group (e.g., `/dev/video0`).
* **Hardware H.264:** Usually found on the third node of the group (e.g., `/dev/video2`).

You can verify your device nodes using `v4l2-ctl`:

```bash theme={null}
v4l2-ctl --list-devices
```

Look for the entry corresponding to the exploreHD. It will list the paths associated with that specific camera.

## Hardware H.264 Mode

The exploreHD features built-in hardware H.264 encoding, which provides high-quality video at low bitrates with minimal CPU overhead.

### Local Preview

To view the H.264 stream locally (assuming `/dev/video2` is the H.264 node):

```bash theme={null}
gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video2 ! \
    video/x-h264,width=1920,height=1080,framerate=30/1 ! \
    h264parse ! avdec_h264 ! autovideosink
```

### UDP Network Stream

To stream the H.264 feed over a network to another device (e.g., IP `192.168.1.50` on port `5600`):

```bash theme={null}
gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video2 ! \
    video/x-h264,width=1920,height=1080,framerate=30/1 ! \
    h264parse ! queue ! rtph264pay config-interval=10 pt=96 ! \
    udpsink host=192.168.1.50 port=5600
```

To receive the stream on a different computer you can use the following:

```bash theme={null}
gst-launch-1.0 -v udpsrc port=5600 ! \
    "application/x-rtp, media=(string)video, clock-rate=(int)90000, encoding-name=(string)H264, payload=(int)96" ! \
    rtph264depay ! h264parse ! avdec_h264 ! videoconvert ! autovideosink
```

## MJPEG Mode

MJPEG mode is widely compatible and provides good quality with low latency.

### Local Preview

Assuming `/dev/video0` is the MJPEG node:

```bash theme={null}
gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! \
    image/jpeg,width=1920,height=1080,framerate=30/1 ! \
    jpegdec ! autovideosink
```

### UDP Network Stream

To stream MJPEG over the network:

```bash theme={null}
gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! \
    image/jpeg,width=1920,height=1080,framerate=30/1 ! \
    rtpjpegpay ! udpsink host=192.168.1.50 port=5600
```

## YUYV Mode

Note that due to USB bandwidth limitations, YUYV is typically limited to lower framerates at high resolutions.

### Local Preview

Assuming `/dev/video0` is the node:

```bash theme={null}
gst-launch-1.0 v4l2src device=/dev/video0 ! \
    video/x-raw,format=YUY2,width=640,height=480,framerate=30/1 ! \
    videoconvert ! autovideosink
```

<Note>
  Refer to the [exploreHD Technical Specifications](/exploreHD/specs/exploreHD#supported-resolutions-and-framerates) to see which resolution and framerate combinations are supported in YUYV mode. At 1080p, YUYV is limited to 5 FPS.
</Note>

## Advanced Bitrate Control

When using H.264 mode, you can adjust the bitrate and other encoder parameters via V4L2 controls while the pipeline is running.

```bash theme={null}
# Example: Set bitrate to 5Mbps
v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video2 --set-ctrl=video_bitrate=5000000
```