# Share a live broadcast stream (HTTP, HTTPS, or RTSP)

*Applies to: Pearl-2, Pearl Mini, Pearl Nexus, Pearl Nano*

The easiest way to deliver your content to your viewers is to give them the live
broadcast URL of the channel. You can get that using the Admin panel. A separate URL
exists for each channel you stream.

The format of the URL depends on the method you used to access the device, which can be
done through network discovery using the device's serial number or IP address. The
device must be accessible on the viewer's LAN for them to access and view the stream
using serial discovery.

If HTTPS is configured, the live broadcast URL will start with *https* instead of
*http*.

If the device is behind a firewall and you want to share a stream with remote viewers,
you need to set up port forwarding on your network. Consult with your network
administrator.

**Table — URL options**

| **Access Method** | **URL Format** |
| --- | --- |
| serial discovery | http://<*serial*>.local/preview.cgi?channel=<channel number> https://<*serial*>.local/preview.cgi?channel=<channel number> rtsp://<*serial*>.local:<*port*>/stream.sdp Where *serial* is the serial number of the system, the *port* number for the channel is found on the Info page, and the channel number is provided from the Admin panel. You must install **Bonjour Print Services** on your Windows or Mac computer to access the live Preview using the serial number. |
| IP address | http://<*IP Address*>/preview.cgi?channel=2 https://<*IP Address*>/preview.cgi?channel=2 rtsp://<*IP Address*>:<*port*>/stream.sdp  Where *IP address* is the IP address of the system, the *port* number for the channel is found on the Info page, and the channel number is provided from the Admin panel. |

An RTSP stream is supported by most media players such as QuickTime and VLC. You can
choose from two RTSP transport protocol options.

- **RTSP (UDP/TCP)**: The client chooses UDP or TCP as the preferred transport
  protocol. The preferred option is UDP, which is a connectionless transport protocol
  that does minimal error checking for less delay when transporting packets. UDP is
  suitable for use with stable, low-loss networks.
- **RTSP (TCP)**: Uses TCP as the transport protocol. Use TCP if you're network
  connection is lossy and would benefit from the error-checking and packet-loss
  retransmission that TCP performs.

**Retrieve the stream URL for your viewers using the Admin panel**

- Log in to the Admin panel as **admin**.
- From the **Channel(s)** menu, select the channel and click **Status**. The Status
  page appears.
- Record the **Live broadcast**, **RTSP stream **URL or other web streaming address.
  This is the address you can send to viewers or use to create a link to your
  broadcast.

**Device differences**

- **Pearl Nano:** Admin panel menu names are singular ("**Channel**" menu, not "**Channel(s)**").

> product: pearl-family · topic: streaming · source: pearl-family-common.md · updated: Oct 13, 2026