DeskCamera 5.11 — Stream Your PC Screen to Any VMS or NVR via ONVIF

 

What Is DeskCamera?

DeskCamera is a software-only solution that transforms any Windows PC into a virtual ONVIF IP camera. Once installed, the workstation appears on your network as a standard ONVIF device — discoverable and manageable from any VMS (Video Management System) or NVR (Network Video Recorder) that supports the ONVIF protocol, exactly like a physical IP camera.

The core problem DeskCamera solves: traditional physical security cameras cover rooms and corridors, but cannot capture what is happening on a computer screen. DeskCamera fills this gap by streaming the PC desktop, webcam feed, application windows, and audio into the same surveillance infrastructure that manages your physical cameras — no separate software, no separate recording system, no hardware encoders required.

Current version: DeskCamera 5.11.1 (released March 2, 2026)
Developer: DeskCamera Baltic OU, Estonia
Platform: Windows only (x86 and x64, Windows 7 SP1 and later)
License: Perpetual (hardware-tied) or subscription floating

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Who Uses DeskCamera?

DeskCamera is used wherever a PC workstation needs to be included in an existing video surveillance system without installing separate screen recording software or hardware encoders:

• Retail and POS surveillance — stream cashier terminal screens alongside CCTV cameras, pairing the till screen with the over-counter camera on the same timeline for transaction fraud investigation
• Banking and financial services — monitor teller and back-office workstations within the branch security VMS
• Casinos — capture dealer and gaming terminal screens for regulatory compliance and dispute resolution
• Education and examination centers — monitor exam room workstations alongside room cameras
• Airports and transportation hubs — include operator console screens in control room surveillance
• Manufacturing and SCADA control rooms — capture operator actions on SCADA terminals for process audit
• Healthcare — monitor clinical workstation activity within hospital security systems
• IT auditing — record workstation activity for compliance, audit trails, and insider threat detection

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What’s New in DeskCamera 5.11 / 5.11.1

Multiple Simultaneous Windows User Sessions (5.11.0 — January 2026)

The headline feature of 5.11: DeskCamera now runs as a separate instance for each logged-in Windows user on the same PC. Each user session gets its own DeskCamera instance with isolated settings — its own configured media sources, its own ONVIF/RTSP ports — and appears as a completely independent ONVIF IP camera in the VMS/NVR.

Why it matters: In shared workstations, terminal server environments, and Fast User Switching scenarios, different users working on the same machine previously caused conflicts. DeskCamera 5.11 eliminates this: each operator session streams independently, no configuration mixing, no port conflicts. Relevant for RDP/terminal server environments where multiple operator sessions run on shared hardware simultaneously.

Audio Support for External RTSP Streams (5.11.0)

DeskCamera can now detect audio in external RTSP streams it ingests and re-stream that audio as part of the ONVIF output. Previously, external RTSP streams could be protocol-bridged through DeskCamera to ONVIF, but audio from those streams was dropped.

Configurable Latency for External RTSP Streams (5.11.0)

Users can now adjust the latency of external RTSP streams being re-streamed through DeskCamera, optimizing performance based on network conditions and VMS requirements.

Improved ONVIF/RTSP Port Management (5.11.0)

Enhanced handling of ONVIF and RTSP ports, including support for user-defined ONVIF port assignment. Addresses compatibility issues with VMS systems that have strict expectations about device port configuration.

Bug Fixes (5.11.1 — March 2026)

• Fixed: ONVIF Token Length compatibility setting was not applied to newly created profiles in some configurations
• Fixed: application crash on certain systems during hardware encoder initialization (Media Foundation)

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Core Features

Desktop and Screen Streaming

DeskCamera streams the Windows desktop to any ONVIF-compatible VMS or NVR in real time. Key capabilities:

Multiple monitors: Stream multiple connected monitors simultaneously. Each monitor can be configured as a separate ONVIF channel or all monitors can be combined into one multi-channel ONVIF device.

Application window streaming: Instead of streaming the entire desktop, select a specific application window to stream — only the content of that window, not the surrounding desktop. Useful for POS applications, trading terminals, or operator consoles where only one application matters.

Screen area / crop: Define a custom rectangular region of the screen to stream. Stream only the relevant portion — a specific display area, a data panel, a transaction field — rather than the full desktop.

4K resolution support: Stream at up to 4K resolution. Actual streaming resolution is configurable within the VMS/NVR connection settings.

Up to 60 FPS: Configure frame rate up to 60 frames per second for fluid motion capture.

Stream rotation: Automatically rotate the output stream — auto-rotation (portrait to landscape), 90°/180°/270° fixed rotation, horizontal/vertical flip. Handles portrait-oriented monitors and unusual workstation setups.

Webcam Streaming

DeskCamera supports all webcams connected to the PC — both built-in and USB. Multiple webcams can be connected to the same DeskCamera instance and streamed simultaneously as separate ONVIF channels. Each webcam feed can be independently configured for resolution, frame rate, and encoding parameters.

Audio Streaming

Any microphone available in the Windows system can be assigned to any video input. DeskCamera produces an audio feed alongside video. Audio encoding: G.711 (PCMU) — the standard audio codec for ONVIF surveillance. Audio is included in the ONVIF stream and recorded by the VMS/NVR together with the video.

External RTSP/HTTP Protocol Bridge

DeskCamera acts as a protocol bridge: connect an external RTSP stream (from any IP camera or media server) or an HTTP MJPEG stream to DeskCamera, and it re-streams it as a fully ONVIF-compliant camera. This is useful when:

• A camera on your network is not ONVIF-compliant and cannot be added to the VMS directly
• You need to ingest an RTSP stream from a manufacturer whose VMS plugin is unavailable or expired
• You want all streams on the VMS to appear under a unified ONVIF discovery model

DeskCamera 5.10 added H.265 external RTSP stream support, extending the bridge to H.265-encoded feeds alongside the existing H.264, JPEG, and MPEG-4 support.

Static Image Source

Add a static image as a media source that streams as an RTSP/ONVIF video feed. Primarily useful when you need to stream audio from DeskCamera but your VMS/NVR requires a video component in every stream — attach the static image as a placeholder video while the audio carries the actual content.

GPU-Accelerated Encoding

DeskCamera uses GPU hardware acceleration for video encoding:

• Intel Quick Sync (QSV) — for Intel Core processors with integrated graphics
• NVIDIA NVENC — for NVIDIA GPUs
• AMD VCE — for AMD GPUs

GPU acceleration dramatically reduces CPU load during encoding, keeping the monitored workstation’s primary function (POS, SCADA, trading terminal) unaffected by the surveillance stream. On non-GPU systems, software encoding is used as a fallback.

Encoding formats: H.264 (all systems), H.265/HEVC (GPU-accelerated, Windows 8+)

Multi-Channel and Multi-Camera Deployment Modes

DeskCamera supports two architecture modes:

Multi-channel mode: One virtual ONVIF device with multiple video channels — one channel per screen or webcam. Example: a PC with 2 monitors and 1 webcam appears as 1 ONVIF device with 3 channels. Preferred when the VMS supports multi-channel ONVIF devices (ONVIF Profile S).

Multi-camera mode: Separate virtual ONVIF device per video source, each on its own port. Example: 2 monitors + 1 webcam → 3 separate ONVIF devices on ports 8090, 8091, 8092. Required when the VMS does not support multi-channel ONVIF devices.

Silent Background Operation

DeskCamera runs in the Windows system tray, invisible to the monitored user’s normal workflow. The UI can be password-protected to prevent unauthorized changes. No taskbar presence, no visible application window during normal operation.

Watchdog Auto-Recovery (DeskCamera 5.10)

A background Watchdog service monitors the DeskCamera process and automatically restarts it if a crash or hang is detected — restoring all configured streams without operator intervention. This eliminates stream gaps caused by software crashes in environments where continuous desktop recording is required (casinos, financial compliance, air-gapped government facilities).

Offline Activation and Local License Server

DeskCamera supports offline license activation for systems without internet access. A local license server option enables deployment in air-gapped environments where endpoints cannot reach external activation servers.

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VMS and NVR Certifications

DeskCamera holds official certifications from three major VMS vendors — a meaningful differentiator in enterprise and regulated environments where components must appear on a vendor’s official supported list.

Milestone XProtect — Official Supported Device (2025 R1+)

DeskCamera completed Milestone’s full verification program and is listed on the Milestone Supported Device List for XProtect 2025 R1 and later.

The critical licensing benefit: under Milestone’s policy, certified encoders with up to 16 channels count as a single device license. DeskCamera can deliver up to 16 ONVIF streams from one PC — multiple desktops, webcams, application windows, cropped screen zones, external RTSP sources — and XProtect counts the entire set as one device license, not 16.

Forward-compatibility guarantee: DeskCamera is regression-tested for every new XProtect release and Device Pack, ensuring continued compatibility as Milestone evolves.

XProtect Screen Recorder replacement: Milestone discontinued its own XProtect Screen Recorder extension in the 2024 R1 release. DeskCamera is the officially certified replacement for organizations that relied on this functionality.

Genetec Security Center — Certified

DeskCamera is certified for integration with Genetec Security Center, the VMS used in large-scale enterprise and government installations.

Pelco VideoXpert — Certified

DeskCamera is certified for Pelco VideoXpert VMS.

General ONVIF Compatibility

DeskCamera works with any VMS or NVR supporting ONVIF Profile S — including Hikvision, Dahua, Axis (third-party cameras in Axis Camera Station), Bosch, Avigilon, Blue Iris, and others. The three official certifications apply specifically to those VMS platforms where certification is tested and verified.

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Deployment Architecture

How It Works

1. Install DeskCamera on the Windows PC you want to monitor
2. Configure media sources: which screens, webcams, and audio sources to stream
3. Configure ONVIF discovery settings (port, credentials)
4. From the VMS/NVR, scan the network for ONVIF devices — DeskCamera appears in the device list
5. Add it and configure recording, motion detection, and alerting exactly as you would for any IP camera

License Activation

DeskCamera uses a hardware-tied license — the license binds to the PC during activation. The same license survives Windows reinstalls and DeskCamera reinstalls on the same hardware. Transferring to a new PC requires purchasing a new license or requesting a license transfer. Offline activation is supported for air-gapped environments.

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System Requirements

Component	Minimum	For GPU Acceleration
OS	Windows 7 SP1 or later (x86/x64)	Windows 8 or later
CPU	Medium-performance PC	Intel Core with QSV, or NVIDIA with NVENC, or AMD with VCE
RAM	2 GB	4 GB recommended
App Window streaming	—	Windows 10 version 1903 or later
Internet	Required for online activation	Offline activation available

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Pricing and Licensing

License Type	Price	Details
Single perpetual license	$80/PC (discounted from $120)	Hardware-tied; includes lifetime updates and support
Subscription floating license	Custom	Concurrent-use capacity model; any number of PCs up to capacity limit
Free trial	Free	Full-featured trial; one trial per PC hardware

Perpetual license: Non-expiring. The license includes lifetime software updates and support. It ties to the PC hardware at activation — survives OS reinstalls on the same hardware, requires a new license for a different PC.

Floating license: Capacity-based subscription. A floating license with capacity 10 allows up to 10 PCs to run DeskCamera simultaneously. When a PC disconnects, its seat becomes available for another PC. Useful for environments where not all monitored PCs are active simultaneously.

Volume pricing: Multi-license packs are available at reduced per-unit cost for 5+ or 10+ licenses. Contact DeskCamera for volume quotes.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does DeskCamera require a hardware encoder card? No. DeskCamera is pure software — no capture cards, no additional hardware, no cabling required beyond what is already on the workstation.

How does DeskCamera appear in the VMS — as one camera or multiple? Both configurations are supported. In multi-channel mode, it appears as one ONVIF device with multiple video channels (one per screen/webcam). In multi-camera mode, each source appears as a separate ONVIF device on its own port. Choose based on your VMS’s ONVIF multichannel support.

Does it work with Milestone XProtect? Yes. DeskCamera is officially certified for Milestone XProtect 2025 R1 and later, and appears on Milestone’s Supported Device List. For XProtect deployments, the key benefit is that up to 16 DeskCamera streams from one PC count as a single Milestone device license.

Can it replace Milestone XProtect Screen Recorder? Yes. Milestone discontinued XProtect Screen Recorder in the 2024 R1 release. DeskCamera is the officially certified successor, delivering the same desktop capture functionality plus webcam, audio, and external stream support.

Does it impact the monitored PC’s performance? DeskCamera uses GPU hardware acceleration and is designed for minimal CPU impact. On a GPU-equipped PC, the encoding overhead is negligible. The software runs in the background, invisible to the user.

Does DeskCamera support H.265? Yes. GPU-accelerated H.265/HEVC encoding is supported on Windows 8 and later with a compatible Intel, NVIDIA, or AMD GPU. H.265 reduces bandwidth and storage by approximately 50% compared to H.264 at equivalent quality.

Can it stream from an external IP camera through to the VMS? Yes. DeskCamera’s protocol bridge function ingests external RTSP/HTTP streams and re-outputs them as ONVIF IP cameras. This bridges non-ONVIF cameras into the VMS alongside desktop and webcam streams.

Is it available in Russia? No. DeskCamera Baltic OU announced the termination of all licenses for Russia and Russian-affiliated organizations in August 2023. Organizations in Russia should consider ITVDesk as an alternative in this product category.

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Summary

DeskCamera 5.11 is the most enterprise-certified solution for integrating Windows PC workstations into ONVIF-based video surveillance systems. Its Milestone XProtect Supported Device certification — with the 16-channel-as-one-device license benefit — makes it the economically optimal choice for large XProtect deployments. The Genetec and Pelco certifications cover the other major enterprise VMS platforms where official certification is a procurement requirement.

At $80/PC perpetual, DeskCamera delivers desktop surveillance without hardware encoders, without separate recording infrastructure, and with forward-compatibility guarantees that follow Milestone’s release cycle.

It is Windows-only, does not offer AI analytics, and is unavailable to Russian organizations. For Linux endpoints or environments where those features matter, ITVDesk is the alternative to evaluate.

For DeskCamera licensing assistance, contact via Telegram: t.me/DoCrackMe

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Also see: ITVDesk vs DeskCamera — Full Comparison | ITVDesk — Cross-Platform ONVIF Virtual Camera Guide | What Is a Virtual ONVIF IP Camera? Beginner’s Guide