✅ Multi-Protocol Input: RTSP, RTSPS, RTMP/RTMPT(S), SRT, HTTP MJPEG, HTTP-FLV
✅ Multiple Output Formats: MP4, AVI, TS
✅ Headless Daemon: Command-line recorder (stream2file -c config) for server and embedded deployment
✅ Scheduled Recording: Record only inside configured weekly time windows (up to 8 windows, cross-midnight supported) to save storage and bandwidth
✅ Continuous Recording: 24/7 recording with duration or file size auto-splitting at key frames
✅ Storage Management: Automatic retention (delete files older than N days), total-quota and free-disk control with safe cleanup of only recorder-generated files
✅ Runtime Control API: Optional HTTPS REST interface to inspect and manage tasks (status / storage / start / stop / add / delete / reload)
✅ Custom File Naming: Date sub-directories and file name templates with %Y/%m/%d/%time/%host tokens
✅ Up to 100 Tasks: Record up to 100 independent streams in the full build
✅ High-Quality Recording: No quality loss, supports H.264, H.265, AAC, OPUS

Stream2File supports scheduled recording in addition to 24/7 continuous recording. When the schedule is enabled, the stream is connected and recorded only inside the configured time windows, and disconnected outside them — saving storage space and network bandwidth.
Configured in stream2file.cfg per stream:
  <sched_enable>1</sched_enable> — enable scheduled recording (0 = record 7x24, default).
  Each <sched> block defines one recording window. Up to 8 windows are supported per stream, and multiple windows are merged:
    <week> — days of the week the window applies to (0 = Sunday, 1–6 = Monday–Saturday; values are repeatable; default is every day).
    <start> / <end> — window time in HH:MM or HH:MM:SS. If end <= start, the window spans across midnight (e.g. 22:00:00 ~ 02:00:00 records from 22:00 tonight to 02:00 tomorrow).

Example — record weekdays 08:00–18:00 and weekends 09:00–12:00:
<sched_enable>1</sched_enable>
<sched><week>1,2,3,4,5</week><start>08:00:00</start><end>18:00:00</end></sched>
<sched><week>6,0</week><start>09:00:00</start><end>12:00:00</end></sched>

Stream2File can automatically manage recording storage so old recordings never fill the disk. Storage management is optional and disabled by default.
  <store_enable>1</store_enable> — enable storage management.
  <retention_days>N</retention_days> — delete recording files older than N days.
  <store_max_kb>N</store_max_kb> — maximum total recording size in KB; the oldest files are deleted first until under the limit.
  <disk_free_kb>N</disk_free_kb> — minimum required free disk space; when free space drops below it, recording is refused or stopped according to <disk_full_mode> (stop_new or stop_all).
  <clean_interval>N</clean_interval> — how often (seconds) the storage check runs.
Safety: only files generated by Stream2File (matching its naming pattern under a configured save path) are ever deleted. Files currently being written and foreign files are never touched.

Stream2File can expose a small optional HTTPS REST API so external systems can inspect and manage recording tasks without restarting the process. Enable it with <ctl_enable>1</ctl_enable> plus bind address, port, and optional credentials; provide certificate/key files to run over HTTPS (otherwise plain HTTP). Digest authentication is preferred, with Basic accepted for compatibility.
Key endpoints (JSON, code = 0 on success):
  GET /api/status — list recording tasks.
  GET /api/storage — report used / free recording space.
  POST /api/task/start / POST /api/task/stop — start or stop a configured task (start accepts an optional duration_s manual override).
  POST /api/task/add / POST /api/task/del — dynamically create or remove a task for any stream URL.
  POST /api/reload — remove all dynamic tasks and return to the configured state.
Example: curl -k --digest -u admin:admin123 https://host:8190/api/status

Stream2File can organize recordings into date sub-directories and use custom file name templates.
  <subpath>%Y/%m/%d</subpath> — append a date-based directory under savepath (created automatically).
  <namefmt>%host%_%time%_ch1</namefmt> — custom file name; supported tokens include %Y, %m, %d, %H, %M, %S, %time (YYYY_MM_DD_HH_MM_SS) and %host% (host from the stream URL). The file extension is appended automatically.
Example output: /var/record/2026/09/08/192.168.3.36_2026_09_08_08_30_00_ch1.mp4
If a target file already exists, a random suffix is appended so existing files are never overwritten.

Language and Platform: Written in C/C++, supporting cross-platform compilation (Linux, Windows, Android, iOS, embedded).
Program form: Headless command-line daemon configured by an XML file (stream2file -c config).
Recording tasks: Each <stream2file> element defines one task; up to 100 tasks in the full build, fully independent.
Video codec: H264, H265, MJPEG, MPEG4.
Audio codec: G711A, G711U, G726, G722, OPUS, AAC.
Output containers: AVI, MP4, TS, with automatic file splitting at key frames.
Scheduling: Up to 8 weekly windows per task with cross-midnight support.
Storage management: retention days, total size quota, free-disk watermark.
Runtime control: optional HTTPS REST API (status / storage / task start / stop / add / delete / reload).
Media playback compatibility: The generated file supports most media players.

Video Surveillance: Record RTSP streams from IP cameras 24/7 or on schedule
Live Stream Archiving: Save RTMP streams from Twitch, YouTube, OBS
Education & Training: Capture online lectures or webinars on schedule
Content Monitoring: Archive broadcast content for compliance with retention auto-cleanup
Remote Meetings: Record Zoom/Teams streams (if accessible via RTMP/RTSP)
NVR / Storage Integration: Manage recording quota and disk space automatically

Files are finalized when a split or recording window ends: MP4/AVI headers and indexes are written at that moment, so all closed files are playable in most media players.
For the most robust behavior against process crashes or power loss, use the TS format — TS is stream-oriented and stays playable even if the last file is not finalized.
File switching (recordtime / recordsize) happens on the next key frame so every file starts with a key frame.
If a file is still being written when the process is force-killed, it may be unplayable; the AviFixer tool repairs such AVI files.

When the program is abnormally shut down or the device suddenly loses power, the written file does not update the necessary information, there will be mosaics when playing videos.
AviFixer tool is used to repair such files.
AviFixer is a command line tool with the following command format:
avifixer options <filename>
-h print this help
-r remove the input file
-o <filename> the fixed file save path

Lower resource usage (no graphical interface overhead)
Greater stability (designed specifically for streaming media)
Support for headless mode operation
Support for scheduled recording and storage management
More suitable for server/embedded deployment
Support for runtime management via REST API

Happytime Stream2File demo version supports up to 2 concurrent recordings.
The full version supports up to 100 recording tasks.

How to save RTSP stream to file?
How to save RTMP stream to file?