Streaming the camera feed from your HoloLens 2 is a great way to share a mixed reality experience with an audience
There are four ways to stream video from your HoloLens 2 headset to a projector or screen, and how you choose to do so depends on whether your HoloLens and PC are on the same WiFi network and the available setup time. Over local network you can stream video from Device Portal, VLC or the HoloLens App. For remote connections you will need to use a video call app and share your HoloLens ‘screen’.
Streaming over local network with Device portal
Note: streaming video from Device Portal can result in higher latency and less stable connections than VLC or the HoloLens companion app. Device Portal is only the preferred method if you are unable to install apps on your PC.
Set up your device and sign in to device portal using this guide.
To stream video, open the Mixed Reality Capture page in Views → Mixed Reality Capture, then click Live Preview. To record rather than stream video, click Record. Note that reducing the preview quality improves latency.
Streaming over local network with HoloLens Companion App
On your PC, download the HoloLens companion app from the Microsoft Store.
Launch the app and follow the instructions to pair your HoloLens with your PC. Your HoloLens and PC will need to be on the same WiFi network and you will need to note the IP address of your headset.
After connecting your headset, click on Live Stream to preview the camera feed.
Streaming over local network with VLC
As a performant alternative to using Device Portal directly or streaming via the HoloLens App for PC, you can directly stream to VLC Media Player.
Prerequisites
- Configure device portal username and password
- Know the local IP address of your HoloLens
Live Streaming
- In VLC, head to Media > Open Network Stream
- Enter the following URL. You’ll need to replace
<ip_address>with the address of your HoloLens. You can also changelive_hightolive_lowif lower (faster) quality is preferred.https://<ip_address>/api/holographic/stream/live_high.mp4
- Click play. Enter your device portal username and password
- Enjoy the high quality, low-latency stream!
If the stream stops for any reason, simply press stop and start to resume.
Recording
The stream can be directly recorded through VLC, which can help to offload some processing from the device, allowing better app performance.
You can specify the output folder by going to Tools > Preferences > Input/Codecs and browsing for a folder. We recommend using the Desktop for convenience.
Then, simply right click on the live stream and press “Record”. VLC doesn’t give any indication that recording is in progress, but when you tap “Record” for the second time, it will stop recording and the file will appear in your chosen location.
Streaming over video call
You can also share your HoloLens 2 video feed using Google Meet running in the Edge Browser on the HoloLens. To join a call on the HoloLens, create a QR code for the meeting link on your PC and then scan the QR code on the HoloLens to launch Edge and join the call.
Then tap share screen to share your Hololens video feed.
Note that sharing via video call is only recommended as a last resort due to poor performance and high latency.