Snapshot & Video Retrieval Compatibility with XProtect Expert 25.2a (Build 16119)

We have completed our initial testing using Milestone XProtect Essential+ (2025 R1 – version 25.1b, build 15248) in our internal test environment.

During the test, we successfully:

Added 5 Panasonic cameras and verified live streaming via XProtect Smart Client

Retrieved camera snapshots using Milestone’s SOAP API for authentication and snapshot retrieval, which we integrate with an external application

Used a single Recording Server for all cameras during testing

Our client’s production environment is running:

XProtect Expert

Version: 25.2a

Build: 16119

Architecture: Multiple Recording Servers and Mobile Servers

Scale: Approximately 600 cameras

We would like to confirm the following points:

Is the snapshot retrieval mechanism using the SOAP APIs fully compatible with XProtect Expert, and can we expect our existing integration logic (developed and tested against Essential+) to work without changes in this Expert environment?

Is any additional licensing or configuration required in XProtect Expert to allow snapshot access for the cameras in scope (for example, permissions, roles, or feature/plug‑in enablement)?

Are there any Expert‑specific considerations or best practices to ensure reliable snapshot retrieval and good performance at this scale (multiple Recording Servers and ~600 cameras)?

While we have tested snapshot retrieval, we have not yet tested video retrieval. Could you please confirm if there is a supported method or API to retrieve recorded video for a specified time range in XProtect Expert, and whether this can be integrated in a similar way to our current snapshot‑based approach.
This confirmation is important for us to proceed with our project implementation and to validate that our current integration approach will scale and remain supported in the target Expert environment.

We would greatly appreciate your guidance or confirmation at your earliest convenience.

Thank you for your support.

The SOAP APIs for this are the same, and if your solution is developed and tested against Essential+ it will work without changes in this Expert environment.

No extra licensing or setup requirements, neither in general nor compared to XProtect Essential+.

Retrieving snapshot should be an client operation of small impact compared to Smart Client operator usage.

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The ImageServer (“SOAP-like”) protocol can be used to retrieve video, then you can implement code to package it into a video clip that can be played.

Video retrieval the way you describe it would be what in the Milestone world is called export. For export there are three ways:
Using the MIP SDK an export can be retrieved in MKV, AVI and Milestone format.
Using Mobile SDK you can ask the Mobile Server to make a package (MKV, AVI or Milestone format) and then download it from the server.
Use a method to retrieve video and then package it.

Samples or documentation:

MIP SDK Export sample.
Mobile SDK.
TCPVideoViewer sample utilizing ImageViewer protocol to retrieve video.