Bug Report Bitrate Drops Significantly Mid Stream

ktfright

Member
https://gist.github.com/b7816468277b1e2493bba3b1301eb819

Hey guys! I'm loving the new update, and OBS is pretty solid on MacOS Sierra, but I keep having an issue where my bitrate drops significantly, then dropped frames reign upon me soon after. Has anyone came across an issue like this before, cause this only happened after I updated to the latest OBS, but MasOS may have a hand in this also.
 

Daniel J. Lewis

New Member
I think I'm having the same problem, but I'm still on OS X 10.11 El Capitan. It's quite repeatable, though a little unpredictable how long it takes for the bitrate to drop.

For me, I stream to YouTube Live or Facebook Live with OBS 0.16.2, and after about 2–4 minutes, the bitrate drops significantly. On YouTube Live, it tells me the bitrate is low (160–170 kbps) and stops working well. On Facebook Live, the stream simply stops.

I'm fairly certain these problems started since 0.16. I'm going to try reverting to 0.15.x and see if that fixes the problem.
 

Daniel J. Lewis

New Member

Unfortunately, this is a different issue. It seems to be new with OBS 0.16.x.

I reverted to the previous version, but now OBS freezes whenever I start the stream, or it shows that it's trying to connect until it freezes, so now I'm stuck.

Double-check your version. I had to actually delete the program from my Applications folder in order to get back version 0.15.
 

ktfright

Member
yeah, I'm stuck, I'm unable to use 0.15x when I downgrade (even when I wipe OBS completely) and the latest works fine until the frames drop at a rate of around 99%, and my bitrate goes from <800 to 100.
 

RytoEX

Forum Admin
Forum Moderator
Developer
@Daniel J. Lewis
Do you have logs from your sessions where this does and does not happen?

I wonder if this is the same or is related to the issues Windows users were seeing on OBS Studio 0.16.0-0.16.5 where streaming with Quick Sync would suddenly result in frames endlessly dropping . See here:

If I recall correctly, the issue ended up being that Quick Sync wasn't properly marking frame priority, so it interacted badly with new frame dropping code that was added in OBS Studio 0.16.0. Maybe that's happening here on Mac, but with a different encoder? If it's the same, then OBS Studio 0.16.6 should have a workaround now. Currently, there is no Mac release for OBS Studio 0.16.6, but I'm asking if that can be fixed.
 
Last edited:

c3r1c3

Member
While I don't have access to my Mac at this time, I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same issue that afflicted PC users. Fixed (at least on Windows side) in 0.16.6, I'll ask about a Mac release of 0.16.6.

*Edit: I've looked through some of the logs in this post, and it appears to the be the same issue. Mac user using QSV = same issue as Windows user. Seeing as that this was fixed in 0.16.6, hopefully we can get a 0.16.6 for Mac users out quickly, and hopefully it fixes the issue for ya'll.
 

Daniel J. Lewis

New Member
I'm glad to hear this may be resolved soon!

About my logs, there's nothing to report. They show nothing when the streaming bitrate drops.
 

RytoEX

Forum Admin
Forum Moderator
Developer
I'm glad to hear this may be resolved soon!

About my logs, there's nothing to report. They show nothing when the streaming bitrate drops.
The logs would still give us other information to double check to observe commonalities or rule out other factors if your issue is not what I think it is. Logs can be useful not just for their immediate diagnostic value, but also future diagnostic value if our initial hypothesis is wrong, if some other issue becomes apparent later, etc. Overall, it's just good practice to provide logs.
 

Daniel J. Lewis

New Member
Since my last post, I decided to completely wipe my Mac and install Sierra fresh. I'm installing new apps as I need them, instead of restoring from backup.

Today, I tested OBS 0.16.2 again and was able to stream successfully for more than 30 minutes. I did that twice: once to Facebook and once to YouTube. I never had the problem I previous had.

So this makes me wonder if the problem is in the upgrade path. My OBS is a completely fresh install with no previous settings restored. But my previous OBS setup had been upgraded with new versions over time.

I'm cautiously back to using OBS 0.16.2, but I'll certainly report back and share a log if I run into the problem again.

By the way, what is QSV?
 

Daniel J. Lewis

New Member
Well stink. This is still happening.

YouTube Live log:

March 15, 2017 at 9:20 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 9:18 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 9:18 PM (GMT-4)
The health is good.
March 15, 2017 at 9:16 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 9:14 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 9:12 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 9:10 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 9:08 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 9:06 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 9:04 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 9:02 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 9:00 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:58 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:56 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:54 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:54 PM (GMT-4)
The health is good.
March 15, 2017 at 8:52 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:52 PM (GMT-4)
The health is good.
March 15, 2017 at 8:50 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:48 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:46 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:44 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:42 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:40 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:38 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:36 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:34 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:32 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:30 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:28 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:26 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:24 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:22 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:20 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:20 PM (GMT-4)
The health is good.
March 15, 2017 at 8:18 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:16 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:14 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:12 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:10 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:08 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:06 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:04 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:02 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 8:00 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 7:58 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 7:56 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 7:54 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 7:52 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 7:50 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 7:48 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 7:48 PM (GMT-4)
The health is good.
March 15, 2017 at 7:46 PM (GMT-4)
Primary stream:
The stream's current bitrate (160.00 Kbps) is lower than the recommended bitrate. We recommend that you use a stream bitrate of 2500 Kbps.
March 15, 2017 at 7:08 PM (GMT-4)
The health is good.​

OBS log attached.
 

Attachments

  • 2017-03-15 19-00-06.txt
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dodgepong

Administrator
Forum Admin
The Apple VT Encoder is not intended for streaming, as it does not properly support CBR. Use x264 instead.
 

Daniel J. Lewis

New Member
Apple's encoder worked just fine before OBS 0.16.x. The reason I use it is that it's noticeably better on CPU usage than x264. Thus, my CPU fans aren't as loud when streaming with Apple's encoder.
 

dodgepong

Administrator
Forum Admin
To my knowledge, it has never "worked fine". It has always had the CBR issue -- that's on Apple. The OBS plugin that adds support for the Apple VT Encoder hasn't changed since September of 2015.

I know it has better CPU usage, since it's an implementation of QuickSync, but it's a bad implementation unfit for streaming that Apple has supplied to Mac users, and OBS just uses it as-is. I know that x264 is more CPU-intensive, and that's no fun, but it is what it is.

If you want to stream with OBS on Mac, your only true choice for stable bitrate is x264 at this time.
 

Daniel J. Lewis

New Member
The whole point of this thread is not to discuss which encoder to use, but to point out that something clearly stopped working for many Mac streamers with version 0.16.x.

I was previously able to revert to the last 0.15.x and use the same settings and stream without problems. It sounds like I'll have to do that again, until 0.16 can be fixed for Mac.
 

dodgepong

Administrator
Forum Admin
If you do revert to a previous version, and determine that it works, please at least provide a more specific version number that can be used to compare code revisions, and probably also a log.
 
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