Browser Source Stuttering Issue: Smooth Scrolling Text Not Working in OBS

van2z

New Member
Hello everyone! I need help with a persistent issue: achieving smooth scrolling text (ticker) in OBS as a Browser Source without stuttering. This should be a straightforward task, one that any browser handles easily.

In the attached file, I’ve included my ideal optimized code for a scrolling text that minimizes resource usage and forces GPU utilization.

This code works perfectly in any modern browser, such as:
• Safari on macOS
• Chrome on macOS
• Chrome on Windows
• Edge on Windows
• any Chromium-based browser

However, it does not work correctly in OBS as a Browser Source on different systems and versions (details below):
• either periodic stutters appear immediately
• or there’s a cumulative effect: it works fine for 3-5 minutes, then stutters heavily for about 1 minute, and then returns to smooth operation

This issue is present across all OBS outputs:
• Preview
• Program
• Fullscreen Projector Program
• Windowed Projector Program
• Records
• Streaming

I’ve spent a lot of time troubleshooting but haven’t found a solution, and I can’t figure out the root cause.

Here’s what I’ve tried (some approaches led to minor improvements, but I couldn’t fully resolve the issue or identify a consistent pattern):
Hardware:

• 4 types of monitors with resolutions ranging from 1080p60 to 4Kp60
• high-speed NVMe SSDs on all devices
CPU:
• Apple M1 Pro
• Intel from i7-11700 to i9-14900
• Intel from W5-2465X to W5-3435X
Graphics:
• Apple M1 Pro
• integrated Intel GPUs from i7-11700 to i9-14900
• discrete NVIDIA from RTX A4000 and RTX 4000 Ada to RTX 4080 Super
Operating Systems and Drivers:
• macOS
• Windows 10 and 11
• all available updates installed
• different GPU drivers tested
• followed NVIDIA’s setup guide for OBS
• tested all possible configurations in NVIDIA Control Panel, including V-Sync, Max Performance, etc.
• enabled/disabled Game Mode and HAGS on Windows
OBS:
• current versions up to 27.1, tested 31.0.0 Beta 1 and 2 as well (upgrading Chromium from version 103 to 127 didn’t help)
• followed all recommendations from forum
• tested with default settings and no plugins
• adjusted process priority, video renderer, and even tried launching with the --allow-opengl parameter
• enabled/disabled Browser Source Hardware Acceleration
• tested different video resolutions from FHD to 4K, all downscale filters
• set FPS to values close to 60, and also tested 59 and 59.94 and others similar
• tried all Output Settings with various encoders
• tested Browser Source both as a local file and over HTTP
• launched OBS with Chromium flags

Window, Game, and Display Capture are not options, as I need the scrolling text to function as a transparent graphic overlay for other content.

In short, I haven’t found a solution. It’s hard to believe that among thousands of OBS users, including streamers, no one has faced a similar issue. Many users rely on semi-transparent Browser Sources for comments, stats, etc. OBS is powerful software capable of using real-time filters like NVIDIA Blur and Background Blur, yet it struggles with this simple task.

My last idea (based on the cumulative stuttering effect) is an FPS desynchronization between Browser Source, OBS, and the monitor. I tested various V-Sync settings and adjusted FPS, but that didn’t help either.

Please let me know if anyone has experienced anything similar. I’m attaching an HTML file as an example (Please change the file extension in "ticker.log" to "ticker.html", as it doesn’t allow me to attach the HTML file.). I’d appreciate it if someone could test it on their system and share their results. You can adjust the ticker speed by changing the “—ticker-speed” parameter inside HTML file.

I didn’t attach logs since I tested on different hardware and settings, including a clean OS and OBS installation without plugins.
 

Attachments

  • ticker.log
    1.8 KB · Views: 13

van2z

New Member
Hi everyone, I came up with another idea today. Maybe it would be possible to add a filter to the Browser Source that increases GPU load or gives it priority, or something like that. Additionally, some of these settings might have an impact:
• Scale Filtering
• Blending Mode
• Blending Method
 
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