Question / Help Game Capture randomly stops

[RobbieRocketpants]

I'm having a problem with black screen using game capture. Let me preface this by saying I'm NOT streaming from a laptop, I'm on a desktop with one GPU (a GTX 970). Usually before the stream and during the first game everything is fine, but I'm having the problem that during a stream where I switch games any subsequent games will not show up with Game Capture and usually don't even show up on Window Capture. The only workaround I've found is to delete with Game Capture source and add it again.

The two things I've heard can help, and which have not worked for me, is to check "anti-cheat compatibility" and use Game Capture as a Global Source. They don't work. Is there anything else I can try or do I have to put up with deleting then adding the source?

LOG
https://gist.github.com/anonymous/de75317a979b626c250e

 

[A2000]

I had a similar problem with Cities Skylines, using Game Capture, you just get a black screen where you can only see the mouse pointer. Not sure what happens when you switch games and scenes.

The fix for Cities Skylines was to use Window Capture. Maybe you can try adding all the games you planning for that day as a Window Capture and see if that works. I'm not sure if this affects in how the stream will look or not.

 

[RobbieRocketpants]

I had a similar problem with Cities Skylines, using Game Capture, you just get a black screen where you can only see the mouse pointer. Not sure what happens when you switch games and scenes.

The fix for Cities Skylines was to use Window Capture. Maybe you can try adding all the games you planning for that day as a Window Capture and see if that works. I'm not sure if this affects in how the stream will look or not.

Funny you should mention Skylines because that's the game I was streaming yesterday and I did also have that problem with game capture. Window capture worked fine. The issue was that I then decided to play a different game on stream (Fistful of Frags) and I got a black screen using both game and window. I tried two other games and they wouldn't work either, Double Action and Divinity: Original Sin. The fix for me, as I said, was to delete game capture completely from the OBS sources and then add it again. All games worked fine in game capture after that (not sure about Skylines though, didn't go back to that. I think it's janky with OBS).

AFAIK window capture doesn't work quite as well as game capture for obvious reasons (it's drawing from a window rather than directly from the game). It's not an ideal solution but in my case it doesn't work anyway, neither game or window work when this happens, which is quite consistently, not just after playing Skylines. It could be anything. And it's bugging me that I have to do this at all, I should just be able to swap without issues between games.

 

[dping]

Funny you should mention Skylines because that's the game I was streaming yesterday and I did also have that problem with game capture. Window capture worked fine. The issue was that I then decided to play a different game on stream (Fistful of Frags) and I got a black screen using both game and window. I tried two other games and they wouldn't work either, Double Action and Divinity: Original Sin. The fix for me, as I said, was to delete game capture completely from the OBS sources and then add it again. All games worked fine in game capture after that (not sure about Skylines though, didn't go back to that. I think it's janky with OBS).

AFAIK window capture doesn't work quite as well as game capture for obvious reasons (it's drawing from a window rather than directly from the game). It's not an ideal solution but in my case it doesn't work anyway, neither game or window work when this happens, which is quite consistently, not just after playing Skylines. It could be anything. And it's bugging me that I have to do this at all, I should just be able to swap without issues between games.

In certain cases, maybe try removing the games from global source and using a regular source (global sources will keep it active as soon as the stream/recording starts) then switch to the source prior to starting the game. global sources is more for webcams for the most parts or if you constantly switch between sources back and forth...

Sometimes I recommend them but if you are having troubles with this, then remove the trouble games from global sources and use the method above.

 

[RobbieRocketpants]

In certain cases, maybe try removing the games from global source and using a regular source (global sources will keep it active as soon as the stream/recording starts) then switch to the source prior to starting the game. global sources is more for webcams for the most parts or if you constantly switch between sources back and forth...

Sometimes I recommend them but if you are having troubles with this, then remove the trouble games from global sources and use the method above.

Thanks, I'll try going back to regular sources for game capture and not global, but I only started using global this week and have been having this black screen thing for a while. I don't think it's the global source causing it but you're right that it's probably not helping either.

 

[dping]

Thanks, I'll try going back to regular sources for game capture and not global, but I only started using global this week and have been having this black screen thing for a while. I don't think it's the global source causing it but you're right that it's probably not helping either.

That game is known for having some issues with switching. do you just use one game capture source for different games?

 

[RobbieRocketpants]

That game is known for having some issues with switching. do you just use one game capture source for different games?

Skylines is a bit janky but I've had this issue with other games too, more specifically in switching to a different game. Yes I do use the same game capture source, I usually tab out and change the game source in OBS. Maybe this is the problem? I've wondered how else I could do it besides having a game capture source for every single game I play, which in my case would be a headache because of how many games I play. But it had occurred to me that it might be that.

 

[dping]

Skylines is a bit janky but I've had this issue with other games too, more specifically in switching to a different game. Yes I do use the same game capture source, I usually tab out and change the game source in OBS. Maybe this is the problem? I've wondered how else I could do it besides having a game capture source for every single game I play, which in my case would be a headache because of how many games I play. But it had occurred to me that it might be that.

I personally, create a new scene (and game capture) for each game that I setup. especially if you plan to switch between two. This was overlay,webcam and other things are checked for that game.

with OBS MP (new alpha test of OBS) has the ability to capture any full-screen game as it detects it to be full screen. This, in the future, will simplify things.

 

[RobbieRocketpants]

I personally, create a new scene (and game capture) for each game that I setup. especially if you plan to switch between two. This was overlay,webcam and other things are checked for that game.

with OBS MP (new alpha test of OBS) has the ability to capture any full-screen game as it detects it to be full screen. This, in the future, will simplify things.

Thanks, I might have to start doing this then, at least for the more common games I play and might conceivably switch between.

I was looking at the new MP version today actually, looks really good but it's lacking a few key features that will stop me using it for now (no stream preview and no way to copy and paste scenes to use as templates for new scenes, which means doing everything manually). Otherwise though I think the new MP might even be an XSplit killer eventually, if it stays free.

EDIT: I just realized that there is no stream preview because it just previews it automatically when you're in the program, so scratch that. Not being able to copy and paste scenes though is still a big deal to me, especially if I have to set up multiple scenes with only the game capture being different. It would take forever!

 

[dping]

Thanks, I might have to start doing this then, at least for the more common games I play and might conceivably switch between.

I was looking at the new MP version today actually, looks really good but it's lacking a few key features that will stop me using it for now (no stream preview and no way to copy and paste scenes to use as templates for new scenes, which means doing everything manually). Otherwise though I think the new MP might even be an XSplit killer eventually, if it stays free.

EDIT: I just realized that there is no stream preview because it just previews it automatically when you're in the program, so scratch that. Not being able to copy and paste scenes though is still a big deal to me, especially if I have to set up multiple scenes with only the game capture being different. It would take forever!

yeah, I was about to correct you. the only thing holding me back is that I use a hotkey for my mic and I dont want to broadcast if my kids come downstairs crying while my wife watches them, so that feature is a dealbreaker for the time being. I do test with it it you can actually dual transcode (720@60 3500 for stream and 1080@30 25000 for local record simultaneously) and they just added the ability to add in ffmpeg to the stream which I haven't tested with yet...


Its getting there.

 

[RobbieRocketpants]

yeah, I was about to correct you. the only thing holding me back is that I use a hotkey for my mic and I dont want to broadcast if my kids come downstairs crying while my wife watches them, so that feature is a dealbreaker for the time being. I do test with it it you can actually dual transcode (720@60 3500 for stream and 1080@30 25000 for local record simultaneously) and they just added the ability to add in ffmpeg to the stream which I haven't tested with yet...


Its getting there.

Yeah, I just started using video on my waiting screen using a pluggin for regular OBS, nice to see that this new MP already supports that. Also just the general UI of the new one is much nicer and more friendly. The options are paired down to only the important stuff which I like, although I don't know if that's deliberate or that it's still in beta. Will definitely be keeping an eye on it, I'm sure it will end up becoming the next OBS.

Anyway dude, thanks for your help. What's your Twitch name? I'll come say hi sometime.

 

[A2000]

Funny you should mention Skylines because that's the game I was streaming yesterday and I did also have that problem with game capture. Window capture worked fine. The issue was that I then decided to play a different game on stream (Fistful of Frags) and I got a black screen using both game and window. I tried two other games and they wouldn't work either, Double Action and Divinity: Original Sin. The fix for me, as I said, was to delete game capture completely from the OBS sources and then add it again. All games worked fine in game capture after that (not sure about Skylines though, didn't go back to that. I think it's janky with OBS).

AFAIK window capture doesn't work quite as well as game capture for obvious reasons (it's drawing from a window rather than directly from the game). It's not an ideal solution but in my case it doesn't work anyway, neither game or window work when this happens, which is quite consistently, not just after playing Skylines. It could be anything. And it's bugging me that I have to do this at all, I should just be able to swap without issues between games.

Well I have that problem also, sometimes I click on properties on the Game Capture, to tell it to capture a new window/game and it doesnt work, so what I did (And I think it's better at least for my stream setups) was add 1 Scene for each game I usually play on stream. This way it helps me to have a different layout for my overlays on screen that in some games I need them on a different position on screen.