Question / Help Input Lag using OBS (none with xSplit though)

uw0tm8

New Member
Hey everyone.

I switched over to OBS, and I really like this program... but one very strange problem I get with using OBS is input lag when I'm playing.

When I use xSplit, I don't get this at all, and I'm competitive player and unfortunately, this hurts my performance in games.

I use an elgato capture card and play on my Xbox One.

Basically, I have a passive splitter plugged into the back of the Xbox One, one cable goes to the elgato, one goes to the monitor.

As soon as I hit the "record" or "start streaming" button, you notice the added latency when playing... this is not online only, you can notice this for offline as well... but with xsplit, I don't get any additional input lag whatsoever.

If anyone has a solution to this problem, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.
 

R1CH

Forum Admin
Developer
By the time the frame is rendered and passed to the capture card your input has already been processed by the xbox. This is like saying that filming your montor affects your input latency.
 

uw0tm8

New Member
By the time the frame is rendered and passed to the capture card your input has already been processed by the xbox. This is like saying that filming your montor affects your input latency.
Maybe it wouldn't hurt to be a little more open minded, and accept that there might potentially be a problem. I don't know why this happens, all I know is that when I use xsplit, I don't get any additional input lag while streaming. Same bitrate and everything.

I'm getting a new capture card, so I don't know if it's my current capture card acting funny with OBS for some strange reason, but I'll run a few tests and see if it's the same with the new one (avermedia extremecap u3)
 

Lain

Forum Admin
Lain
Forum Moderator
Developer
If you're talking about multiplayer ping issues, turn on "minimize network impact", because OBS has an issue right now where it sends off data in bursts which can cause issues like that without that option enabled. R1CH will have to correct me on this but I'm guessing that perhaps this will happen even if you're on the same LAN, depends on the router and such I suppose. I am not the most knowledgeable about the hardware side of things so I could be totally wrong for all I know.

OBS currently sends off too much audio/video at once (bursts), and depending on the connection speed, hardware, and settings, it can impact other things. The "minimize network impact" thing was a workaround for it but it can potentially cause frame drops because it splits up the packets. We actually have the entire issue solved in the rewrite, but it won't be out for a while.
 
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uw0tm8

New Member
If you're talking about multiplayer, turn on "minimize network impact", because OBS has an issue right now where it sends off data in bursts which can cause issues like that without that option enabled. R1CH will have to correct me on this but I'm guessing that perhaps this will happen even if you're on the same LAN, depends on the router and such I suppose. I am not the most knowledgeable about the hardware side of things so I could be totally wrong for all I know.

OBS currently sends off too much audio/video at once (bursts), and depending on the connection speed, hardware, and settings, it can impact other things. The "minimize network impact" thing was a workaround for it but it can potentially cause frame drops because it splits up the packets. We actually have the entire issue solved in the rewrite, but it won't be out for a while.
Hello.

I'll try that option, unfortunately it's not only online, it's offline as well (playing against the cpu) for some strange reason, there's added delay once I hit the "record" or "stream" button. I would really rather use OBS than xsplit as well. :(

There's just increased input lag unfortunately.

thx for the reply
 

Lain

Forum Admin
Lain
Forum Moderator
Developer
So, here's what you're saying: OBS is somehow affecting your xbox one, even though you're playing offline, and capturing it through a capture card? No clue then. That wouldn't be something on our end. That doesn't even make sense. OBS doesn't even interact with the console. It interacts with the capture device. OBS doesn't do anything unusual with the capture device at all. I have about 10 capture devices and have never experienced such a thing.
 

uw0tm8

New Member
So, here's what you're saying: OBS is somehow affecting your xbox one, even though you're playing offline, and capturing it through a capture card? No clue then. That wouldn't be something on our end. That doesn't even make sense. OBS doesn't even interact with the console. It interacts with the capture device. OBS doesn't do anything unusual with the capture device at all. I have about 10 capture devices and have never experienced such a thing.
I don't think it interacts with the Xbox One at all, I meant MAYBE it somehow interacts with the capture card, which makes the capture card add latency. People who aren't competitive/pro players most likely won't notice it at all, but since I'm sensitive to input lag, I can easily tell.

Yeah, I don't know. I'm honestly praying that it's my capture card that's defective. Hopefully I'll have my new capture card (the Avermedia Extremecap u3) and update you.
 

Sapiens

Forum Moderator
For the sake of argument let's imagine that OBS did somehow add latency to the capture card. How would that translate to input lag on your console? There's no interaction between OBS and your console -- you're using a splitter and viewing a direct signal from the console to your monitor, not the capture card's output.
 

uw0tm8

New Member
For the sake of argument let's imagine that OBS did somehow add latency to the capture card. How would that translate to input lag on your console? There's no interaction between OBS and your console -- you're using a splitter and viewing a direct signal from the console to your monitor, not the capture card's output.
I'm not sure... at all. I understand where you're coming from... it doesn't seem to make sense, but it's there (the problem). all I know is that there is a very noticeable difference when using xsplit (no additional input lag) compared with OBS.

Either
1) My capture card is screwed up
2) OBS adds additional input lag (hoping that's not the case)

I will be getting an Avermedia Extremecap u3 capture card sometime this week, or early next week. I guess I'll keep you guys updated then and let you know if I still have that issue or not.
 
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