Interval stutter / jitter / duplicated frames bug - workarounds

TexelGuy

New Member
3. Launch a game or a GPU benchmarking application that maxes out your GPU at 100% usage, keep it in windowed mode so you can alt-tab to other applications while it runs in the background. (For steps 2-3, it's okay to set your monitor to higher refresh rates or disable VSync if your GPU isn't maxed out at 60Hz)
Oops, I meant for steps 3-4.
 

n8lbv

Member
Thank for your reply and all of your time!
At the moment I am testing with an Intel B580 GPU So I will not be able to try all of this until I switch back to an NVidia system.
I also gather it doesn't work.
If you can find my recent post under Windows Help you will also see that people are very unwilling to admit any issues or help.
And completely ignore any of my logical questions.
Is what it is and broken.
:)
 

rockbottom

Active Member
I've proven over & over that OBS does not cause stuttering issues & have been running stutter free on many systems for over 8 years. If it's stuttering, look somewhere else.

Most of the time, the cause is:

Bad Settings/Configuration/Routing
Rig Issues
Bad Sources
Rendering lag
 
Last edited:

TexelGuy

New Member
At the moment I am testing with an Intel B580 GPU So I will not be able to try all of this until I switch back to an NVidia system.
You can still try steps 7-9 without the nvidia-smi command. However, you have to make sure your GPU's clock speeds are stable and not fluctuating while displayhz.com is open, and also that it stays at that same clock speed the whole time when you're recording.

If your GPU's clock speed was stable at 2600 MHz (for example) while measuring with displayhz, then you need it to also stay at 2600 MHz while recording your videos. Fluctuating GPU clock speeds affect the result you get from displayhz, and a stable clock speed is ideal.
 

TexelGuy

New Member
I've proven over & over that OBS does not cause stuttering issues & have been running stutter free on many systems for over 8 years. If it's stuttering, look somewhere else.
I'd love to see a 1-2 hour uncut recording from your system, captured at 60 fps at 60Hz w/ VSync on a GPU (not capture card) with an RTSS overlay enabled with framerate and frametimes visible in the recording.
 

rockbottom

Active Member
Tex, I can record for DAYS without any stuttering. But, you won't see me using a overlay on any of my encodes....

 
Last edited:

TexelGuy

New Member
Tex, I can record for DAYS without any stuttering. But, you won't see me using a overlay on any of my encodes....
That information about overlays isn't true since RTSS 7.3.2. It added a new setting that fixes any hooking issues when using OBS's game capture:

Btw, overlay conflicts don't matter if you're using display capture, since OBS doesn't hook into the game in that mode.

Either way, I'd still like to see a recording that's an hour or two long from your system, with or without overlays. An overlay with frametimes would just make it easier to know if your game stuttered or if it was OBS.

The interval stuttering people are talking about here can be easily identifiable a lot of the time, since it almost looks like OBS starts temporarily capturing at 30 fps instead of 60 fps when the stuttering kicks in. It's not a full-fledged "freeze" if that's what you're thinking. There will also be zero dropped frames or any other issues according to OBS when this happens.
 

rockbottom

Active Member
Here's a little test I did the other day. The source file I used & my recording can be downloaded. Try the source video as your test, it's only a minute.

 

TexelGuy

New Member
Here's a little test I did the other day. The source file I used & my recording can be downloaded. Try the source video as your test, it's only a minute.
A 1 minute test will never reliably reproduce this bug unless you record at just the right time through sheer luck (or bad luck). Depending on your monitor's true refresh rate, it can take at least an hour to manifest. The longer it takes to happen, the longer the stutters are sustained. Some people can see it happen every few minutes at a consistent interval.

Logs won't help, the OP of this thread mentioned this as well, and I've gone through the logs many times myself way before I found this post. The stutters purely exist in the video file itself, OBS does not notice anything. I don't actually need any help, though. I found a workaround, which I posted here already.
 

rockbottom

Active Member
Depends, did you try it? Can your system record that without any skips when viewing frame by frame?

I only run 30 , 60, 120, 240 or 360HZ

Errors add up over time, minimize/eliminate the errors & the stutters will cease. Timing is everything.
 

OmegaMalkior

New Member
I've proven over & over that OBS does not cause stuttering issues
I'll gladly cast doubt over this statement when I've done virtually everything possible with my setup to get OBS to be smooth in the Projector/Program Preview but it *always* has some sort of stutter whether it be interval or any name that it has. Meanwhile in Elgato Studio the preview is downright flawless without doing anything. The only reason why I don't main Elgato Studio for this is cuz it has gray fills for ultrawides on 16:9 content which don't look that good on OLEDs tbh. But if I'm after a smooth experience I never go for OBS, as much as I would want to.
 

Image Diller

New Member
Hello!
I'm also experiencing this issue.

The frame rate in the recording randomly drops from 60 to 30, then returns. This happens at varying intervals and durations. It seems like if I catch the moment when this effect begins and hold still, it will be prevented. Or maybe I'm going crazy.
If anyone could explain to me what the cause might be, I'd be grateful.

I'd like to know if this problem has a solution without any hassle or anything.
Since I've already determined that the following things aren't related to this issue:
- video card and driver settings
- OBS
- Windows
- monitor frequencies

There is not a single thought as to who could be the culprit.
 

OmegaMalkior

New Member
Cast doubt all you want Thomas. That isn't helping your cause & without a log neither can I....
Feel free to suggest/recommend whatever you think might help, I've already tried way too many setting changes up to no avail.
 

Attachments

  • 2025-11-25 03-21-43.txt
    9.9 KB · Views: 43

Image Diller

New Member
I'll attach my log, maybe someone can make some recommendations based on it.
https://obsproject.com/logs/2vBOwFr4D9uprkVo

As for the general issue, I think it might be related to vertical sync. I think so because it has the ability to reduce refresh rates to the nearest multiple of 2.
In my case, it might be from 60 to 30, since my monitor has a 60Hz refresh rate.

All I haven't tried yet is building a 2-PC system and using a capture card with buffering.
I have no other options, except maybe getting 120Hz monitors and streaming at 120 fps. However, this will be difficult if you're streaming graphically demanding games from a single PC. Again, a dual-PC setup is required.

I'll have to try this option and live with these FPS drops for a while.
It's also rather strange that some viewers don't notice any obvious problems, according to the survey I conducted.
It's a small sample size, so maybe people just didn't notice them at the time.
 

Image Diller

New Member
I'm pondering the root of this problem. It's that the frame rate in the recording occasionally drops, or multiple duplicate frames appear.

I'm coming to the conclusion that this is a hardware issue, and changing software and driver settings won't help.
After all, programs work as they're configured, and nothing can change over time, especially randomly.

This is due to something like a random change in the monitor's refresh rate or a change in the graphics card's clock speed. But what exactly causes random frame rate changes?

Maybe other people just have different PC builds and this problem is not visible to the naked eye.
 

rockbottom

Active Member
Feel free to suggest/recommend whatever you think might help, I've already tried way too many setting changes up to no avail.

Log is incomplete.

You're never going to get stutter free encoding with your settings. Refresh rates @ 175 & 75? Try 120 & 60. Frame-rate 119.xxx? Timing is everything & those those timings don't look so good.

You have sample rate mismatches too.....

3:21:44.092: video settings reset:
03:21:44.092: base resolution: 2560x1440
03:21:44.092: output resolution: 2560x1440
03:21:44.092: downscale filter: Bicubic
03:21:44.092: fps: 703379/5862
03:21:44.092: format: P010
03:21:44.092: YUV mode: Rec. 2100 (PQ)/Full

Add:
Is HDR enabled here? If so, the monitor should be 10-bit color.
03:21:43.854: name=Dell AW3423DW
03:21:43.854: pos={0, 0}
03:21:43.854: size={3440, 1440}
03:21:43.854: attached=true
03:21:43.854: refresh=175
03:21:43.854: bits_per_color=8
03:21:43.854: space=RGB_FULL_G2084_NONE_P2020
 
Last edited:

rockbottom

Active Member
I'll attach my log, maybe someone can make some recommendations based on it.
https://obsproject.com/logs/2vBOwFr4D9uprkVo

As for the general issue, I think it might be related to vertical sync. I think so because it has the ability to reduce refresh rates to the nearest multiple of 2.
In my case, it might be from 60 to 30, since my monitor has a 60Hz refresh rate.

All I haven't tried yet is building a 2-PC system and using a capture card with buffering.
I have no other options, except maybe getting 120Hz monitors and streaming at 120 fps. However, this will be difficult if you're streaming graphically demanding games from a single PC. Again, a dual-PC setup is required.

I'll have to try this option and live with these FPS drops for a while.
It's also rather strange that some viewers don't notice any obvious problems, according to the survey I conducted.
It's a small sample size, so maybe people just didn't notice them at the time.


There's some slight rendering lag/GPU overload when using the multi-output.

The recordings early in the log looked OK. Reduce load slightly, see below.

14:02:03.273: [game-capture: 'Захват игры'] capture stopped
14:04:10.941: [rtmp stream: 'rtmp multitrack video'] User stopped the stream
14:04:10.941: [rtmp stream: 'rtmp multitrack video'] Socket send buffer is 2097152 bytes
14:04:10.941: Output 'rtmp multitrack video': stopping
14:04:10.941: Output 'rtmp multitrack video': Total frames output: 3802209
14:04:10.941: Output 'rtmp multitrack video': Total drawn frames: 1086447 (1086451 attempted)
14:04:10.941: Output 'rtmp multitrack video': Number of lagged frames due to rendering lag/stalls: 4 (0.0%)
14:04:10.941: [rtmp stream: 'rtmp multitrack video'] Freeing 1 remaining packets
14:04:10.941: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 3/1086379 (0.0%)
14:04:10.943: ==== Streaming Stop ================================================
14:04:10.983: [rtmp stream: 'multi-output'] User stopped the stream
14:04:10.983: [rtmp stream: 'multi-output'] Socket send buffer is 1048576 bytes
14:04:10.983: Output 'multi-output': stopping
14:04:10.983: Output 'multi-output': Total frames output: 1086425
14:04:10.983: Output 'multi-output': Total drawn frames: 1086475 (1086479 attempted)
14:04:10.983: Output 'multi-output': Number of lagged frames due to rendering lag/stalls: 4 (0.0%)
14:04:10.983: [obs-multi-rtmp] Release output while it is active.
14:04:10.983: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 4/1086460 (0.0%)
14:04:11.000: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 3/1086382 (0.0%)
14:04:11.061: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 3/1086386 (0.0%)
14:04:11.106: warning: 2 frames left in the queue on closing
14:04:11.107: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 3/1086389 (0.0%)
14:04:11.139: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 3/1086390 (0.0%)
14:04:11.167: warning: 2 frames left in the queue on closing
14:04:11.167: ==== Streaming Stop ================================================
14:04:21.145: ==== Shutting down ==================================================
14:04:21.179: WASAPI: Device 'Наушники гарнитуры (Samsung USB C Earphones)' Terminated
14:04:21.179: [obs-scripting]: Unloaded lua script: filter_hotkeys_video.lua
14:04:21.179: [obs-scripting]: Unloaded lua script: filter_hotkeys_audio.lua
14:04:21.180: WASAPI: Device 'Микрофон (fifine Microphone)' Terminated
14:04:21.197: WASAPI: Device 'Наушники гарнитуры (Samsung USB C Earphones)' Terminated
14:04:21.207: WASAPI: Device 'Микрофон (fifine Microphone)' Terminated
14:04:21.540: All scene data cleared


Add:
Update your RTMP multi-out plugin, a new version is available for OBS v32.xx
08:47:51.216: [obs-multi-rtmp] version: 0.7.3.0 by SoraYuki https://github.com/sorayuki/obs-multi-rtmp/

Check Blur Filter too while you're at it. The installed version looks like it's not available anymore/stale.
08:47:49.620: [blur-filter] Loaded Version 1.1.0.0

 
Last edited:

Image Diller

New Member
There's some slight rendering lag/GPU overload when using the multi-output.

The recordings early in the log looked OK. Reduce load slightly, see below.

14:02:03.273: [game-capture: 'Захват игры'] capture stopped
14:04:10.941: [rtmp stream: 'rtmp multitrack video'] User stopped the stream
14:04:10.941: [rtmp stream: 'rtmp multitrack video'] Socket send buffer is 2097152 bytes
14:04:10.941: Output 'rtmp multitrack video': stopping
14:04:10.941: Output 'rtmp multitrack video': Total frames output: 3802209
14:04:10.941: Output 'rtmp multitrack video': Total drawn frames: 1086447 (1086451 attempted)
14:04:10.941: Output 'rtmp multitrack video': Number of lagged frames due to rendering lag/stalls: 4 (0.0%)
14:04:10.941: [rtmp stream: 'rtmp multitrack video'] Freeing 1 remaining packets
14:04:10.941: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 3/1086379 (0.0%)
14:04:10.943: ==== Streaming Stop ================================================
14:04:10.983: [rtmp stream: 'multi-output'] User stopped the stream
14:04:10.983: [rtmp stream: 'multi-output'] Socket send buffer is 1048576 bytes
14:04:10.983: Output 'multi-output': stopping
14:04:10.983: Output 'multi-output': Total frames output: 1086425
14:04:10.983: Output 'multi-output': Total drawn frames: 1086475 (1086479 attempted)
14:04:10.983: Output 'multi-output': Number of lagged frames due to rendering lag/stalls: 4 (0.0%)
14:04:10.983: [obs-multi-rtmp] Release output while it is active.
14:04:10.983: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 4/1086460 (0.0%)
14:04:11.000: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 3/1086382 (0.0%)
14:04:11.061: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 3/1086386 (0.0%)
14:04:11.106: warning: 2 frames left in the queue on closing
14:04:11.107: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 3/1086389 (0.0%)
14:04:11.139: Video stopped, number of skipped frames due to encoding lag: 3/1086390 (0.0%)
14:04:11.167: warning: 2 frames left in the queue on closing
14:04:11.167: ==== Streaming Stop ================================================
14:04:21.145: ==== Shutting down ==================================================
14:04:21.179: WASAPI: Device 'Наушники гарнитуры (Samsung USB C Earphones)' Terminated
14:04:21.179: [obs-scripting]: Unloaded lua script: filter_hotkeys_video.lua
14:04:21.179: [obs-scripting]: Unloaded lua script: filter_hotkeys_audio.lua
14:04:21.180: WASAPI: Device 'Микрофон (fifine Microphone)' Terminated
14:04:21.197: WASAPI: Device 'Наушники гарнитуры (Samsung USB C Earphones)' Terminated
14:04:21.207: WASAPI: Device 'Микрофон (fifine Microphone)' Terminated
14:04:21.540: All scene data cleared


Add:
Update your RTMP multi-out plugin, a new version is available for OBS v32.xx
08:47:51.216: [obs-multi-rtmp] version: 0.7.3.0 by SoraYuki https://github.com/sorayuki/obs-multi-rtmp/

Check Blur Filter too while you're at it. The installed version looks like it's not available anymore/stale.
08:47:49.620: [blur-filter] Loaded Version 1.1.0.0

Thank you very much!
I'll implement the recommended changes and try to broadcast.
I'm so glad there are people like you who are willing to help. I appreciate it.
 
Top