My videos looks super pixelated when I upload them to YouTube

[Nostramy3]

I edit my videos in Filmora after recording them through OBS

I record my screen through OBS and I record my camera through stream labs

The recording usually comes out nice looking, and normal and when I put it through Filmora, it looks really nice as well

However, the moment I upload it to YouTube, it goes all pixelated on me. I’ve been trying to fix this for weeks now and have no idea what to do.

Can anyone please help?

 

[koala]

You need to wait Youtube finishing process your video. Youtube offers lowest resolutions first, higher resolutions become available later, the highest resolution becomes available only after Youtube completely finished processing.

 

[Nostramy3]

You need to wait Youtube finishing process your video. Youtube offers lowest resolutions first, higher resolutions become available later, the highest resolution becomes available only after Youtube completely finished processing.

How many days does that usually take?

 

[AaronD]

Also note that YT tests your connection by default, to determine which resolution to give you. If it thinks you're slow, then it'll be "pixellated" (really something else, but I can see how you'd get that), even if it has better available.

People have complained about that too, and blamed OBS when it's really YT's auto-quality when playing back to them. You can force a specific quality from the gear icon at the bottom-right of the player window, at the risk of buffering instead. That force only applies to you; everyone else has to do it for themselves individually, or leave it on Auto.

 

[Nostramy3]

Also note that YT tests your connection by default, to determine which resolution to give you. If it thinks you're slow, then it'll be "pixellated" (really something else, but I can see how you'd get that), even if it has better available.

People have complained about that too, and blamed OBS when it's really YT's auto-quality when playing back to them. You can force a specific quality from the gear icon at the bottom-right of the player window, at the risk of buffering instead. That force only applies to you; everyone else has to do it for themselves individually, or leave it on Auto.

It’s strange, cause for a bit it’s fine. It’s only until the game comes on screen during the recording, it usually only happens when there’s a lot of movement as well

 

[koala]

You need to carefully differ between the different resolutions Youtube is playing back according to the size of your player, local caching, and the inevitable quality loss due to Youtube's recoding. If you start the player windowed, then switch to fullscreen, Youtube is playing back what is already buffered, which may be a lower resolution than what's downloaded later after you switch to fullscreen. Rewinding to the start of the video might not always flush that cached stuff.
And last but not least, Youtube is recoding every video according to internal presets, which usually lowers quality in comparison to what was uploaded. That's something that cannot be avoided.

 

[Nostramy3]

You need to carefully differ between the different resolutions Youtube is playing back according to the size of your player, local caching, and the inevitable quality loss due to Youtube's recoding. If you start the player windowed, then switch to fullscreen, Youtube is

You need to carefully differ between the different resolutions Youtube is playing back according to the size of your player, local caching, and the inevitable quality loss due to Youtube's recoding. If you start the player windowed, then switch to fullscreen, Youtube is playing back what is already buffered, which may be a lower resolution than what's downloaded later after you switch to fullscreen. Rewinding to the start of the video might not always flush that cached stuff.
And last but not least, Youtube is recoding every video according to internal presets, which usually lowers quality in comparison to what was uploaded. That's something that cannot

playing back what is already buffered, which may be a lower resolution than what's downloaded later after you switch to fullscreen. Rewinding to the start of the video might not always flush that cached stuff.
And last but not least, Youtube is recoding every video according to internal presets, which usually lowers quality in comparison to what was uploaded. That's something that cannot be avoided.

You need to carefully differ between the different resolutions Youtube is playing back according to the size of your player, local caching, and the inevitable quality loss due to Youtube's recoding. If you start the player windowed, then switch to fullscreen, Youtube is playing back what is already buffered, which may be a lower resolution than what's downloaded later after you switch to fullscreen. Rewinding to the start of the video might not always flush that cached stuff.
And last but not least, Youtube is recoding every video according to internal presets, which usually lowers quality in comparison to what was uploaded. That's something that cannot be avoided.

All right, well, thank you very much

 

[AaronD]

@koala is right too. And there are still more things to consider. It's complicated.

for a bit it’s fine.

Video is weird. Few things actually measure it well, except for itself. So YT can't get a super good test until the video is already playing. So it could be that YT gives you good quality to start with, and then figures out that that was a mistake, and gives you worse from then on just to keep it smooth.

usually only happens when there’s a lot of movement as well

Movement takes a lot more bitrate than still imagery. If your bitrate is fixed, like it should be for streaming, then you'll have amazing quality until things start moving, and then it drops off a lot. Your optimal quality should be set based on the motion, not on the stills.

As explained by Tom Scott:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[Nostramy3]

@koala is right too. And there are still more things to consider. It's complicated.


Video is weird. Few things actually measure it well, except for itself. So YT can't get a super good test until the video is already playing. So it could be that YT gives you good quality to start with, and then figures out that that was a mistake, and gives you worse from then on just to keep it smooth.


Movement takes a lot more bitrate than still imagery. If your bitrate is fixed, like it should be for streaming, then you'll have amazing quality until things start moving, and then it drops off a lot. Your optimal quality should be set based on the motion, not on the stills.

As explained by Tom Scott:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

Is there anyway to make it not do that?

Sorry, I literally know. Absolutely nothing about recording anything

 

[AaronD]

Is there anyway to make it not do that?

When you force YT's quality (scroll up in this thread to see how), it discards the buffer and reloads fresh. So you can pause it, drag it back to the start, force the good quality, and then play...and hope that it doesn't run out of buffer.

 

[AaronD]

If your bitrate is fixed, like it should be for streaming...

I edit my videos in Filmora after recording them through OBS

...and when I put it through Filmora, it looks really nice as well

Oops! I forgot that you're *not* streaming. For recording, you want fixed quality, not fixed bitrate. Then it looks the same whether there's motion or not, and the number of bits balloons up or drops to a trickle as needed. I suspect that's what your tools already do by default, but it doesn't hurt to check.

Then of course there's what YT does with it, and you can't do anything about that. :-(
Wait for YT to finish processing the highest quality version (usually the original specs with slightly lower quality), then force it to that when you play it and see what it looks like.

 

[Nostramy3]

Oops! I forgot that you're *not* streaming. For recording, you want fixed quality, not fixed bitrate. Then it looks the same whether there's motion or not, and the number of bits balloons up or drops to a trickle as needed. I suspect that's what your tools already do by default, but it doesn't hurt to check.

Then of course there's what YT does with it, and you can't do anything about that. :-(
Wait for YT to finish processing the highest quality version (usually the original specs with slightly lower quality), then force it to that when you play it and see what it looks like.

I am a bit unsure of what you mean by that

Could you elaborate please?

 

[Nostramy3]

I am a bit unsure of what you mean by that

Could you elaborate please?

I also have changed YouTube quality control because it’s normally pretty bad for me because of my Wi-Fi but even when I force it to a higher resolution, it still looks like crap