Question / Help New user with a problem
- Thread starter heather
- Start date
I'm relatively new to OBS Studio as well, but will try to help anyway.
Are you using the "Simple" or "Advanced" for your output mode (this is on the "Output" tab)? Also, check your recording format (FLV is default and probably a the best place to start).
It would probably also help of you could attach a log file to your post/reply.
Are you using the "Simple" or "Advanced" for your output mode (this is on the "Output" tab)? Also, check your recording format (FLV is default and probably a the best place to start).
It would probably also help of you could attach a log file to your post/reply.
Last edited:
Unimatrix36
Member
flv is Flash video. Use mp4 instead.
Beardedbob
Member
Although @Harold is correct the .mp4 if not finalised will leave you with an unreadable video file it depends what you are doing e.g. if you want to use multiple audio tracks then .flv doesn't provide this flexibility and .mp4 does.
the advise then is as follows:
single audio use .flv
multiple audio use .mp4
the advise then is as follows:
single audio use .flv
multiple audio use .mp4
Harold
Active Member
@Beardedbob
Wrong breakdown
Use flv for single audio
and MKV for multiple audio.
Remux to MP4 afterwards ONLY if your editing software needs it.
MKV does not suffer from the same reliability problem that MP4 does.
Wrong breakdown
Use flv for single audio
and MKV for multiple audio.
Remux to MP4 afterwards ONLY if your editing software needs it.
MKV does not suffer from the same reliability problem that MP4 does.
Beardedbob
Member
@Harold
Why remux it from .MKV to .MP4 when you can just record in .MP4? if OBS crashes that much and isn't able to finalise the file then you need to resolve the crash no?
If you want to spend further editing time having to re encode your files from MKV to MP4 for each recording then each to their own.
I've been using Mp4 since i wanted multiple audio and yes I've lost a video due to a BSOD and I couldn't recover it but that's once in 2 years, the time and faff it's saved me from not having to re encode out weights it imo.
I guess the MP4 or MKV is a trade off, and therefore the decision is down to the end user
do you require multiple track audio yes, then decided on the following:
.MKV - If the system is unstable and OBS has a potential to crash without finalising the recording. If you also have some further time to re encode the files to a more editor friendly format or to upload direct to YT.
.MP4 - If the system is stable and wish to spend less time faffing about and more time gaming with a minimal risk of losing footage if the file doesn't finalise.
Why remux it from .MKV to .MP4 when you can just record in .MP4? if OBS crashes that much and isn't able to finalise the file then you need to resolve the crash no?
If you want to spend further editing time having to re encode your files from MKV to MP4 for each recording then each to their own.
I've been using Mp4 since i wanted multiple audio and yes I've lost a video due to a BSOD and I couldn't recover it but that's once in 2 years, the time and faff it's saved me from not having to re encode out weights it imo.
I guess the MP4 or MKV is a trade off, and therefore the decision is down to the end user
do you require multiple track audio yes, then decided on the following:
.MKV - If the system is unstable and OBS has a potential to crash without finalising the recording. If you also have some further time to re encode the files to a more editor friendly format or to upload direct to YT.
.MP4 - If the system is stable and wish to spend less time faffing about and more time gaming with a minimal risk of losing footage if the file doesn't finalise.
Harold
Active Member
It's not just OBS crashes that cause the problem. MKV will NOT lose the entire file when the file doesn't finalize properly. ANYTHING that prevents an mp4 from finalizing properly will ruin the ENTIRE file, regardless of general system stability
DO NOT SAVE DIRECTLY TO MP4. PERIOD.
Beardedbob
Member
Like I've said if your system is that unstable then fix the problem and save yourself time in the long run not having to use .MKV that you will have to re encode otherwise limiting your options to edit / upload raw.
Which one is the most suitable depends on your own specific requirement as I've said, you have to decided from the pro's / cons.
I think @Harold has been bitten before by .Mp4 :-p
either way we can dispute this forever the answer for @heather is .flv as i suspect its only a single audio file recording.
Harold
Active Member
System stability is IRRELEVANT.
What happens when some guy drives his car into the utility pole powering your house knocking out power to the block?
What happens when someone in your house trips the circuit your computer is on by accident?
And where exactly did I say anything about re-encoding? Re-encoding isn't necessary. Remuxing is trivial processor-wise.
I'm not even factoring in the number of people who have had other things cause their files to not finalize properly.
But EVERY TIME, the file is irrecoverable. It's not worth the risk.
What happens when some guy drives his car into the utility pole powering your house knocking out power to the block?
What happens when someone in your house trips the circuit your computer is on by accident?
And where exactly did I say anything about re-encoding? Re-encoding isn't necessary. Remuxing is trivial processor-wise.
I'm not even factoring in the number of people who have had other things cause their files to not finalize properly.
But EVERY TIME, the file is irrecoverable. It's not worth the risk.
Beardedbob
Member
Then if it is .MP4 it will be fine as your system will finalise the file. If we are talking about extremes with people are driving around knocking out the power to your block maybe you should ensure you have generators and ups as a backup? better still build an underground bunker just in case a plane crash lands on your place. Given how important that recording is to you @Harold I hope you have left a letter with some written instructions in a bank vault far far away for someone to carry on the work.
Using MP4 will then save you time as well as reducing the complexity whether its Remuxing or re encoding. Each user has different requirements .MKV might not work for them or they might not have RAID so just to be clear if your HD fails that MKV is lost also :-)
@Beardedbob We don't even have to get into extremes. Look no further than this thread. If your hard drive becomes full while recording, and your recording as an MP4, then the whole recording would be unrecoverable (see note at the end). If your power goes out suddenly for any reason (loose power cables, high winds, pole down, transformer down, etc.) while recording, your MP4 would be unrecoverable. If you get a BSOD while recording, your MP4 is unrecoverable. If you accidentally close your recording software without stopping it properly, your MP4 is unrecoverable. If your recording is interrupted for any reason, even if you don't know what caused it, your MP4 is unrecoverable.
It's not about MKV solving (or not solving) the issues of hard-drive failure, or lack of RAID or other backup mechanisms, or every possible problem ever - it's about mitigating the risks that MP4 inherently carries by using a container (MKV) that doesn't have those risks.
It's not about MKV solving (or not solving) the issues of hard-drive failure, or lack of RAID or other backup mechanisms, or every possible problem ever - it's about mitigating the risks that MP4 inherently carries by using a container (MKV) that doesn't have those risks.
Beardedbob
Member
I agree .MKV has less risk if you live with a BSOD pc, in a tornado zone or have people crashing into your power lines every night. What .MKV bring thought are its own issues as stated you need to take further steps say to bring it into an editor which most people will want to do which takes further time to prepare it or even upload it to YouTube as a raw file you can't do that with .MKV
as stated before the below is up to the end user to decided their trade off its not a matter of one suits all here.
.MKV - requires additional work first before it can be uploaded to Youtube or imported into editors, but can potentially help again lost of the file if some unforeseen issue happens.
.MP4 - Can be directly uploaded to Youtube with zero step if you like and can import in to editors as its a standard format but has a potentially if not finalised to lose the video.
No one is saying either isn't good both have benefits and both have con's this requires someone to decided what they want. If they don't know how to convert the .MKV or don't want the extra time added that it takes and are happy to accept the risk i would expect them to take the .MP4 route. If they have some basic skills and understand the process, plus don't mind the extra time to spend converting it then .MKV seems the better option for them.
There is always a trade off / compromise.
There is always risk of losing all your data / video files just because its a .MKV doesn't mitigate this it further reduces it hence the RAID example.
YouTube's documentation doesn't indicate that this is possible, but I don't regularly upload videos to YouTube, so maybe it works but is just not documented.
Indeed. Each user can make that choice for themselves, and they should be aware of the pros and cons of using each container/format. If you're using MP4 as your container, and the process is interrupted for any reason, your output file will likely be unrecoverable, file recovery/reconstruction wizardry notwithstanding. If you're using MKV as your container, an unexpected interruption to the encoding process will not ruin your entire file, but you may have to remux, not re-encode, before editing or uploading your video.
Now, we've taken up quite a bit of @heather's thread with our discussion on why or why not to use one container over another, and while we all seem to understand the risks and benefits of each, we still do not seem to fully agree. I'm sure we can all discuss this elsewhere, if we so desire, though I suspect that we may have to agree to disagree on some points. Let's leave this thread to its original purpose.