Question / Help OBS streaming low quality and low fps...

[shane johnson]

Hey I am trying to start up streaming but I am faced with a few issues... My stream quality is really bad blocky and blurry and my ingame fps takes a pretty large hit... I run ArmA 3 at around 70-90 fps sometimes more some times less but when I stream It hits my fps down to around 25-35 to me that Is an extremely large hit and makes it hard to play when faced by enemy players... Could somebody maybe give me some help please? I would be forever grateful.

PC Spec's:
Gtx 780 Gigabyte Ghz Edition
AsRock Z97 Pro4 Motherboard
8Gb Corsair ram
2x 128gb SSD's One for OS one for Games
1TB Storage HDD
PSU Corsair 850w Gold+
Intel I7-4790K 4.00Ghz - 4.4Ghz

Also I do own a Avermedia LGP Lite that I was going to use for streaming so I dont take an FPS hit but for that apparently I need to own 2 computers :( currently I only have this one and I guess the device renders itself useless until I get a second machine? I use the LGP currently for recording but I have a weird screen tearing line always on the screen starting from the top going slowly to the bottom rendering the device rubbish for even that... Anyway...

My OBS.64bit log Will be attached.

 

[AndehX]

your LGP won't give you any benefit if you don't have a second computer to do the stream encoding.

Switch from x264 encoding, to Quicksync, you should see your FPS stay at the 70-90 that you reported.

 

[shane johnson]

Ok but then the quality of the stream would look worse than it does already... With my spec's my stream should look pretty good and should not drop so many frames per second, Right? Surely my computer can handle 720p @ 60fps... or 1080p 30fps.. I have tried so many different guides online and the results are either really bad quality and low ingame fps or even worse quality and bad ingame fps.. From what I have seen with quicksync it would just make the quality even worse kinda making it pointless even trying to stream..

 

[AndehX]

You and ALOT of people underestimate just how stressful encoding a live stream actually is, especially when you're running a CPU heavy game like CS GO. Quicksync is slightly worse quality than x264 yes, but if you use a good bitrate (3000-3500) then it will look perfectly fine. I stream 720p 60fps using quicksync and it looks perfectly fine.
If, for whatever reason, you feel its absolutely 100% neccessary to use x264, then knock your present down to Superfast. That should take some weight off your CPU.

 

[Kepasa]

your LGP won't give you any benefit if you don't have a second computer to do the stream encoding.

Switch from x264 encoding, to Quicksync, you should see your FPS stay at the 70-90 that you reported.

That's not true that you need 2 pc for better performance with LGP. I have LGP and there was a time that I was streaming with LGP and my gaming laptop. I even could use medium preset and all was working well. The only and really big disadvantage of using caputre cards like LGP is that capture cards are showing whole your screen on the stream. You can't just stream game or a region of your screen.

 

[shane johnson]

Ok after figuring how to turn on Qick Sync it do indeed give me a lot better fps almost no drop at all maybe between 0-5% here and there... but you say the quality is "Slightly" worse... You should see the stream dude its a mess... my bitrate is 3500 and so is the buffer... the stream now looks really bad... check out my latest video on twitch its buggy to hell...

Hmm but looking back at my old streams from ages ago they all look just as bad... what would cause this? its got like bitrate squares all over the screen it looks bad... they all look like this... x264 http://www.twitch.tv/dzwrealkiller/c/4730001 (a friend of mine decided it would be a good time to sing)

and here is a new video from last night with quick sync on but the quality is just as bad...http://www.twitch.tv/dzwrealkiller/c/6144162 (I would mute the audio as its just buzzing)

I currently have 6mb/s upload speed and my bitrate is set to 3500 and buffer 3500 with quick sync... surely I should not be getting all this badness in video quality...

 

[shane johnson]

I just used www.testmy.net to test my upload speed by uploading 60mbs of data and I get 6mb/s upload speed I play in 1080p and downscale via OBS to 720p @60fps I am now using Quick Sync to stop fps loss In games. My Bitrate is set to 3500 and buffer is set to 3500 surely these settings are ok for my internet speed? My computer is pretty high end, so why is my stream looking blurry and rubbish?

I also ran 3DMark and it says my computer is better than 95% of high end gaming computers... If need be I can run it again and take a screen shot to show that... but my computer is way good enough to run with these settings so what's the problem?

 

[AndehX]

That's not true that you need 2 pc for better performance with LGP. I have LGP and there was a time that I was streaming with LGP and my gaming laptop. I even could use medium preset and all was working well. The only and really big disadvantage of using caputre cards like LGP is that capture cards are showing whole your screen on the stream. You can't just stream game or a region of your screen.

If you only have 1 computer (desktop or laptop) then using a capture device like LGP or an internal card, will not give you any benefit over simply doing a Game capture or Window capture.
You only need a capture device if you have 2 systems. One to play your games on and one to do all the encoding.

 

[AndehX]

I just used www.testmy.net to test my upload speed by uploading 60mbs of data and I get 6mb/s upload speed I play in 1080p and downscale via OBS to 720p @60fps I am now using Quick Sync to stop fps loss In games. My Bitrate is set to 3500 and buffer is set to 3500 surely these settings are ok for my internet speed? My computer is pretty high end, so why is my stream looking blurry and rubbish?

I also ran 3DMark and it says my computer is better than 95% of high end gaming computers... If need be I can run it again and take a screen shot to show that... but my computer is way good enough to run with these settings so what's the problem?

Your stream looks perfectly normal for a 3500bitrate quicksync stream. If you're not happy with it, then there isnt much you can do except lower your fps to 30.
I stream CS GO at that quality all the time, I actually think its quite acceptable, compared to alot of streamers.

 

[Kepasa]

If you only have 1 computer (desktop or laptop) then using a capture device like LGP or an internal card, will not give you any benefit over simply doing a Game capture or Window capture.
You only need a capture device if you have 2 systems. One to play your games on and one to do all the encoding.

I can't agree. Imo even if I have got one PC/laptop and I use LGP so for it using less CPU than without LGP.

But I want to ask you about something more. Do you know maybe how I should connect LGP for dual PC? I have one PC with i5, laptop with i7 and microphone for usb 2.0. I don't know how to connect that microphone for which PC (for example on which PC I should use teamspeak?)...

 

[AndehX]

I can't agree. Imo even if I have got one PC/laptop and I use LGP so for it using less CPU than without LGP.

This is false. With 1 PC/Laptop theres is absolutely no benefit using the LGP at all. Your CPU is still encoding the live stream weather you use the LGP or not. So it's pointless.

But I want to ask you about something more. Do you know maybe how I should connect LGP for dual PC? I have one PC with i5, laptop with i7 and microphone for usb 2.0. I don't know how to connect that microphone for which PC (for example on which PC I should use teamspeak?)...

You could theoretically use the microphone on either system, but the easiest way would be to use the microphone on the laptop, where OBS can access it directly. Unless you need to use the microphone ingame (like in CS GO) I would just use it on your laptop.

 

[Kepasa]

This is false. With 1 PC/Laptop theres is absolutely no benefit using the LGP at all. Your CPU is still encoding the live stream weather you use the LGP or not. So it's pointless.


You could theoretically use the microphone on either system, but the easiest way would be to use the microphone on the laptop, where OBS can access it directly. Unless you need to use the microphone ingame (like in CS GO) I would just use it on your laptop.

Exactly I need my mic in game. Do I need mixer with usb port for microphones to work it correctly? Or there is other way?

 

[AndehX]

if you need to use the mic in game, then you have no choice but to plug it into your gaming PC. I don't know of any mixers with USB ports, so I cant help you there.

 

[Kepasa]

Ok so how my viewers will hear me ?

 

[AndehX]

output your microphone to your capture device by using the "Listen to this device" checkbox in Recording Devices. Or you could just use 2 microphones....