Question / Help OBS Studio just eating bandwidth when open... What?

[Cloud557]

Okay, so I've just gotten into streaming, and I know that OBS and OBS Studio are both really good programs to use for streaming. I've downloaded both of them, and given them each a shot. For normal OBS I had issues of studdering and tearing, while when doing a test stream on OBS Studio I had no issues at all.

However, after setting up all of my twitch alerts on Studio with the CLR Browser Plugin, just about every time that I open OBS Studio, my bandwidth goes from being a nice 500+ mbps, up and down, to being around 120-140 mbps up and down. As soon as I close it, everything is fine, but whenever it's open my connection tanks.

I have looked everywhere, and the only information that I've found is talking about the CLR Browser Plugin SOMETIMES consuming bandwidth when it is a constant page that's loading (Like a Donation bar), and that the best and quickest way to fix it is to remove the CLR Browser that's causing the problem. Seeing as it would be simple to re-add it if I needed to, I removed the capture that was causing the problem, but it has since continued to tank my bandwidth when it's open.

I would like to also note that I have tried doing the window capture for them, but it doesn't want to capture correctly for some reason, and what I'm using for the CLR Browser captures is Twitchalerts.

If anyone knows how to fix this issue, please do tell me, I'd like to be able to start streaming tomorrow or Wednesday, but I don't think I'll be able to if I can't fix my bandwidth tanking issue.

 

[Osiris]

Please post a log.
OBS won't use that much bandwidth.

 

[Cloud557]

Please post a log.
OBS won't use that much bandwidth.

Sorry about that. Here is a log from when I was having the problem the most yesterday. (Yes, I know my processor and graphics cards are garbage, but I'm on a laptop and can't upgrade them I'm afraid).

If I need to paste the log info here instead of uploading the text file, please tell me and I will. Still a bit new at posting logs.

 

[Cloud557]

Bump? I'm still looking for some help...

 

[Adrian Schofield]

Just to help me understand a little bit more about this how are you measuring your bandwidth usage, just looking in Task Manager or something else?

 

[Cloud557]

Just to help me understand a little bit more about this how are you measuring your bandwidth usage, just looking in Task Manager or something else?

Normally, I would know by my friends who I chat with on Discord suddenly can't hear me and my connection to the server just dies. After that, I've used Speedtest.net to check, and sure enough it just tanks. I've also got a widget on my desktop that mesures bandwidth usage, and it always spikes when I have OBS Studio open.

 

[Adrian Schofield]

OK so I see you have two Browser Sources, I think you mentioned Twitch Alerts as well, I guess you have the Alert Box configured and what else Donation Goal maybe?

 

[Adrian Schofield]

OK checked your logs again. Looks like three browser sources:

source 'Alerts' (browser_source) created
source 'Recent Donations' (browser_source) created
source 'Recent Subs' (browser_source) created

Can you explain what each one is please. For me the only one of these that should be a browser source is the top one with the alerts. Twitch alerts provides latest donations and followers through a local text file so I'd be interested to understand how you have these last two configured.

 

[Cloud557]

OK checked your logs again. Looks like three browser sources:

source 'Alerts' (browser_source) created
source 'Recent Donations' (browser_source) created
source 'Recent Subs' (browser_source) created

Can you explain what each one is please. For me the only one of these that should be a browser source is the top one with the alerts. Twitch alerts provides latest donations and followers through a local text file so I'd be interested to understand how you have these last two configured.

To explain, the first one is the standard alerts (When I get a sub, donation or follower), the seond one is a constantly running feed of my most recent donations, and the last one is an automatically updating list of my recent subs.

I will admit that I haven't tried the text file feature just yet, and I will very likely be doing that after I post this reply, to see if that solves the issue or not. If it doesn't though, then I would like to know if there is another solution. Just on the off chance.

 

[Adrian Schofield]

OK I can't test that to be honest as I don't have any donations or subs :-) Just try hiding them in the sources list to start with and see if that fixes the problem, it might make sense as I expect those widgets poll Twitch Alerts fairly often.

 

[Cloud557]

I actually just tried that, and even with the local text files, my bandwidth went from 500+ mbps to about 100-120 mbps up and down. I know how to easily set up the widgets again if I need to, so I tried deleting all of the widgets that were browser sources (Even Alerts) and my bandwidth actually tanked harder and faster... I don't think those are the problems ><

 

[Osiris]

Are you sure it's OBS? Have you checked in Task Manager how much bandwidth the process is using?

 

[Adrian Schofield]

I'm with @Osiris here, I can't get OBS to take up any bandwidth apart from streaming obviously. In task manager on the processes tab you should see a Network column with percentages underneath can you sort on that column by clicking it, the highest network users will pop to the top and then send us a screen shot.

 

[sam686]

Is it speed testing or is it only showing the bandwidth for computer to router connection?

Using wired or wireless? Wireless connection may have unstable bandwidth between computer and router.

Try speed testing website like speedtest.net. What does this show for your upload and download speed?

Streaming only uses about 2 Mbps (2000 Kbps) based on the bitrate of video plus audio. Having over 5 Mbps upload speed is more then enough to stream.

 

[NalaNosivad]

Are you sure it's OBS? Have you checked in Task Manager how much bandwidth the process is using?

On top of this, have you tried temporarily disabling any firewall/anti-virus software you have? I've been in situations where a badly written or buggy firewall or anti-virus have completely destroyed disk or network performance with only certain applications running.

If there was a good DPC latency checker for Windows 10, I'd suggest checking that while the issue's occurring. But, since I don't believe there is yet, try disabling any AV/firewall software (and restarting, just to be sure) and seeing if the problem still occurs.

 

[Cloud557]

Okay, so to reply to everyone in a sort of all around answer. I was wrong, but it's a very confusing wrong.

I did as Osiris and Adrian suggested and loaded up OBS Studio again, this time I checked my Task Manager's Network bar. OBS Studio and all of my other programs open in fact, were taking up 0 mbps until streaming started, or until anything that actively required bandwidth began. I tested it a few times with different widgets for Studio all being active at once (Both the text based ones and the CRL Browser based ones), and my Network was fine. My CPU however... It seems that for some reason my CPU just dies when open Studio and it's getting a preview of any games I'm trying to stream or record.

I have limited what my CPU's usage of OBS and other programs, but that doesn't seem to help in the least. I would like to know now, if there is a way to change how much of my CPU Studio gets without straight up replacing any internal parts, or if it would require me replacing my processor or some other internal components.

Thank you all for the help so far.

Also, to Sam, I am using a wired connection for both my console and my laptop. I know that wireless connections can be shoddy at times, and avoid them as much as possible on big hardware like computers and consoles and such.

 

[sam686]

Using elgato HD60 USB at 60 fps? Recording or streaming at 30 fps? If yes to both, should really change it to capture at 30 fps, not 60, when streaming at 30 fps, which will lower CPU usage. Use Video capture settings to try to change this. The reason of this is USB version 2 only have enough bandwidth/speed to transfer compressed HD video, decompressing this data takes CPU usage, possibly too much on a slow CPU.

Can maybe try setting your capture at 1280x720 and OBS base resolution to 1280x720 if mostly capturing from capture card. This might affect quality.

Can try using x264 preset of SuperFast or UltraFast, at some cost of quality.

 

[Cloud557]

Using elgato HD60 USB at 60 fps? Recording or streaming at 30 fps? If yes to both, should really change it to capture at 30 fps, not 60, when streaming at 30 fps, which will lower CPU usage. Use Video capture settings to try to change this. The reason of this is USB version 2 only have enough bandwidth/speed to transfer compressed HD video, decompressing this data takes CPU usage, possibly too much on a slow CPU.

Can maybe try setting your capture at 1280x720 and OBS base resolution to 1280x720 if mostly capturing from capture card. This might affect quality.

Can try using x264 preset of SuperFast or UltraFast, at some cost of quality.

Actually, no... I'm using the Elgato HD, not the HD60fps. I did however try configuring it the way you suggested to see if that would help, and sadly it doesn't.

 

[Adrian Schofield]

Can you do the same thing I asked about the network but instead sort by the cpu column and send us in a screen shot of the top CPU users. If you can fit OBS into the screen shot at the same time that would be great.

 

[Cloud557]

Can you do the same thing I asked about the network but instead sort by the cpu column and send us in a screen shot of the top CPU users. If you can fit OBS into the screen shot at the same time that would be great.

I can, but it will unfortunately have to wait until much later today. I'm getting ready to leave for the day, and I won't be back until around 11 pm (EST) tonight.

Edit: I actually didn't pay attention to the time. I thought it was later than it was, and as such I was able to record an episode of a series I'm going to be putting on youtube (With OBS Studio of course), and when I was setting it up I was able to get a screen shot. Here you go: