Question / Help Optimizing Stream Settings for 60FPS

[Azure J]

Hello everyone, I currently run a small Splatoon stream for my gaming community on Twitch and I've been attempting to host a 60FPS stream with the best quality possible while also being considerate to viewers. Previously, I used between 3000kbps~3500kbps of the bit rate allowed to non-partnered members, but considering the number of people who say they have difficulty viewing my stream and my non-partnered status for transcoding options, I've opted to reduce my kbps to 2500. I just have a question or two to ask with regards to this.

I've noticed in the past through experimenting that my laptop (a Nov. 2014 Alienware M17) can handle 60FPS when the CPU usage preset is set to either the ultra fast or super fast option (at the cost of a lot of image quality), but the default "veryfast" option, which would provide a decent step up in IQ, results in strange "choppiness" or stuttering for viewers. What would be the cause of this? I've attempted trouble shooting this by checking CPU usage in Task Manager while streaming & closing down programs that aren't in use (I didn't reinstall the OS on this computer for the clean boot; it escaped my mind when I first got the system) and I still run into this issue, whether I'm streaming at 30FPS or 60FPS.

For reference, I have attached my current laptop specifications & internet connection statistics.

I've noticed that this issue tends to happen most often when the OBS Multiplatform program is running but not in the foreground of things I have up between it, Discord (voice chat/text chat) & Google Chrome (single tabs every now and again). If anyone has any ideas, I'm interesting in reading them. I have no problem reducing the stream to 30FPS but I want to try and see if I can work something respectable out first & I want to do this for my own understanding.

 

[Adrian Schofield]

I may have missed this in your post but what resolution are you streaming at?

 

[Azure J]

I am streaming 720p feed at native res (720p). Hope that helps!

 

[Adrian Schofield]

OK that's cool. You might want to take a look at this article on the twitch subreddit which explains about bandwidth requirements for different frame rates and resolutions. https://www.reddit.com/r/Twitch/wiki/guides/bitrate_resolutions_quality
This might help you get a bit of extra information about what's going on behind the scenes. I expect that you are having intermittent quality issues because 720p 60fps is lot of data to get into the bandwidth you are using. Best option for a non-partnered streamer on Twitch is 720p 30 fps at around 2000 - 2500 kbps especially because Splatoon is a fast moving fps kind of game.

I hope this helps.

 

[DEDRICK]

Without looking at a log I can tell you the choppiness is due to "Skipped Frames". As your CPU preset increases, image quality during motion increases but so does the load on your CPU. Eventually it becomes too much for the encoder to keep up and it just throws the frames out.

Lowering your FPS also increases image quality and reduces load. 45-48 FPS is a good happy medium between smoothness and quality, 30 being the lowest you should ever really go but the best available quality for that bitrate and resolution.

Lowering your Downscale resolution will have the largest impact on CPU usage, it will also reduce compression artifacts and improve the fidelity of the image but you sacrifice sharpness.

You have a good laptop CPU but it is still a laptop CPU, it has its limits especially with a fast motion game like Splatoon

Do not preview your stream on your laptop either, you can have your channel or dashboard open for chat but do not have the video playing

 

[Azure J]

Hmm, thanks Adrian and Dedrick. I'll keep all of this in mind and simply switch to 30FPS for the time being.