Question / Help Questions for 2-PC Setup Streamers

[Ornithomancer]

Hi there. I'm not new to OBS, but I've been having some issues with lag within my games and stream (mostly due to moving for college and having a slower internet connection). So, in an effort to maximize my gaming experience, as well as provide a better quality stream, I have made the decision to go for the gaming pc + streaming pc setup.

Some of the parts are still on order, but I'm essentially hooking up two AMD systems with a Avermedia Live Gamer Portable Lite (also on order). As expected, the gaming PC is higher end than the streaming PC (which was actually my very first build ever).

My questions for those of you who stream this way is how you coordinate the control between the two PCs and manage any power/network problems between the two. Some of my concerns might not even really be valid concerns at all, so please correct me if I'm wrong about something.

* How do you control both computers in a seamless or almost seamless manner? Do you use a hardware KVM switch or software such as Mouse Without Borders? If so, do you have any recommendations on which KVM hardware or software would work well for this kind of setup?

* Since I am running two desktops on the same router, should I be concerned about this setup being more taxing on my network? If so, are there any steps I can take to alleviate some of the problems?

* On a similar note, because of where I live, I have had issues in the past with overloading the breaker for my room. I know some of the non-computer related steps I can take (such as using an extension cord to another area on another circuit for my heater), but is there anything I can do to help with the power consumption of two computers, monitors, router, external backup drive, etc.?

* I also have have a laptop that may be able to handle the streaming job should any issues arise with the older computer or the power consumption. Is it reasonable to use a laptop for streaming so long as it's plugged in and connected to ethernet? It's an i5 with a 2.40GHz CPU, 8GB of RAM and can alternate between a basic Intel HD GPU or an NVidia GeForce GT 540M 2GB GDDR3 GPU on Windows 7. Would the discrepancy between the Intel/AMD CPU, NVidia/Radeon GPU, Win 8/Win 7 OS (both 64-bit) be an issue?

* Are there any other concerns I should think about that I haven't listed?

Once all the parts are together in one place, I can post the specifications in detail of each computer if it's relevant. Another thing, if it matters, my internet speed according to ShaperProbe: 47525 kbps Up, 43754 kbps Down.

Thank you in advance.

 

[dodgepong]

Why did you decide on the LGP? Is the streaming computer a desktop? There are several other better choices for capture card besides that one, as the LGP has several issues, particularly because it is an HD capture card using USB 2.0.

 

[blagblare]

Like dodgepong said, if the streaming PC is a desktop, it might have been a better choice to choose an internal card over a USB 2.0 device.

As for my setup, I don't use a KVM and use the Logitech K400r media keyboard to control the streaming PC and use key combos to switch scenes.

You shouldn't have to worry about your network being bogged down by having 2 PCs, one streaming and one playing online. However, if you're PCs are on WIFI, you might want to switch to wired.

Not sure how to help with your breaker issue.

No issue with that laptop but I wouldn't use it to game and stream if you plan on using the LGP with it.

 

[Jack0r]

* How do you control both computers in a seamless or almost seamless manner? Do you use a hardware KVM switch or software such as Mouse Without Borders? If so, do you have any recommendations on which KVM hardware or software would work well for this kind of setup?

There is no real need for a KVM in a 2pc setup, I personally use a small wireless mouse and keyboard, but Synergy or Mouse Without Borders work just as good. Test them and find out which one offers the options you want.

* Since I am running two desktops on the same router, should I be concerned about this setup being more taxing on my network? If so, are there any steps I can take to alleviate some of the problems?

No. Simply put, even if your router only supports 10mbit, it should be enough for anything you do. You could of course overload your Internetconnection, but this can be done with a single pc as well, so no change in that regard.

* On a similar note, because of where I live, I have had issues in the past with overloading the breaker for my room. I know some of the non-computer related steps I can take (such as using an extension cord to another area on another circuit for my heater), but is there anything I can do to help with the power consumption of two computers, monitors, router, external backup drive, etc.?

No. Simply put, you can only start the hardware one after the other, but as soon as you start streaming and gaming the power consumption of both PC's will increase. You have to test and if possible split the devices between different circuits as you mentioned.

* I also have have a laptop that may be able to handle the streaming job should any issues arise with the older computer or the power consumption. Is it reasonable to use a laptop for streaming so long as it's plugged in and connected to ethernet? It's an i5 with a 2.40GHz CPU, 8GB of RAM and can alternate between a basic Intel HD GPU or an NVidia GeForce GT 540M 2GB GDDR3 GPU on Windows 7. Would the discrepancy between the Intel/AMD CPU, NVidia/Radeon GPU, Win 8/Win 7 OS (both 64-bit) be an issue?

No, there will be no discrepancy because of different Manufacturers or Windows versions. But I cannot say how powerful your Laptop really is without an info about which i5 is build into it. A laptop in general can of course be used as a streaming PC, assuming it has enough power. (Using a laptop would also be the only reason for me to choose a LGP)

* Are there any other concerns I should think about that I haven't listed?

My only concern is, why did you already order everything before posting this thread. As the others already mentioned there are a few other Capture Cards that would have been interesting, and possibly better than the LGP assuming you will use 2 PCs and not a laptop to stream.
And I am not sure what else you ordered, so I cannot say anything to that.

So yea, you can post us the specs of the other systems and we can take a look at those as well. Currently we only know your rough Laptop specs.

 

[Ornithomancer]

Why did you decide on the LGP? Is the streaming computer a desktop? There are several other better choices for capture card besides that one, as the LGP has several issues, particularly because it is an HD capture card using USB 2.0.

Like dodgepong said, if the streaming PC is a desktop, it might have been a better choice to choose an internal card over a USB 2.0 device.

No issue with that laptop but I wouldn't use it to game and stream if you plan on using the LGP with it.

There is no real need for a KVM in a 2pc setup, I personally use a small wireless mouse and keyboard, but Synergy or Mouse Without Borders work just as good. Test them and find out which one offers the options you want.

My only concern is, why did you already order everything before posting this thread. As the others already mentioned there are a few other Capture Cards that would have been interesting, and possibly better than the LGP assuming you will use 2 PCs and not a laptop to stream.
And I am not sure what else you ordered, so I cannot say anything to that.

So yea, you can post us the specs of the other systems and we can take a look at those as well. Currently we only know your rough Laptop specs.

I actually really only wanted a portable/external capture card to begin with. Sometimes I travel and only have my laptop in which case I would like to have the LGP to stream, even if the quality isn't as good. I don't plan to start out with full HD streaming. My goal is to try and get a good quality 480p stream and go from there. I also didn't want to take up another PCI-E slot on the gaming desktop since I'll already have one with the GPU and the other has a WinTV card so I can record cable TV. Finally, the LGP Lite had a decent price point out of all the external devices which I could afford. Keep in mind that the LGP Lite isn't a permanent solution (in fact, it's more of a leaping off point) and that in the future I plan to use a more efficient internal capture card when I can afford a better PC build.

When I say I've ordered other things, I mean I already have a lot of things on hand and there's only a couple of things I need to get everything running. As far as other things I've ordered, it's just a Radeon HD 7750 GPU (upgrade) for the gaming pc (it's a bit of a budget pc itself). The rest of it is all screws and whatnot that I've neglected to buy to put my old pc back together so that I can go back and look at it's specifications and some HDMI cables.

What I can tell you about the other PCs:

[Gaming PC] - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/3kEV6

[Laptop] - MSI X460DX, i5-2430M CPU @ 2.4GHz with 8GB RAM

[Streamer] (Off the top of my head, what I can remember without having to plug everything in and look) -
Asus M2N68-Plus MOBO, processor is an AMD of some variety, clocking somewhere between 2.6-2.8GHz. 4GB RAM. Radeon HD 4650 1GB GPU. PSU is a Dynex DX-400WPS.

Out of curiosity, what sort of issues are you referring to considering the LGP? I know that HD and USB 2.0 don't go together horribly well, but all the reviews I've read about it have been very positive. I don't have the time to become a dedicated streamer with a goal of becoming a partner, so super duper awesome HD streaming isn't a must with me.

 

[dodgepong]

The main issue with the LGP (and all USB 2.0 HD capture devices) is that USB 2.0 doesn't have the bandwidth to transmit raw HD video. Thus, HD USB 2.0 devices have to encode video on the device itself before sending it over the wire, where it is then decoded so that it can be displayed. That adds a noticeable amount of latency between when something happens on the device you are capturing and when it appears on screen on the capture computer. USB 3.0 capture devices and PCIe capture devices do not have this problem, and are generally recommended when possible.

If you run all your audio (including mic) through your gaming PC and send it over HDMI to the LGP to be captured, then it might not be a big deal. But keep the delay issue in mind.

Also, I believe the LGP only has 32bit drivers, so you can only use it with 32bit OBS. The LGp Stream Engine thing can be tricky to get working sometimes, too, since you can't add the LGP to OBS directly.

 

[tehguy]

I don't know your setup but I don't think power or network are going to be any problem with any 2 PC streaming setup. You're going to be using about 5Mbps max at any time, most home routers have a throughput of at least 2Gbps. Power wise, I know the US works a lot differently to the UK but here we generally have 32A breakers per ring circuit, which at 230v gives you over 7kW per circuit, my gaming PC and streaming PC combined use well under 1kW even when they are both working hard.

I use a 2 PC setup and I use VNC to monitor the streaming PC and a separate keyboard and mouse although I generally don't need to use them as I only have 1 scene and my microphone has an inline mute.