Question / Help Quicksync 2 PC questions

[Scotch]

Alright so I have been streaming for the past 4 years on and off and have tried and experimented a good amount in my time. Figured it was time to try out the quicksync option now that I have a CPU that has the option available and I want to game in 1440p. Being that there are no capture cards that do 1440p60fps for less than ~$400 I figured this is my best option.

So my questions:

Should I even bother with a two PC setup when using quicksync? Any advantage? The claim that I have read is that quicksync offers a lossless performance and I have trouble believing that.

While using quicksync, can I still use shadowplay and the such?

Which are the best guides to follow on using quicksync? I've found a few but figured it would be good to be as informed as possible.

Can the INOGENI 4K2USB3 ( https://www.amazon.com/INOGENI-4K2U...&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00 ) capture card actually capture 1440p at 60fps? I couldn't find a clear answer. The only card I've found that can actually do 1440p60fps capture is the Blackmagic Design DeckLink 4K Extreme 12G https://www.amazon.com/Blackmagic-Design-DeckLink-Extreme-BMD-BDLKHDEXTR4K12G/dp/B00PE6YSQC Which that card is stupidly expensive. I know this isn't a quicksync question but I was curious none-the-less.

My end goal here is that I want to game in 1440p @ 144hz with shadowplay capturing and stream with as little as performance hit on my main PC in 720p60fps with maybe in the future moving to 1080p60fps if twitch(or my internet) allows it.

Thanks in advance for reading!

 

[FerretBomb]

Quicksync does not replace a capture card. How would you use a second PC at all?
QSV is a lower quality compression, and WILL look worse at broadcasting bitrates. It's not local-recording-only like NVENC and VCE, but it's still significantly poorer than software x264.

A better option would be to run OBS Studio, record locally with NVENC, and stream to a local nginx-rtmp machine for re-encoding (the 2PC capturecardless method). Be aware that you want the MOST POWERFUL CPU you have available in the encoding machine, NOT in the gaming machine. So don't slap a spare ancient Athlon you had lying around in as the second PC and expect any improvement.

720@60 on Twitch is unrealistic for a non-partnered caster; it starts at ~2700kbps which is well above the advised 2000kbps cap, and wants 3500+, which will result in an unwatchable stuttery buffering-hell for a large portion of the Twitch viewer base.
1080@60 will require a signficant outlay of funds to even get the hardware to be able to encode at that rate in realtime. Even with the hardware, 1080@60 starts at 6000kbps. No one will be able to watch even if your hardware and connection could support it. Don't get lost chasing numbers.

I believe that Datapath Vision DVI-DL cards can capture 1440@60. But they aren't cheap either. 1440p is outside the mainstream on resolutions at present (and possibly ever, with the growing adoption of 2160p and skipping it entirely), and capture cards are just starting to hit the 1080@60 point as far as multiple options and affordability. You're going to have to spend, if you want to live ahead of the curve.

 

[Scotch]

Quicksync does not replace a capture card. How would you use a second PC at all?
QSV is a lower quality compression, and WILL look worse at broadcasting bitrates. It's not local-recording-only like NVENC and VCE, but it's still significantly poorer than software x264.

A better option would be to run OBS Studio, record locally with NVENC, and stream to a local nginx-rtmp machine for re-encoding (the 2PC capturecardless method). Be aware that you want the MOST POWERFUL CPU you have available in the encoding machine, NOT in the gaming machine. So don't slap a spare ancient Athlon you had lying around in as the second PC and expect any improvement.

720@60 on Twitch is unrealistic for a non-partnered caster; it starts at ~2700kbps which is well above the advised 2000kbps cap, and wants 3500+, which will result in an unwatchable stuttery buffering-hell for a large portion of the Twitch viewer base.
1080@60 will require a signficant outlay of funds to even get the hardware to be able to encode at that rate in realtime. Even with the hardware, 1080@60 starts at 6000kbps. No one will be able to watch even if your hardware and connection could support it. Don't get lost chasing numbers.

I believe that Datapath Vision DVI-DL cards can capture 1440@60. But they aren't cheap either. 1440p is outside the mainstream on resolutions at present (and possibly ever, with the growing adoption of 2160p and skipping it entirely), and capture cards are just starting to hit the 1080@60 point as far as multiple options and affordability. You're going to have to spend, if you want to live ahead of the curve.

Well just to be clear, I currently run a two PC setup for streaming at 720p60fps easily. The problem I have is that I want to GAME in 1440p @ 144hz and current capture cards that are priced reasonably just don't exist yet and without a card that can capture 1440p my main monitor must run at 1080p.

So in comes the quicksync question because from what I've read is that people capture on their gaming pc using quicksync that offers a zero performance cost on the gaming PC and encode from their second PC at 720p60fps.

 

[Boildown]

It sounds like someone told you about this, which doesn't use a capture card at all: https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/guide-two-pc-configuration-without-capturecard.6757

Quicksync is a 5-15% hit on the CPU, its not entirely free, by the way. NVEnc is a lot closer to being "free" encoding, you should try that too, if you use the above link.

 

[FerretBomb]

Also, many nVidia cards can clone out a display to a second output at a lower resolution and/or framerate. You'd do this through the drivers, allowing you to play at 1440, and clone that monitor to the second output (to the capture card) at 720p.

Eh, if you say so. The bitrates needed for 720@60 streaming are still significantly higher than is advisable for a non-partner, and you will limit your potential viewerbase and harm growth. If people buffer repeatedly, they won't complain, they'll just leave.
Partners have transcodes available from square one, giving viewers an option to go to a lower quality where they won't buffer, and have a chance at retention. Why 2000kbps is recommended as the max for non-partners, as the widest segment of Twitch viewers can watch that smoothly per Twitch's released user metrics. Even 2200 sees a significant buffering spike, much less 2700, and MUCH less 3500 which only will be watchable by a comparably very tiny portion of viewers.
It's your stream, do as you like, just realize that you may very well be shooting yourself in the foot.

 

[Scotch]

Also, many nVidia cards can clone out a display to a second output at a lower resolution and/or framerate. You'd do this through the drivers, allowing you to play at 1440, and clone that monitor to the second output (to the capture card) at 720p.

Eh, if you say so. The bitrates needed for 720@60 streaming are still significantly higher than is advisable for a non-partner, and you will limit your potential viewerbase and harm growth. If people buffer repeatedly, they won't complain, they'll just leave.
Partners have transcodes available from square one, giving viewers an option to go to a lower quality where they won't buffer, and have a chance at retention. Why 2000kbps is recommended as the max for non-partners, as the widest segment of Twitch viewers can watch that smoothly per Twitch's released user metrics. Even 2200 sees a significant buffering spike, much less 2700, and MUCH less 3500 which only will be watchable by a comparably very tiny portion of viewers.
It's your stream, do as you like, just realize that you may very well be shooting yourself in the foot.

No I really do appreciate the information, I could actually set my encoding to medium on my stream PC and use 2500 bitrate and get a good looking stream. I haven't been but I might considering the information you are giving here. I tend to not to worry TOO much about losing some viewers cause of the higher bitrate only because I stream BF4 and there isn't a huge community right now anyways and most are either NA or SA that watch and they can handle the bitrate for the most part.

I will look into the drivers settings and see if I can get it to work cause that would be awesome, thanks for the info.