Question / Help Skipped/lagged frames during in-game fade outs/fade ins

[MikeKatz45]

Hi everyone (: , I´m looking for advice regarding an unusual problem I´m having.
I´ve noticed that when I´m streaming to twitch, my game capture (Elgato) experiments skipped and lagged frames exclusively when a fade out/fade in effect occurs in my games (this doesn´t happen in the TV I´m playing with, just on the actual stream). Examples of these fade out/in moments are transitions between cutscenes and gameplay as well as entering/exiting different areas in a game.
This is especially annoying when streaming games that utilize this fade out/in effect a lot such as the legend of zelda ocarina of time everytime you enter a loading zone. I´ve noticed that this affects all the frames close to the point when the screen turns completely black in the fade out animation (before and after). Oddly enough, I also noticed that this doesn´t happen when the fade out animation uses a white screen instead of a black screen. Example: http://www.twitch.tv/mikekatz45/v/14448493
Since my PC is weak, it was logic that trying to reduce CPU stress would help. I tried reducing FPS, my quality and increase my encode speed (as shown in the log) without any luck. It also seems weird to me that I am not having problems with skipped or lagged frames anywhere in my stream except for the ones with the characteristics mentioned above. Considering this, I suspect this is not a problem I can solve by lowering CPU usage.

Any help is well recieved (:

 

[Mr4]

From what I've read / know, the El Gato and OBS have some weird love (connectivity/compatibility) problem where transition screens will do that. I have a decent-to-good computer and I also have the stutter problem on transition screens, as well as others.

I haven't found anybody who has a fix for it yet either :/

 

[WilliamBarrows]

From what I've read / know, the El Gato and OBS have some weird love (connectivity/compatibility) problem where transition screens will do that. I have a decent-to-good computer and I also have the stutter problem on transition screens, as well as others.

I haven't found anybody who has a fix for it yet either :/

Try adding the elgato as a global source. Many scene-transition issues can be fixed by using global sources, this is why all sources are global in OBS MP.

 

[Mr4]

Try adding the elgato as a global source. Many scene-transition issues can be fixed by using global sources, this is why all sources are global in OBS MP.

I'll try that out and go to Final Fantasy 1 / 2 and see if that fixes it, thanks for the suggestion!
My only one problem with that is I have two elgato scenes, one at -1500 delay (for recording Console Games with friends, recording their voice over skype) and one set to 0 or 1500, for when I record. :/ bleh lol.

 

[WilliamBarrows]

Global sources are scene-collection specific. You can just have all scenes you need to switch between live in one scene collection, and only make it a global source there. Then have a second scene colleciton for recording where you have a local elgato source for each different delay.

 

[Mr4]

Global sources are scene-collection specific. You can just have all scenes you need to switch between live in one scene collection, and only make it a global source there. Then have a second scene colleciton for recording where you have a local elgato source for each different delay.

Okay, I [think] that I understand that.
Before I mess with all that I'll just try the global source first and see if that even works, but thanks for the advice :)

 

[MikeKatz45]

Try adding the elgato as a global source. Many scene-transition issues can be fixed by using global sources, this is why all sources are global in OBS MP.

Our problem is not scene transition between scenes in OBS, but transitions in the actual games we are playing (between cutscenes and gameplay or different areas in a game). Most likely a problem with Elgato rather than OBS. In any case I tried adding as global source and it didn´t change anything.

Do you guys think trying out older versions of the game capture software could work? Thanks for the info/suggestions so far

 

[Mr4]

Our problem is not scene transition between scenes in OBS, but transitions in the actual games we are playing (between cutscenes and gameplay or different areas in a game). Most likely a problem with Elgato rather than OBS. In any case I tried adding as global source and it didn´t change anything.

Do you guys think trying out older versions of the game capture software could work? Thanks for the info/suggestions so far

I've seen somebody say an older driver of El Gato does seem to fix the issue, but I haven't tried it myself.
If you try older drivers, take note of which one works (if it works), come back and let us know which driver to get! :)

 

[MikeKatz45]

I've seen somebody say an older driver of El Gato does seem to fix the issue, but I haven't tried it myself.
If you try older drivers, take note of which one works (if it works), come back and let us know which driver to get! :)

Sure man I´ll test some of em later today and I´ll document my findings (:

 

[MikeKatz45]

After messing around with different Elgato HD drivers these are my findings:

-Version 1.42.24: Fixes the problem COMPLETELY, but creates another one: you won´t be able to output component/composite from old consoles to some new TVs through HDMI, you will be able to capture and stream HDMI consoles/PCs perfectly though.

-Version 2.10.64: Less skipped frames but does not fix the problem entirely.
-Version 2.10.72: Same as 2.10.64
-Versions 2.20.XX: Lots of skipped frames

You can download these versions here: https://help.elgato.com/customer/po...elgato-game-capture-hd-software-release-notes

The TV resolution HDMI compatibility problem occurs mainly with old consoles such as N64, SNES and NES for example. There is a way around this with RCA splitters, I learned how to do it from this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGHh9W-oDpM&index=32&list=LLvpaY132LSX1EBNsyWbCiXw

Hope it helps guys (:

 

[Mr4]

I'll go ahead and try that driver that fixes it then! I don't think I'm going any older than N64, as for I have none older, lol. I only have N64, Gamecube, and PS1 for "older" generation consoles.

I'm hoping I won't have to worry about the RCA / Splitters / whatever that thing was route, because my setup is already complicated enough lol... But, I'll try those drivers out and see, hopefully it just won't change anything except the transition screen issue! :P

 

[Mr4]

I don't know what kind of computer you're running, but 2.20 actually FIXED the problem for me, and I'm able to run the games pretty smoothly (I think, I don't think any frames are skipping although at the same time I feel like there might be some skipped frames) without transition lag.

Here's a quick 20ish second (unrendered) video of what the newest software did for me (I'd recommend muting video, my fan was on during the test, didn't plan on uploading it lol)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3kvdgyzgms&feature=youtu.be

Opinions? Looking at it now, maybe it is skipping frames... Why can't OBS or El Gato fix this? :( 1.42 didn't work for me on older consoles, which will be a problem since I'm recording those NOW, don't have time to mess with things lol.
(Also I have no idea how "private" on YouTube works... Hopefully the link will let you access the video)

 

[emetatron]

I'm using the Elgato HD with a SNES and CRT TV. I have the setup with all the splitters like the video above suggests. I was having the same issues as OP with laggy/skipped frames (you can see it really well in the beginning of this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnkXkMKbXVo). I just downloaded the elgato 1.42.24 software and it seems to have fixed the issue completely.

Hallelujah.

 

[MikeKatz45]

EDIT: found out that elgato software version 2.01.56 (next to last in the elgato drivers page) seems to fix the issue AND allows old consoles to display on your TV via HDMI. This lets you stream and play without having to setup the RCA splitters (At least this works for N64, don´t know about older consoles)