Question / Help Something is wrong with my OBS?

[Ghidrah]

OK, C-Dude glad you're still peeking in. One never knows the value of what one can contribute until it presents itself.
This is what I think I figured out this aft, and I'm still working on it juggling junk. At this point I think I need to be looking for a balance between recording file size and edit rendering size. With the current settings I have -0- shutter/stutter, whatever the technical term for it may be.

When I had Output the same as base resolution, (1680x1050) outside of a larger file size, I couldn't tell if I was seeing a significant enough improvement to warrant the larger file. Not sure if there was a noticeable diff between Bicubic and Lanczos in downscale filter, if there is I'm not clever enough to know where and when to look.

I think Rate Control = CRF and CRF 15 produced a great finished result but it along with the above mentioned changes provided a 3gb/8 min video. If the compression rate of Lightworks is consistent this will still provide a 1.3gb 8 min video. This seems extreme to me when I believe some of the videos will be in the 30 min range but I have -0- experience.

One thing I did discover that I don't recall seeing on the 1st 2 short vids I made, (on the SSD and haven't reinstalled it yet to verify) there're vertical black bars to the sides of the video. My VCs digital resolution is 2560x1600 and VGA is 2048x1536 however my monitor is 16:10 with a max of 1680x1050 res. My right brain thinks the VC should be in charge and not the monitor.

Is there a fix for the side bars? Or a way to slick the monitor?

 

[C-Dude]

You can go into the nvidia control panel and manually create a cusom resolution and run your monitor at that. Running resolutions higher than your monitor only work on some monitors. Also note that any resolution than your monitors (ignoring aspect ratio) will look worse, especially in text and stuff. You can also go to windows advanced display settings and change it there. Now your monitor is 16:10 as the standard is 16:9. You can either do everything in 16:10, do everything in 16:9 or scale from 16:10 to 16:9. However, if you go from 16:10 to 16:9 it will create some distortion or cut off part of the video. You also can just run your game in 16:9 even if your monitor is 16:10 however some games it wont work as well.

If you don't mind having black bars on your monitor you can set it to 1680x945. It is the same resolution just in the 16:9 aspect ratio so it won't look worse other than the black bars. You can also set it to stretch which will remove the black bars but everything will be slightly stretched (but only for you in video it should look fine. Of course if you choose to keep working in 16:10 then record to actual 720p (1280x800) not 1120x700.

As of quality, the file size is going to have to be large. To get better quality at a small file size, your CPU would have to more efficiently compress the video taking up tons of CPU power (more than any consumer CPUs have). Of course with NVENC and even to an extent QuickSync, file sizes are a fair amount smaller (while only sacrificing a small amount of quality). Also some ridiculous people record in lossless thinking that you actually will notice a difference, 3gb for an 8 min video is nothing. And just scale it to 720p, (1280x720). Honestly its much easier to use a standard for recording so unless you can record in full HD (1920x1080) then don't bother going any higher than 720.

 

[Ghidrah]

OK, I think I know why I didn't see the side bars in the original recordings, as you likely know WMP has 3 different window options a smaller window when you open it, the large screen by clicking on the (min/Max) square beside the red "X" (top right screen) or the little arrow at the right bottom of the WMP window. I was always using the little arrow to watch the clips full screen because it removed the windows desktop band around the WMP window.

My monitor is old, from 06, Samsung Sync Master 226bw so maybe your suggestion might not work, as embarrassing as it may be, I've never had any VC or monitor issues, I haven't been in the NV control panel since 2012. While reading your post I did enter NVCP and found the "Change Resolution" link which shows the monitor and my TV, (used for Blu-ray movies)

I'm willing to tolerate the side bars if making a change to remove them distorts the natural aspect ratio of the text, game and video recording

If you don't mind having black bars on your monitor you can set it to 1680x945. It is the same resolution just in the 16:9 aspect ratio so it won't look worse other than the black bars. You can also set it to stretch which will remove the black bars but everything will be slightly stretched (but only for you in video it should look fine. Of course if you choose to keep working in 16:10 then record to actual 720p (1280x800) not 1120x700.

Is this done in the OBS setting or some other place?

I don't think my GTX560 supports NVENC or QuickSync, I thought they were for streaming? Unless streaming means uploading rendered recordings to YouTube I have no intention to stream. Somewhere down the line I suppose I will gradually upgrade my monitor and VC

 

[C-Dude]

In OBS. No matter what set your base resolution to your monitors res. Just fix your output resolution to actual 720p and not 700p

Nvenc and Quicksync are just hardware based options. NVENC is for GTX 600 cards and up. QuickSync is your CPUs integrated graphics depending on what CPU you have. Im pretty sure your i5 2550K does have quicksync.

All of the encoders can be used for both recording or streaming, really its the same thing. They are all encoding video the difference is one is being written to a drive while the other is being directly uploaded to the internet.

 

[Ghidrah]

C-Dude,
Setting output res to 720p, does this include both "OUTPUT" [Advanced/Rescale Output] and "VIDEO" [Output (Scaled) Resolution] ? If not, which one? This aft I brained out the ABCs of how to edit sections of audio timelines without editing the video and vice versa then re-syncing it/them back up to the video. I can also include dissolves to the beginning and ending of a clip.
Small victories.

P.S. again thanks to you and EBrito for your help

 

[C-Dude]

Just scale in video, it looks better and gets better performance. Scaling in output should only be used if you are streaming and recording on the same profile in different resolutions.

As of filter use Lanczos

Bilinear should be used if you are not scaling, if you are it just looks blurry
Bicubic in my opinion looks too grainy and edges aren't as smooth
Lanczos keeps the detail but is smoother and just overall looks the best

They don't make a HUGE difference but they do make a small difference.

 

[Ghidrah]

OK switched back to Lanczos, so I make the change from 1120x700 to 1280x720 in video output (Scaled) resolution only?

To verify, in "Output" (rescale output) and "Video" (base (canvas) resolution do I leave both at the monitors native setting?

 

[EBrito]

Video settings: Canvas Real monitor resolution Rescale 1280x720 Filter bicubic or Lanczos
Output settings: DO NOT RESCALE

 

[C-Dude]

Just do NOT check the 'rescale output' box and you are good

 

[Ghidrah]

OK, Output/Recording/Rescale Output, box is unchecked. Does it matter that the line has (1680x1050) but is faded. Does unchecked make it inactive?
Why is a checked box BAD?

Video settings: Canvas Real monitor resolution Rescale 1280x720 Filter bicubic or Lanczos
Output settings: DO NOT RESCALE

In Video I ALSO set the base canvas resolution along with the Output (scaled) resolution to 1280x720?

Once I get all this junk set just right is there a way to save it incase something goes mental?
I've gotten notices of the newer 0.16.6 version, is it worth changing to?

 

[EBrito]

Checked box is bad because you rescale again. Useless CPU work that produces lag. Not needde because was rescaled by GPU

Base canvas : your monitor natural resolution.

Always use last OBS version

 

[C-Dude]

It does not matter that the line says 1680x1050 if it is unchecked it is inactive. Having it checked would use extra processing power to scale twice there is no need.

Change your base resolution to 1680x1050
Change your output resolution to 1152x720
Downscale Filter Lanczos

Always update OBS version more bug fixes and stability and performance.

 

[Ghidrah]

C-Dude,

Use 1152x720 instead of 1280x720?
Will D/L 0.16.6
Again, can and or should the "Settings and or Profile" folder/s be copied pasted and saved

 

[C-Dude]

1152x720 is what youtube uses as 720p for 16:10 1280x720 is for 16:9.

Yes, You can backup the settings and profile folders.
If you forget they are located at C:\Users\C-Dude\AppData\Roaming\obs-studio\basic (replace C-Dude with your current user)

 

[Ghidrah]

Save just "profiles" folder or both profiles and scenes?

Do you have a recommendation for the CRF setting, I started out at 25, 15 seemed to produce a wicked large file, I did a 22 min recording today at CRF 19 and when rendered it topped out at 943mb. I reset it to 18 and will make another much shorter file tomorrow and see if I can make out any visual improvements.

 

[C-Dude]

Profiles is your encoding settings scenes is your scenes. If you want to backup both of them then both folders if you only care about saving one just save one.

I use a CRF of around 16, however even up to 20 the quality is still really good.

 

[Ghidrah]

I recorded at CRF 20, edited with the (free vers. of Lightworks which only allows 720p) and U'L'd a file to YouTube (HL2 chapter 4) Its almost entirely moving over waterways, it was super blurry especially the water. The OBS recording was fine and the rendering although less crisp was also fine but the U/L was on the verge of appalling I'm going to try an abbreviated vers on the chapter at CRF17 and U/L it to see if there is a change in the quality.

So far, pretty much all of the U/L'd land based chapters are acceptable at CRF 20 albeit not as sharp as the OBS recording or the lightworks rendering. Any suggestions or am I stuck with the current results until I can find a different/better/free/not free editor?

 

[C-Dude]

What is U/L?

I don't know much about lightworks but probably you won't be able to get much better without a different editor. I don't know what the settings are like there but you may be able to change them to get it to look better.

As of other editors you can read about some free ones here: https://obsproject.com/forum/resources/post-production-tools-you-can-use.234/

And if you want a paid one I would recommend Vegas or Premiere, however they are both expensive. Movie Studio Platinum is almost identical to vegas with just a few less features. But it costs a lot less.

 

[Ghidrah]

Sorry, this is what happens when one assumes, Up Load.
If there're settings that go beyond adding/deleting tracks and command line items I don't know where they are or how to get to them. As for rendering, there're 3 options (720p Youtube) (frame rate) and (1080 vimeo), whatever that is. I clicked on it once and it told me I didn't have permission without an account.

I'll look at the editor options you've suggested, I figure I should learn whether or not I have the basics down and can produce something on free software rather than spend money and give it up in a month or 2.

Thanks C-Dude

 

[C-Dude]

Youtube compresses videos a lot, your videos probably look fine (or just as good as everyone elses)

This is pretty much how it is for a video producer. Each the video is encoded a lot of quality is lost (or at least a fair amount)

For most people, their video is encoded these 3 times.

1. When you record (unless you record lossless your video will look worse then when you played the game)
2. When you render/export from your editor
3. When you upload to youtube

Some people that have a slow internet or want to save videos to their hard drive without taking up a ton of space also use a program handbrake to encode the video again and compress the video to be very small without losing a lot of quality.

If you still think your video look worse than everyone else's after being uploaded send me a link to one and I'll tell you.