Anyone know why this is happening?
There is a FAQ at this site, on this subject (link in my .sig)
Basic answer- you have more outbound (upload) traffic than your network can handle. That upload rate limit (from the ISP) can vary over time (more often with coax based networks here in North America vs other more point-to-point topologies. Oh, and even a bigger issue with cellular ISP networks). And then there is far more common - other LAN traffic of yours (incl TCP reply packets) ... folks forget about data sync tools, etc that can all consume upload bandwidth.
So if Dynamic Bitrate solves your connection issues now, great!
- just realize it may not STAY working (reasons explained below)
Mentioned on other similar threads, but for reference for those who search and read only recent threads
- Dynamic bitrate is a work-around, typically, for PC or network issues on your end (occasionally with ISP, but far less common that within your own home network). And when Dynamic Bitrate works, it is nice. But.. it is a band-aid when sending streaming video, using CBR (Constant Bitrate), and then having to adjust bitrate due to issues (most likley) on your end. And that Band-aid may not be sufficient at some point, depending on the actual root cause of bandwidth contention (ie... even with Dynamci Bitrate turned on, you may still end up with problems... you've been warned)
- Running SpeedTest provide optimistic, best-case scenario results. When livestreaming, it is the
lowest common denominator results that dictate available upload limits (presuming NO other traffic on ISP link at all... which is almost never the case). Hence the common suggestion to take something like Ookla's Speedtest, and limiting your streaming to something like 80% of the test results (assuming no other major uploaders on LAN). If you are on a known congested coax, DSL, cellular or similar ISP connection, you may have to back even further (how far? sorry... it depends... using 50% (or??) of that upload limit may be all that your particular connection can reliably support)
Using OBS Studio's Dynamic bitrate in some case can enable a higher average bitrate more often if the traffic congestion is limited and brief
It is a huge mistake to think that if OBS Studio is the only foreground app running on your PC, that all PC (much less LAN) traffic is only due to that app. Doing real-time hardware resource monitoring including Network I/O on your computer is an easy starting point. BUT, what is more important is monitoring your WAN/ISP connection (typically at router/firewall/modem... but depends on your specific setup and not all consumer networking gear all that helpful/capable).
