Is your stream buffering?

Our video system has stabilized (finally) and we are making great progress on squashing various issues related to it. But there’s something else that needs to be addressed: your encoder settings. A lot of our broadcasters have gotten comfortable with encoder settings that work with the Flash player, but unfortunately those same encoder settings don’t always work correctly with our new HTML5 video player. As a result you will see a lot of buffering and choppiness. So what can you do? We’ve updated our recommended encoder settings.

Here are some suggested settings to try if your stream is buffering for you and your viewers:

  • 640×360
  • 600 CBR
  • 900 Buffer Size
  • 30fps
  • Keyframe 1
  • Profile: Main

If you still get buffering with the above settings, change your Keyframe to Auto (Keyframe 0 in OBS Studio, Default in XSplit)

If you want to try and push the limits of your internet and computer & your viewers internet and computer, then give these a try (not recommended if you have buffering issues):

  • 852×480
  • 800 CBR
  • 1300 Buffer Size
  • 30fps
  • Keyframe 2
  • Profile: Main

Against our better judgement, because some of you like to crank things up to 10 thinking it should work no matter what, here are the 720p settings. Do not use these settings if you’re having problems with your stream:

  • 1280×720
  • 2500 CBR
  • 3300 Buffer Size
  • 30fps
  • Keyframe 3
  • Profile: Main

A critical part of streaming is selecting the ingest server that is physically closest to you. You cannot select just any server and expect to stream without issue. For example, if you’re in Boston then obviously the New York ingest server would be your best choice. Or if you’re in California then Denver ingest server would be your best choice, and so on.

Selecting the wrong ingest server can cause buffering issues even with the lowest encoder settings. We cannot stress enough how important it is to use the correct ingest server when broadcasting. You can find the list of available video ingest servers under Settings -> Channel on our website: https://vaughnlive.tv/settings/channel

If you need further help, please visit Tech Corner

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