How to troubleshoot your dropped frames mid stream
4For my longer video with more specific solutions to these dropped frame issues, see here -
Dropped frames are something that affects all streamers at one point or another. This video walks you through some basic troubleshooting steps using OBS to diagnose what KIND of dropped frame you're dealing with then provides you a couple quick things you can try to solve that problem fast. This won't solve every problem, but it may get you going in a pinch during a stream.
Here's the basic outline of the steps -
1 - Use the Stats Panel of OBS to identify what kind of frame issue you're having
1a - Rendering lag implies your GPU is running out of resources
1b - Encoding lag implies your encoding settings are asking for too much resources based on the rest of your system usage
1c - Dropped frames (network) implies your frames are failing to reach your streaming service
2 - Based on what kind of frame issue you're experiencing, try some basic solutions to get going
2a - Reduce GPU load by stopping OBS preview or implementing a frame cap on your game (via in game menu, Nvidia/AMD menu, or vsync)
2b - Reduce encode settings to reduce system load (framerate, resolution, or quality preset) or reduce overall system load in appropriate type (CPU or GPU)
2c - Try switching ingest server for your streaming service or disconnect/reconnect the stream. Otherwise, you'll likely need to work on your network.
00:00 Introduction
00:48 Getting the Stats Panel in OBS
01:30 Reading the Stats Panel
02:50 How to tell you're dropping frames
04:05 What to do with Rendering Lag
07:12 What to do with Encoding Lag
09:30 What to do with Network Dropped Frames
11:57 Summary and Conclusion
--- Credits ---
Animated backgrounds, stinger, and logo by Freya (https://twitter.com/FreyaAmari)
BRB screen made with background by Steam user MajorGeek76
Stream ending screen made with background by Steam user visualdon
Model made by me