The Common Causes for OBS Dropped Frames
Dropped frames in OBS are frames the software gives up on sending because the video cannot get out fast enough, and viewers see them as stutter. Settings and an underpowered computer explain some cases, but most of the time the upload cannot carry the bitrate – the amount of data per second your stream needs.
Speedify is an app that runs a stream across Wi-Fi, 4G/5G cellular data, wired Ethernet, Starlink and other internet connections at the same time, so a slump on one line is absorbed by the rest. Here you get the real causes, the settings worth checking, and how running Speedify keeps OBS from dropping frames.
- OBS Studio configuration issues
- PC or Mac not meeting the minimum or recommended hardware requirements
- Internet connection issues
Live streamers who use Open Broadcaster Software or OBS most often see the dropping frames while streaming symptom. And they wonder how many dropped frames are acceptable.
This article explains what are the most frequent OBS live streaming issues, where they originate from and how to fix them. Read below for more details.
Why Does OBS Dropped Frames Occur when Streaming
Dropping frames is the most popular issue with OBS live streaming. Seeing a lot of dropped frames is not good, as they are often the root cause of many live stream playback issues. Prevent your viewers to get frustrated that they get the buffering wheel or they get disconnected, understand why this happens.
As OBS themselves mention, “dropping frames” means that your connection to the server isn’t stable, or you can’t keep up with your set streaming bitrate. Because of this, it forces the program to drop / skip some video frames in order to compensate. If you drop too many frames, it may disconnect you from the streaming server.
Before you investigate on that, make sure you meet the minimum hardware requirements for live streaming via OBS. And that the platform ingest servers to which you’re streaming (Twitch, Mixer, YouTube, Facebook Live, etc.) are up and running with no limitations or glitches.
Important Things to Check for a Dropped Frame Free OBS Stream
Now that we’ve determined that your Internet connection causes OBS live streaming issues, below are five steps you can take to fix this in a matter of minutes.
Before you try anything:
- Make sure you live stream over a wired Ethernet connection–wireless networks like Wi-Fi and cellular data are mostly unstable.
- Test your Internet speed. If it’s not looking good (not even close to what you’re paying for), then contact your ISP. This will take a while…
So–5 things to do to fix your OBS live dropped frames problem:
- Try using another ingest server for live streaming. Even if you chose the closest server to you, this doesn’t mean that you also have the best connection to it.
Still nothing? See below. - Try lowering the live streaming bitrate. You should see a lower number for the dropped frames. Zero would be perfect.
- Try using another streaming platform temporarily. Twitch may have a hard day sometimes. Go to Mixer / YouTube and see how streaming on those works.
- Check your router, firewall and potential software conflicts. Restarting the modem / router is always a good thing. Having the latest firmware installed is a plus.
Firewall and security software may also interfere with open ports and communication permissions. Just make sure OBS is cleared for permissions with these. - If everything else fails… or if you don’t want to waste time going through the checklist above, just use Speedify. Speedify is a fast bonding VPN that allows you to combine multiple Internet connections at once on your computer. It’s optimized for live streaming, so you get the best Internet connection regardless of the conditions.
Use Speedify and Forget About Dropped Frames in OBS
When using Speedify, you can be sure that it’s not your Internet connection that’s causing the OBS live streaming problems. You can configure Speedify to use all your connections together as secondary connections (for speed boosts, failovers) or just as backup connections. If you’re on metered connections (like your cell phone), you can even set caps on the data to be used, so you don’t go over your plan.
Speedify intelligently manages your connections to give you the best Internet connections for live streaming and more. Fast, stable and secure–that’s what it’s all about. No more OBS live streaming problems!
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