The Cause of Dropped Frames When Streaming
Dropped frames when streaming is often caused by a performance issue with your Internet connection, device, or camera. A dropped frame happens when a stream can’t output video quickly enough to deliver the target frame rate for your stream. It’s often 30 frames per second (FPS), though some video game streams target 60 FPS instead.
How to Fix Dropped Frames When Streaming
These steps will help you fix dropped frames when streaming. We arranged the steps to help you find the root cause of the problem, so be sure to follow them in order.
What Are Dropped Frames?
All video is essentially a series of still frames played in a sequence to create motion. In general, live streaming requires a minimum upload speed of 5 megabits per second (Mbps) for video at 1080p resolution. 10 Mbps or higher is preferable. You can improve your Internet speed by upgrading your service. You may need to troubleshoot your Internet connection if your Internet speed is lower than what your Internet service plan provides (and what you are paying for). It will eliminate Wi-Fi problems as a potential trouble spot. If problems persist, it’s a good indication the issue is caused by your device or streaming software and not your Internet connection. Unfortunately, not all devices have an Ethernet port. You may need to buy a dongle that converts a USB port to Ethernet. Also, close or pause antivirus software. Antivirus software may use the system resources necessary for a smooth live stream. The software you use for streaming will offer options for the stream. These include resolution and frame rate. Try reducing the resolution to 720p and the frame rate to 30 FPS. Some advanced software (like OBS or XSplit) will also have a bitrate setting. Our guide to choosing the best Twitch bitrate will teach you how to configure this setting. A video encoder is a method of compressing video data to reduce bandwidth and performance overhead. Basic live streaming software will default to a standard encoding format such as h.264, but some can use alternative encoding methods to improve performance. Examples include Nvidia’s NVEC and Intel’s Quick Sync. Open the webcam in software that does not live stream, such as the Camera app on Windows, Android, or iOS. The camera may need to be replaced if you see dropped frames in these apps. Aside from Internet bandwidth, live streaming is most demanding on a device’s CPU. A CPU with a higher clock speed or more cores may fix your problems. A dropped frame refers to a failure to display one or more frames. It creates a noticeable stutter, as you will continue to see an earlier frame until the next frame is received.
How Do I Stop My Stream From Lagging?
Dropped frames and lag are technically not the same issues, though the root cause is often the same. A dropped frame is caused by missing frames in the video stream, while lag is a gap between input and response. A live stream that is dropping frames will skip or stutter. A live stream that is lagging may appear smooth, but those viewing the stream see it on a significant delay. dropping frames at a higher rate than that, then it will likely affect your view count.
