Open the counter that names your problem
Before you touch a setting, open the Stats dock. In OBS, click Docks, then Stats. (View, then Stats opens the same numbers in a separate window.) Among its figures are three frame counters, and each one blames a different part of your setup.
| The line in Stats | What ran out | Go to |
|---|---|---|
| Dropped Frames (Network) | The connection between you and the server | Steps 1 to 5 below |
| Skipped frames due to encoding lag | The encoder, the part that squeezes your picture down to send it | The small laptop list |
| Frames missed due to rendering lag | The graphics chip, which draws your scene | The busy scene list |
Network fixes do little for the other two counters. Lowering your bitrate (how much data you send each second) helps a network drop and does little for a struggling graphics chip.
Run a test with nobody watching
Do a first run on a quiet weekday, at the same place and on the same network you'll use for the real thing. Then repeat it at the same time of week as your real broadcast, with the usual people and devices on the line.
- Connect OBS to your channel and open your real scene, with the real camera.
- Click Reset in the Stats dock, then Start Streaming.
- Leave it for ten minutes, switching scenes as you would on the day.
- Write down each counter, and whether it climbed steadily, jumped once or stayed still.
OBS's help pages give no safe percentage. Our rule of thumb: ten minutes is a starting point, not a guarantee; a short burst at the start is worth noting, and a number that keeps climbing is the one to fix. OBS warns that if you drop too many frames, the server may disconnect you.
You don't need a paid plan to start. The Free plan on our live video page is there for testing your encoder and player, and it takes up to 10 viewers at a time. The 5 Mbps, 1080p ingest is listed for Pro and Platinum, so ask us what a Free channel takes before you test at those settings.
Fix network drops, one step at a time
OBS says it's extremely unlikely to be the cause here: the trouble lies between your computer and the server. Work down this list, repeating the test after each step so you know what helped.
- Plug in a network cable. OBS recommends a wired connection, because Wi-Fi can be unstable for streaming.
- Quiet the network. Pause cloud backups, photo syncing and big downloads on anything sharing the line.
- Lower your video bitrate. Go to Settings, then Output, and use the table below.
- Switch off what sits in the way. Turn off any VPN, check for network "booster" apps that came with the laptop, and pause your security software briefly to test, as OBS suggests. If that stops the drops, add an exception for OBS. Either way, turn the protection back on.
- Restart your modem and router. If drops still come back on a cable, try the OBS settings further down, then phone your internet provider with your test notes.
OBS suggests starting at 75% of your upload speed. Our OBS guide is stricter: upload at least twice what you send. We'd use the stricter one on a shared church or club line, because you don't control who else is on it.
| Upload speed you measured | Video bitrate to try | Picture |
|---|---|---|
| Under 5 Mbps | Half your upload, or less | 720p at 30 fps |
| 5 Mbps | 2,500 kbps | 720p at 30 fps |
| 7 Mbps | 3,500 kbps | 720p or 1080p at 30 fps |
| 9 Mbps or more | 4,500 kbps | 1080p at 30 fps |
We worked out those bitrates ourselves from the twice-your-bitrate rule, and the picture sizes are our pick, so let your test have the last word. On an upload under 5 Mbps you'll be below the 2,500 kbps bottom of our guide's range, so expect a softer picture. Stay at 4,500 kbps or below, the top of the range in our guide, which leaves room for sound under the 5 Mbps limit on Pro and Platinum.
Work out why good internet still drops frames
A fast plan doesn't guarantee a clean stream, for three plain reasons.
- You're reading the wrong number. Plans are sold on download speed. Streaming uses upload, which is often far lower.
- A speed test is short, and a stream isn't. Your stream has to hold its speed for the whole service, and a dip on Wi-Fi can drop frames.
- The test goes somewhere else. It normally picks a server near you. Your stream goes to your channel's server, and OBS points out that congestion along that route is outside your control.
Channels run in New York or Bucharest, on availability. If you broadcast from nearer one of them, ask us about that location when you set up.
Try the OBS network settings last
Under Settings, Advanced, Network, check that Bind to IP says Default. On Windows, OBS says some users find Enable network optimizations and Enable TCP pacing help. OBS's own tooltip warns that TCP pacing can increase the risk of dropped frames on an unstable connection, so tick network optimizations first (TCP pacing stays greyed out until you do), retest, then try TCP pacing, and untick it if things get worse.
The box labelled Dynamically change bitrate to manage congestion (Beta) lowers your bitrate when the line can't keep up, so the picture goes soft, not jumpy. OBS is clear it doesn't solve the cause. Keep it as a safety net for a venue you can't fix.
Lighten the load on a small laptop
If the encoding line climbs, the computer can't keep up, and your internet isn't the cause of that number. Change these in order, testing each time. The steps come from OBS and our guide; the order is ours, picked for a camera on a person at a lectern.
- Drop to 720p. In Settings, then Video, set Output (Scaled) Resolution to 1280x720. Leave the Base (Canvas) Resolution alone: OBS doesn't generally recommend changing it.
- Check the frame rate. Above 30 fps? Set 30, or 25 if your camera uses that.
- Try the hardware encoder. In Settings, then Output, pick a hardware H.264 encoder in place of x264, if it lists one. Our guide specifies H.264, so skip any HEVC or AV1 choices.
- Close everything else. Browser tabs, video calls and sync apps all compete for the same machine.
Simplify a busy scene
When the rendering line climbs, the graphics chip can't finish a frame in time. Start with whatever you added last.
- On Windows, reopen OBS with Run as administrator. OBS says this alone often solves it.
- Close anything you opened yourself that uses the graphics chip heavily. Task Manager or Activity Monitor shows you.
- Remove sources you aren't using: OBS notes that most use resources even when they aren't visible.
- Switch off filters one at a time. If the number stops climbing, leave that filter out.
- Still climbing? Drop to 720p and 30 fps, as in the laptop list: OBS says both ease the load.
Check it from the viewer's seat
A clean Stats dock only covers the sending side.
- Check that the square at the bottom of OBS stays green. Yellow or red means your upload can't keep up.
- On your channel's Overview page, compare the bitrate coming in with what you set.
- Switch a phone to mobile data and watch your player for a minute or two. Running 10 to 20 seconds behind real time is normal.
- If viewers buffer while OBS looks clean, lower your bitrate a little and check your keyframe interval (how often a full picture is sent) is 2 seconds.
Stuck with a number you can't explain? Open a ticket with your test notes and the OBS log. Once it holds steady on your channel, put the player on your website and tell people when you'll be on.