Dropping Frames

Stream is dropping frames, why? #

Dropped frames are often the root cause of many live stream playback issues. In this guide we’ll go through some of the common causes of dropped frames.

How to tell if you’re experiencing dropped frames #

There are several ways to diagnose if your stream is potentially dropping frames.

1. Seeing it stutter on the live stream.
2. Is in Remote Filming on the bottom bar, you should see fps there (frames per second). Anything less than your shooting base rate means it is dropping frames
3. Go to the top menu and View > Stats. A pop up window will appear, from here you will Dropped Frames (Network) this means your internet connection is slow or having issues with latency
4. Go to the top menu and View > Stats. A pop up window will appear, from here you will Frames missed due to render / encoding lag this means your hardware is struggling

How to resolve if it is due to the Network #

1. Reduce the resolution of your streams
   In general, the higher the stream resolution, the higher the CPU usage. Reducing the resolution to a smaller size may help reduce frame drops.
2. Reduce the bitrate of your streams. If your upload bandwidth isn’t sufficiently matched to your bitrate, then you may experience stuttering. This occurs because Remote Filming can’t maintain the specified bitrate, and will constantly be changing the bitrate. You want to find a bitrate that you can stream consistently, as any spikes in bitrate will likely cause stuttering.
3. If live streaming over WiFi try using an ethernet cable. Live streaming over WiFi can be incredibly unreliable as the signal strength can change constantly during the stream. Try broadcasting a live stream whilst using an ethernet cable connected directly to the modem. If this stops the frame drops, then you likely have WiFi issues.
4. Using an ethernet cable will ensure a much more stable internet connection.
5. If WiFi is the only option, then it’s recommended to find a WiFi channel that is the least congested, using an app like ‘WiFi Analyzer’ available on Android. Additionally make sure your WiFi channel is not set to ‘Auto’.
6. Move as close to the router as possible

How to resolve if it is due to the Hardware #

1. Set the capture card to a lower resolution to 1280 x 720
2. Go to Preferences > Video set Base Canvas to 1280 x 720
3. Go to Preferences > Video set Output Scaled to 1280 x 720
4. Go to Preferences > Video set Downscale filter to Bilinear