Looking to boost your Twitch stream? Let me know what you need—tips, strategies, or setup advice.
Looking to boost your Twitch stream? Let me know what you need—tips, strategies, or setup advice.
So I've been wanting to start streaming for a while now, and I would like to stream Minecraft. However whenever I try to stream it, no matter what the stream starts to become pixelated when there is motion in the game. My download speed is 30 My upload speed is 5 (really it is 2 because Rogers lies) My PC is good enough to stream and I know my network should be okay... I can't figure out why this happens, no one will want to watch a stream that becomes pixelated when I move.
I use these x264 parameters for livestreaming. Your software should let you adjust settings in the options menu. OBS supports this too. Bitrate: 3500Kbps, audio: 192Kbps using libfaac (more efficient than MP3). Resolution: 1280x720 at 60FPS. Ref: 3 Subme: 7 bframes: 16, b-adapt: 2. If you have more than four physical cores, use hex values or let the system choose. For motion estimation, set the range to 16 and default deblock settings work. These settings will produce sharp video for fast games; consult the x264 docs to fine-tune for slower games. Keep bitrate above 23kbps.
It could relate to the bitrate you're employing. A low bitrate may affect your audio quality. Which streaming service are you using? Open Broadcaster software works well with its automatic GPU-accelerated H264 encoding, and a bitrate around 3500kbps (roughly 500kb/s) is suggested for 1080p at 30FPS. If your upload speed is 2mbps, divide by 8 to convert to bytes—this gives you about 250kb/s. With a recommended 300kb/s for 720p, this might be the problem.
I employ OBS and am considering a 480p resolution at 60 frames per second.
Going at 60fps only matters if you're playing extremely high FPS games. It improves smoothness for the viewer. With this resolution, keep the bitrate under 2000 kbps. Many people use over 3000 kbps for 720p video. For professional streamers, it's fine because their audience can adjust the resolution and quality. But for regular users, it might be too much for their connection. My best setting is around 2200 kbps for 720p. Beyond that, the extra benefits are minimal in terms of quality.
Maintain 30 FPS and 720p resolution. With 2000kbps you’ll achieve solid image quality even during movement—use x264, QuickSync, and Nvidia NVENC work best for smooth streaming. At 2500kbps you’re optimal if your connection supports it. Based on typical Netflix speeds, 2000–2500kbps is usually sufficient; higher speeds won’t help if viewers can’t connect. For audio, AAC at 128kbps suffices, but lower to 96kbps if bandwidth is limited. Image quality also depends on your CPU; games with fast camera movement benefit from 30fps or higher bitrate and x264 presets for smooth playback. Advanced settings like veryfast in x264 and CFR enabled can help reach 60fps, but 30fps remains the most reliable choice.