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Record and Stream with OBS

Storyboard

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Overview

Course Title:

Record and Stream in OBS

Learning objective:

- Download OBS

  • Elements of the OBS Dashboard
  • Adding Sources
  • Optimizing Audio and Video Settings
  • Check settings for recording and streaming

Description Text

OBS is a fantastic free tool to record custom video content or launch livestreams to your audience. The technology seems intimidating, but learning the basics can give someone a diverse range of options to meet a wide variety of needs.

This course will teach those basics and is aimed at helping prospective Instructional Designers or Live-treamers get started using OBS to create their own video assets and/or launch their first livestream.

Units

Introduction

Adding Scources

Recording Settings

Stream Settings

Client:

Instructional Designer:

Erik Eastland

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Units

Nr

Name

Content

1

Introduction

What is OBS?

Download OBS

Scenes and Sources

2

Adding Sources

Live Video Capture

Upload Images, Gifs, Audio Tracks and/or Videos

Add Text

Add Websites, Programs, and/or Screen Capture

Live Audio Capture and Mixing

3

Recording Settings

Video and Recording Path Settings

Test your Recording

4

Stream Settings

Account Link

Resolution, Frames per Second, and Bitrate

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Style Guide

Logo

N/A

Cover Photo

TBD

Custom colours

Accent: 68bd44

Fonts

Heading: Raleway

Body: Roboto

Additional Notes

Free Navigation

Everything on or open

Templates

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1: Introduction

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Lesson

What is OBS?

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Heading: What is OBS?

Paragraph: OBS stands for Open Broadcaster Software, and its a free software that allows the end-user to locally record or stream content from their computer to various live-streaming platforms such as Twitch, Youtube, and Facebook.

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What is OBS?

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Heading: Why OBS?

Paragraph: While other tools, such as screen recording or embedded "go live" functions on social media platforms are convenient options for immediate recording or streaming, OBS gives the user a variety of customization options. Users can....

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What is OBS?

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  • Customize their content by adding elements such as images, videos, and text.
  • Capture multiple live audio and visual sources simultaneously.
  • Switch between various pre-made set-ups with a single click.
  • It's FREE and consistently updated.

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What is OBS?

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In this course you will learn how to customize your own set-up and be ready to click that Start Recording or Start Streaming button!

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Download OBS

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Process

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Step 1

Heading: Go to Link

Body: Go to https://obsproject.com/download

Step 2

Heading: Download the Installer

Body: Click the icon for your Operating System and click "Download Installer“

Media: Screenshot of OBS Download page

Step 3

Heading: Complete Installation and Launch!

Body: Follow your computer's process for downloading and installing OBS. When it is completed, launch the application!

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Scenes and sources

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Heading: Scenes

Body: Scenes are various audio and visual set-ups you want the audience to see and hear. You can switch between scenes while recording or streaming, but the overall streaming and recording quality ill not change

Scenes can be duplicated to easily make multiple of the same scene with only slight differences

Only one scene is required, but some creators require multiple scenes for quick transitions. For example, a Video Game Streamer on Twitch might have a "Starting Soon" scene, a "Be Right Back" scene, a "Main" scene with their video game and webcam, a "Webcam" scene with mainly just their webcam, and a "Thanks for Watching" scene

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Scenes and sources

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Heading: Sources

Body: Sources are the the actual audio and visual elements that make up a scene. A scene typically contains multiple sources, but only one source is required. See the graphic below for a list of types of sources and their purpose.

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Scenes and sources

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Resize to 25%

Types of Sources graphic

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Scenes and sources

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Heading: General Layout

Body: Click the ?s to learn about parts and features of the overlay

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Scenes and sources

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Bullets are ?s

Image is a ‘Thumbs up’ png

Image: Screenshot of OBS window with an image source visible

? (Next to Scenes List):

Heading: Scene List

Body: This is the list of scenes you have made. Click the + to add a new scene and - to delete a scene. Right-click a scene to access more options

? (Next to Sources List):

Heading: Sources List

Body: The list of all the sources in the selected scene. 

Click the + to add a new source and - to delete a source. Right-click a source to access more options, including changing the source's properties

Click the eye by each source to hide and/or deactivate the source. Click the lock to keep the source from being moved or resized.

Media: Screenshot of the eye and lock icons

? (Next to Audio Mixer):

Heading: Audio Mixer

Body: You can adjust the volume and settings for the audio sources. Deskop Audio and Mic/Aux are present by default. They are automatically set to your default speaker and microphone settings for your computer/laptop

? (Next to the image on the Scene):

Heading: Source Layout

Body: Click and drag a source to move it around a scene. Click and drag one of the red boxes to resize the source.

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Scenes and sources

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Scene: Screen capture of desktop with OBS Window open. OBS has multiple activated sources and prepared scenes.

In the main view of OBS Studio there are various points of interest. The main elements to learn first are scenes and sources. Scenes are collections of audio and visual assets in a specific layout. The main window of OBS shows the current scene. You can switch between various scenes on the fly by clicking on it in the scenes list.” *switch to another scene* “A corporate presentation might have a scene prepared that represents a powerpoint slide, or a twitch streamer might have a Starting Soon scene, a Be Right Back scene, a Main scene with their video game and webcam, a Webcam scene with mainly just their webcam, and a Thanks for Watching scene” 

�“A sources are the actual audio and visual elements that make up a scene. A scene typically contains a variety of sources, but technically only 1 is required. There are a wide variety of scene types to add to your scene, so I will briefly run through the common types. *Open the ‘add source’ menu*. Audio Input capture adds a microphone or other external audio source. Your computer’s default microphone is added automatically. Audio Output capture adds local audio sources like an audio file or other programs with sound. Like the audio input, your computer’s default speaker audio is added by default. Browser adds a specific website or external widget. Display capture add your entire computer display to your scene. Game Capture add a game feed to your scene. Image adds a static image or gif. Media source adds an mp3 or mp4 file to your scene. Text adds custom text, Video Capture Device adds any live video source such as a webcam or video console capture card. Finally window capture adds any of your computer’s open windows”

�“As you might imagine, you can use the plus and minus to add or remove any scene or source respectively, and you can right-click any scene or source to access any other option such as duplicate, and properties. For sources specifically, you can reorder the sources to layer one on top of the other, click the eye to hide or reveal a source, or click the lock to retain the size and location of the source. There are other important aspects of the main screen to know. You can click and drag sources around your scene and resize sources by clicking and dragging the squares on the border as long as the source isn't locked. Last, there is the Audio Mixer. Each of your audio sources are represented. Slide the blue bar to adjust the volume level with lower levels being more negative. Click the speaker to mute an audio source, and click the gear to access the settings.”

�“The next sections will go into more detail about adding different types of sources” 

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2: Adding Sources

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Lesson

Live Video Capture

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Hide Summary

Introduction: Do you need a Live Video Source?

Body: If you want to include a Webcam or a external live video source (e.g. video game feed from a capture card), then yes you should add a "Video Capture Device"

Follow the steps to add and configure your source

Step 1: Add and Name your Source

Body: After you click the + below the Sources List and choose Video Capture Device, choose a name for your new source. When you are ready, press 'Ok’

Media: Screen shot of source list and adding name of source windows

Step 2: Edit Source Settings

Body: Choose the correct source form the 'Device' dropdown. You will see a preview of your source at the top

In most cases the default settings will work. If there are issues, it is best to consult a guide for your specific device

If you want to change the settings later, right-click the source and select "Properties"

Media: Screenshot of Video Capture Properties

Step 3: Check and Adjust Audio

Body: Adding a Video Capture device might also add an audio source to the Audio Mixer. Click the speaker icon to mute the source or drag the blue bar to adjust the volume.

Skip to the Audio Mixer module to learn about advanced settings

Step 4: Apply Filters (optional)

Body: Right-click your source and click 'Filters' to access the filters for that source

Filters allow you to alter how a source looks or behaves on a scene. There are a lot of options, but there are two main filters to consider.

1. Video Delay (Async): This will delay your video my a select amount of milliseconds. This is primarily used to solve audio sync issues by delaying the video to match the audio. Click the + under Audio/Video filters to access

2. Crop/Pad: This will crop the source by a select number of pixels on any side of your source. Use a negative value to add blank space to any side of your source. Click the + under Effect filters to access

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Live Video Capture

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Scene: Screen capture of desktop with OBS Window open. OBS scene is blank

“One of the most important sources to add to your scene is Live Video. If you want to include a webcam, or a live feed from a video game console or a video camera, then you are in the right place. Start by selecting Video Capture Device and select create new. Name your source an appropriate name; I will add my own source named webcam. *Create source named ‘webcam’*

“The dropdown at the top will allow you to choose your device. If it is working, you will see the preview at the top. Default settings should be sufficient, but if there are any issues, consult your device’s guide. Click ok when done. You can change these settings later by right clicking your source then selecting properties or selecting the source and clicking the properties button.”

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Upload Images, Gifs, Audio Tracks, and/or Videos

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Hide Summary

Introduction: Identify your Assets

Body (bullets): If your asset is an image (.img, .png, or .gif) choose "Image Source"

If your asset is an audio or video file (.mp3 or mp4) choose "Media Source"

Be sure to you know the location/folder of your asset(s).

Step 1: Add and Name your Source

Body: After you click the + below the Sources List and choose the type of source you want, choose a name for your new source. When you are ready, press 'Ok’

Media: Screen shot of source list and adding name of source windows

Step 2: Upload your Asset

Body: Click the "Browse" button and select your asset in your computer's files

If you want to change the settings later, right-click the source and select "Properties"

Media: Screenshot of image source properties

Step 3: Edit Source Settings (Media Sources)

Body: Choose whether you want your media to loop and the state of the media when it ends (either freeze or go blank)

If you want to change the settings later, right-click the source and select "Properties“

Media: Screenshot of Media Source Properties

Step 4: Apply Filters (optional)

Body: Right-click your source and click 'Filters' to access the filters for that source

Filters allow you to alter how a source looks or behaves on a scene. There are a lot of options, but there are two main filters to consider.

1. Video Delay (Async): This will delay your video by a select amount of milliseconds. This is primarily used to solve audio sync issues by delaying the video to match the audio. Click the + under Audio/Video filters to access

2. Crop/Pad: This will crop the source by a select number of pixels on any side of your source. Use a negative value to add blank space to any side of your source. Click the + under Effect filters to access

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Upload Images, Gifs, Audio Tracks, and/or Videos

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Scene: Screen capture of desktop with OBS Window open. OBS only has a webcam source

“Images, gifs, audio, and video files are a great way to add creative layouts and personality to your scene. To add an image or gif you want to choose image from the source menu and for audio or video files, you want to choose media source. Afterward, choose create new and name your asset. I will start by adding a thumbs up png *Create source named thumbs up*. From the settings menu, click browse to open your computer’s files and select the file you want. If it works, you should see a preview of your image in the window. Click ok to add the image to the scene. You can move or resize the image or gif directly on the scene.”

*Add an audio/video file*

“Audio and Video follows a similar process, but you can also choose to have the media loop, to start from the beginning when you reveal that file, or choose the end state of the video. Click ok when you are done”

For both types of sources, you can change these settings later by right clicking your source then selecting properties or selecting the source and clicking the properties button.”

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Add Text

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Hide Intro and Summary

Step 1: Select and Name your Source

Body: After you click the + below the Sources List and choose "Text", choose a name for your new source. When you are ready, press 'Ok’

Media: Screen shot of source list and adding name of source windows

Step 2: Provide your Text

Body: Type your text in the box provided or check the "Read from File" box and upload a text file.

Step 3: Edit your Text

Body: You can alter the following properties of your Text

  • Font
  • Size
  • Color
  • Opacity
  • Outline
  • Alignment

The chosen properties apply to the entire text. If you want text with different properties, you need to make a separate text source.

Note: It is best to make the size of your text large (>50 pt), then resize it on your scene

If you want to change the settings later, right-click the source and select "Properties“

Media: Screenshot of Text Properties window

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Add Text

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Scene: Screen capture of desktop with OBS Window open. OBS only has a webcam source

“Adding text is a great way to convey information directly on your scene, and the options are very diverse. Click add source and choose text. Click create new and give your text an appropriate name. I will create a test text. *Create text named test*. From the settings, you can add your own text by typing in the box or you can add a text file from your computer by clicking browse. *type thank you for watching in the text box*. You can use the options below to alter the font, size, color, opacity, outline, and alignment of your text. Unfortunately all of the text in a single source has to be the same format. If you want different formats, you need to make another text source” *change some of each setting*. Click ok when you are finished. You can resize or move your text directly on the scene. You can change the format settings later by right clicking your source then selecting properties or selecting the source and clicking the properties button.”

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Add Websites, Programs and/or Screen Capture

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Hide Summary

Introduction: Identify what you Need

Body:

  • If you want to share a specific website -> Choose Browser
  • If you want to share an open program window-> Choose Window Capture
  • If you want to share your entire screen -> Choose Display Capture
  • If you want to share a full-screen game -> Choose Game Capture

Step 1: Add and Name your Source

Body: After you click the + below the Sources List and choose the type of source you want, choose a name for your new source. When you are ready, press 'Ok’

Media: Screen shot of source list and adding name of source windows

Step 2: Edit Source Settings (Browser)

Body:Enter the desired website in the URL field and adjust the dimensions to your your liking

Checking "Control Audio with OBS" adds the Website audio to your Audio Mixer

If you want to change the settings later, right-click the source and select "Properties“

Media: Screenshot of Browser Source Properties

Step 3: Edit Source Settings (Window, Game, and Display Capture)

Body: Choose the correct Window or Display from the dropdown. For a Game Capture, you can select "Capture Specific Window" and choose the desired program if the capture isn't automatic

Windows cannot be minimized in order to be added to your scene

If you want to change the settings later, right-click the source and select "Properties“

Media: Combined screenshots of the Window, Game, and Display Capture Properties

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Add Websites, Programs and/or Screen Capture

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Hide Summary

Step 4: Apply Filters (optional)

Body: Right-click your source and click 'Filters' to access the filters for that source

Filters allow you to alter how a source looks or behaves on a scene. There are a lot of options, but there are two main filters to consider.

1. Video Delay (Async): This will delay your video by a select amount of milliseconds. This is primarily used to solve audio sync issues by delaying the video to match the audio. Click the + under Audio/Video filters to access

2. Crop/Pad: This will crop the source by a select number of pixels on any side of your source. Use a negative value to add blank space to any side of your source. Click the + under Effect filters to access

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Add Websites, Programs and/or Screen Capture

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Scene: Screen capture of desktop with OBS Window open. OBS only has a webcam source

“You can add specific programs or pieces of your display to your scene using Browser, Window, DIsplay, or Game capture. Browser focuses on specific websites, Window targets open windows on your computer, Display captures you entire display, and Game captures a specific full-screen game. Lets start with Browser. Like the other sources, click on create new and name the source. I’ll name this one youtube. In the URL box, put in the website’s url. You can add the websites audio to your audio mixer by checking the control audio with OBS box” *Add youtube source and put youtube.com in the url*

“Window, Display, and Game Capture all have similar processes. Select the one you want and press create new and add the appropriate name. I’ll choose window and name my window ‘test’. *Add window source named test*. From the dropdown, choose the window, display, or game you want to capture. In the case of a game capture, you can have OBS capture any fullscreen application, or choose the game you want it to detect. An important note for window capture is that a window cannot be minimized in order to be captured.”

For all types of sources, you can change these settings later by right clicking your source then selecting properties or selecting the source and clicking the properties button.”

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Live Audio Capture and Mixing

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Heading: Audio Input vs Audio Output

Body: An Audio Input is an audio source that is outside of your computer. The most common example is a microphone.

An Audio Output is the audio that your computer or a computer program is producing. Examples could be audio from a Youtube video or audio from an mp3 file

OBS will automatically have your computer's default Audio Input and Output in the Audio Mixer. For most users, these sources will be sufficient

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Live Audio Capture and Mixing

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Heading: Adding Audio Sources (Optional)

Body: If you want to add another audio source, click the + button below the sources list and choose either Audio Input Capture or Audio Output Capture, depending on whether your audio is coming from outside or inside your computer.

Give your source an appropriate name and choose the correct source from the Device drop-down menu

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Live Audio Capture and Mixing

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Heading: Audio Mixer

Body: Click on the ?s to learn about the elements of the Audio Mixer

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Live Audio Capture and Mixing

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All dots are ?s

Media: Screenshot of the Audio Mixer on the Dashboard

Dot by “Desktop Audio”: Name of the Source

Dot in the middle of green audio bar: Live Audio Level

Body: Make the main audio source for your recording/stream significantly larger than any background audio

No audio source should peak higher than the yellow section

Dot by 0.0db: Decibel Adjustment

Body: Gives the numerical value for any static adjustment to the volume level. The maximum value is 0.0.

Dot by grey rectangle: Volume Slider

Body: Drag the Grey Box to adjust the volume of the audio source. A value for the volume adjustment will be shown by the top-right number. The default is maximum volume (0.0 dB).

Dot by Speaker Icon: Mute Button

Body: Pressing this Speaker Icon mutes the source

Dot by Gear Icon: Audio Settings

Body: Clicking this gear opens a menu for the audio settings. The main options you will use are "Properties" and "Advanced Audio Settings"

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Live Audio Capture and Mixing

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Heading: Advanced Audio Properties

Body: Clicking the gear and choosing "Advanced Audio Properties" will bring up the following menu. These settings likely will not need to be changed, but they are crucial to solving some possible audio issues. Click on the ?s to learn about the various options

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Live Audio Capture and Mixing

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All dots ate ?s

Media: Screenshot of Audio Advanced Properties window

Dot by Volume %: Volume Level

Body: You can adjust the volume level of the source here. The maximum value is 0.0

Dot by Sync Offset: Sync Offset

Body: You can delay an audio source by a select number of milliseconds if your video and audio are de-synced

Dot by Audio Monitoring: Audio Monitoring

Body: You can set up audio monitoring for any audio source. Audio Monitoring will allow you to hear the output to the audience. Most of the time an audio monitor is redundant or not necessary

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Live Audio Capture and Mixing

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Scene: Screen capture of desktop with OBS Window open. OBS only has a webcam source

“Audio is a key component to any stream or recording and much of the time it is more important than video. An audio input is any external audio recording device, such as a microphone. An audio output is any program or application that is producing audio. OBS will automatically add you computers default audio input and output, which is usually enough for most users. You can add another audio source by clicking the plus and choosing either output or input. Click create new and give it an appropriate name. I will add a second microphone input. *create another audio input source* All audio inputs and outputs will be in your audio mixer. Desktop audio and mic/aux are your computer’s default output and input respectively. Slide the blue bar to adjust the volume level with lower levels being more negative. Click the speaker to mute an audio source, and click the gear to access the settings. Lets dive into those settings now.” 

“In the advanced settings, you can adjust the volume and mute the source, but you can also delay the audio using the sync offset. Use this if a video’s audio is running ahead of the corresponding picture. Last, audio monitoring allows you to hear what the audience is hearing for that source. Often a monitor is redundant. With sources and sudio checked out, its time to finalize the last couple of settings!”

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3: Recording Settings

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Video and Recording Path Settings

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Image on left

Media: Screenshot of the 6 options in the bottom left of the OBS dashboard.

Text: To change your recording quality, choose "Settings in the list of option on the bottom right, then choose "Output"

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Video and Recording Path Settings

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Heading: Video Quality

Body:

In the Recording box, you can use the "Recording Quality" dropdown to choose some Qualitative options.

 

  • High Quality - the lowest quality option
  • Indistinguishable Quality - equivalent to "Very High Quality"
  • Lossless Quality - equivalent to "Extremely High Quality"

If you want more control over the resolution and frame-rate of your recording choose the "Same as Stream" option and read the Streaming section of this course

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Video and Recording Path Settings

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Heading: Recording Path

Body:

The Recording Path setting is the location of your file when you are done recording. Choose a location by pressing the "Browse" button and selecting your preferred location from the menu

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Video and Recording Path Settings

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Image: Screenshot of OBS Settings with Output selected

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Video and Recording Path Settings

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Scene: Screen capture of desktop with OBS Window open. OBS only has a webcam source

“Before you click record, you need to check some last settings. Click settings in the bottom right and choose output in the menu on the left.  Under recording quality, you can choose some qualitative options for quick settings. If you want more control over the quality, choose same as stream. I describe stream settings in the Resolution, FPS, Bitrate lesson. Last, you need to choose a destination for your recording. Click browse and choose a folder that you want your file to end up. Be sure to press ok and you are ready to test your recording!

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Lesson

Test your Recording

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Image on left

Media: Screenshot of the 6 options in the bottom left of the OBS dashboard.

Body:

You are ready to test your Recording! Press the "Start Recording" Button to begin the recording. Press the button again to end your recording. Your file will be located the the location specified by the "Recording Path setting

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Test your Recording

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Heading: Recording Test Checklist

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Test your Recording

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Body

  • Check the Audio levels. Is one audio source too loud or too quiet? If so, Adjust the volumes in the Audio Mixer by dragging the blue bar

  • Check for Audio sync. Make sure your audio syncs well with your video. If there are sync issues, you can delay the audio through the Audio Mixer Advanced Settings, or delay the Video using a Video Delay Filter

  • Make sure all Scenes and Sources Work. Test out all scenes and Sources, especially if you are are switching between multiple scenes for your recording and/or turning sources on/off

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Test your Recording

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Heading: And You're Done!

Body: You are ready to record your own video content!

If you are interested, check out the Next Section to learn about Live Stream settings

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4: Stream Settings

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Lesson

Account Link

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Image on the left

Media: Screenshot of the 6 options in the bottom left of the OBS dashboard.

Body: Choose "Settings" then click "Stream"

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Account Link

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Heading: Linking your Streaming account

Body: Choose your streaming platform from the dropdown menu.

For Twitch and Restream.io, you can connect your account by entering your username and password after clicking "Connect Account", but for everything else, you need to enter your Stream Key

A Stream Key is a automatically generated password that confirms your identity as the streaming account owner and allows the Streaming Platform to trust your OBS stream. 

Pressing the "Get Stream Key" button will re-direct you to the location of your stream key on the selected platform

Press "Ok" when finished

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Lesson

Account Link

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Scene: Screen capture of desktop with OBS Window open. OBS only has a webcam source

“In order to stream, you need a platform to stream to, such as twitch, youtube, facebook, etc. To link your preferred account, click the settings in the bottom left and choose stream from the menu on the left. The dropdown menu has all of the compatible streaming platforms. For restream and twitch you can enter your username and password to connect your account. For everything else, you need your stream key. A stream key is a auto-generated password that confirms your identity as the the streaming account owner. The key is important not to share with anyone. You can look up online where to find the stream key on your preferred platform, or you can press get stream key to allow OBS to redirect you to the page that has your stream key on that platform. When you are finished, don’t forget to press ok.”

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Lesson

Resolution, Frames per Second, and Bitrate

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12.1

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paragraph

NOTES

CONTENT

Body: Before going live, you need to optimize your Resolution, Frames per Second (FPS), and Bitrate

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Resolution, Frames per Second, and Bitrate

BLOCK ID

12.2

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Bulleted List

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CONTENT

  • Resolution: The quality of the picture. Low resolution makes your picture blocky or pixilated. High Resolution makes the image crisp and contain more detail. High Definition resolution is anything greater than 1280x720. Common resolutions are 1280x720 or 1920x1080

  • Frames Per Second (FPS): The smoothness of your video. Anything lower than 30 fps will look choppy. Common values are 30 or 60 fps

  • Bitrate: The speed of information your computer will be uploading to the internet for your stream. The higher quality the stream, the faster the bitrate. Your bitrate will be limited by your internet's Upload Speed

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Lesson

Resolution, Frames per Second, and Bitrate

BLOCK ID

12.3

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Image and Text

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CONTENT

Media: Screenshot of the 6 options in the bottom left of the OBS dashboard.

Body: To change your video settings, First go to "Settings", then press "Video"

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Resolution, Frames per Second, and Bitrate

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12.4

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Image and Text

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CONTENT

Media: Screenshot of OBS Settings menu with Video selected

Body: Do not change the Base Resolution!

Change the Output Resolution to either 1280x720 or 1920x1080 depending on your preference

Change the FPS value to 30 or 60 depending on your Preference

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Resolution, Frames per Second, and Bitrate

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12.5

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Heading

NOTES

CONTENT

Heading: Finding your ideal Bitrate

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Resolution, Frames per Second, and Bitrate

BLOCK ID

12.6

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Numbered List

NOTES

CONTENT

“Speed Test” links to www.speedtest.net

  • Find your Upload Speed: Run a speed test to determine your internet's Upload Speed. Make sure you are not using your internet for activities such as streaming video, downloading, or uploading while you perform the test.

  • Translate your upload speed to bitrate by multiplying your number by 1000. A value of 3 megabits per second (mbps) translates to 3000 kilobits per second (kbps). This value is your maximum bitrate

  • Use the chart below to determine your bitrate range based on your Resolution and FPS

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Resolution, Frames per Second, and Bitrate

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12.7

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Image Centered

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CONTENT

Media: Bitrate Chart Graphic

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Resolution, Frames per Second, and Bitrate

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12.8

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Heading

NOTES

CONTENT

Heading: Set your Bitrate

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Lesson

Resolution, Frames per Second, and Bitrate

BLOCK ID

12.9

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Image & Text

NOTES

CONTENT

Image on the left

Media: Screenshot of OBS Settings with Output selected

Text: Go to the "Output" tab in Settings and change your Bitrate to a value within the range for your Resolution and FPS, and lower than your maximum bitrate.

Select "Ok" when finished

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Lesson

Resolution, Frames per Second, and Bitrate

BLOCK ID

12.10

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Heading

NOTES

CONTENT

Heading: You're Ready to Go!

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Resolution, Frames per Second, and Bitrate

BLOCK ID

12.11

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Image & Text

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CONTENT

Media: Screenshot of the 6 options in the bottom left of the OBS dashboard.

Text: Select the "Start Streaming" Button and have fun!

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Lesson

Resolution, Frames per Second, and Bitrate

BLOCK ID

12.12

BLOCK TYPE

Video

NOTES

CONTENT

Scene: Screen capture of desktop with OBS Window open. OBS has multiple activated sources. Various assets minimized in the Taskbar

�“It looks like you are ready to start streaming! Before you press that Start Streaming button, we need to optimize 3 different settings, your resolution, your Frames per second, or FPS, and your bitrate.”

�“Resolution is the clarity of your picture. Anything picture with a height of more than 720 pixels, or 720p is considered High Definition, or HD. Typically videos and streams run in either 720p or 1080p. This photo here *open photo of 720p vs 1080p* shows 1080p on the left and 720 p on the right. The difference is slight, but you might be able to see that the right part of the image is a little less clear than the left.”

�“Frames per second, or FPS, is the smoothness of your video. Think of a time you were watching a video or on a video call and the picture looked more like a slide show than a video. That slideshow effect is due to a very low Frames per Second. An FPS of 30 is typically the minimum for a smooth video, meaning that the picture updates 30 times every second. For videos involving fast-paced action, like sports or videogames, bumping up the fps to 60 is common. *Show fps comparison gif* Here's an example of the difference between 15, 30, and 60 fps. The 15 fps video is hard to follow with the more jagged movements and the 60 fps video pleasantly smooth animations. The 30fps is a decent middle ground between the two.”

�“To change these settings, you can click on the settings button in the bottom right corner and choose video on the sidebar. Then use the dropdowns to identify your preferred resolution or fps. There are a lot of options to choose from, but I would stick to the ones I mentioned earlier. For this example, I will choose 720p and 60 fps. Make sure to press ok when you are done”

�“Keep in mind, that higher resolution and framerate means larger video files if you are recording and will necesitate faster upload speeds. Speaking of upload speeds, lets talk about bitrate. The Bitrate is a measurement of upload speed. You need to tell OBS how much data you want to output depending on your video settings and your internet’s upload speed.”

�“To find your maximum bitrate, you need to perform a speed test to and find your upload speed. There are a lot of speed test options, including one embedded into Google if you search speed test *Search speedtest on window capture*. I like going to Speedtest.net, but for the sake of not putting my IP address on camera, I am going to stick with the Browser test. Before running your test, try to pause any downloads, or uploads, or streaming that is using your internet in order to get the most accurate reading. Press run speedtest when ready. *run speedtest*”

�“It will test your download speed first, then your upload speed. My upload speed is 18 megabytes per second. To translate that into bitrate, I multiply that value by 1000., so my maximum bitrate is 18,000 kilobytes per second. With that maximum in mind, I can look at this chart *open bit rate chart* to determine which settings I can use. Since my maximum bitrate is 18,000 kbps, I can choose any of these, but if my maximum bitrate was 5000 kbps, I can only choose these three options. It looks like my 720p and 60 fps is an option, so I’ll go with 4,000 kbps as my bitrate”

�“To change the bitrate, we can go back into settings and choose Output from the sidebar. We can choose our bitrate from the dropdown. Press Ok when you are done.”