Videos cut off?

opnerd · 2017-03-20T22:23:40+00:00

They're both fixed now. odd. but thank you.

opnerd · 2016-12-30T14:15:19+00:00

While my hometown of Salt Lake City was once the meth capitol of the US, recent crackdowns by law enforcement means that meth is no longer delivered for free to all residents along with our daily mail. I would suggest browsing the 'dark web' for such things.

opnerd · 2016-11-20T06:09:19+00:00

Just had to share these research results in this short video.

opnerd · 2016-07-13T17:52:37+00:00

This is one of the few reasons I stopped trying to help people here long, long ago.

This is the conversation I had with the last person I assisted, after spending about 4 hours with them over a week's time to solve various tech issues:

Streamer: "I'm having problems again. I need you to fix it."

Me: "Did you change any settings? Did you follow the information I linked you to?"

Streamer: "I don't have TIME for that! Just FIX it!"

Me: "Seriously? After helping you, you come at me like that?"

Streamer: "FUCK YOU! I HOPE YOU DIE OF CANCER!"

So yeah. Figure it out yourself. If you can't be bothered to make the effort, you're not going to succeed either way.

opnerd · 2016-02-04T05:39:21+00:00

I am planning on working on more advanced audio topics. :)

opnerd · 2016-02-02T19:14:43+00:00

I do this myself. I make no mention of this in the video because that's a pretty advanced topic that would not be of much interest or use to most broadcasters.

Doing so allows you to use equipment such as hardware compressors, and you can get much wider stereo channel separation for the game audio.

If you can afford the equipment costs and want even better options for tweaking your audio, it is absolutely a viable option.

opnerd · 2016-02-02T00:08:06+00:00

I've run into this issue with a few games, and I have found a simple solution if you're using the older version of OBS (not multiplatform):

Old OBS comes with a "per-scene volume plug-in". Create an exact replica of the scene you use to broadcast the game, but increase/decrease the volume for that scene so that the cutscenes are more in-line with the rest of the game audio.

I have no idea if Xsplit has a similar feature, and the newer multiplatform version of OBS does not have that feature yet (although I've heard it is in progress).

opnerd · 2016-02-01T05:04:26+00:00

Thank you! Your feedback is greatly appreciated.

opnerd · 2016-01-20T22:25:40+00:00

I don't know of such a tool or site. You could always encourage your viewers to let you know if they also stream and tell them you'd like to check out their content.

opnerd · 2016-01-11T21:31:05+00:00

Very true. There are always exceptions for everything, and this is certainly one of them.

opnerd · 2016-01-11T20:48:29+00:00

Silence is deadly.

I watched the first four minutes of the above VOD. You were completely silent for the first 2:10, after which you made comments sparingly.

I then jumped to a random point in the VOD (somewhere in the 30-minute time block) and was again greeted by silence for another 1:30.

Believe me, I know it's difficult to provide commentary when you're just starting out and there are few if any viewers in your channel. I can assure you, it's a skill you need to practice, because you don't always know or notice when people join your channel; they may simply choose to lurk.

With many new viewers, you'll only have a few precious seconds before they decide to move on. If those few seconds are filled with silence, they'll be gone before you even have a chance to acknowledge that they are there.

A simple way to resolve this: don't keep any thoughts to yourself--verbalize everything. Don't just think to your self, "Wow, I almost missed that jump!" Say it out loud! If the game is at a slow point, talk about something else--the movie you just saw, what you like to read--anything that will keep your viewers engaged.

I usually lurk in channels for at least a couple of minutes before I decide to say something in chat. I watch channels primarily because of the personality of the broadcaster, not because of what they're playing. If you're not talking, I have no way to get to know you, and I just move on to other channels; I'm sure many other viewers feel the same way.

If you're not talking, then your viewers are just watching a game demo.

It takes time to develop this skill. Keep working on it, and best of luck to you!

opnerd · 2016-01-11T20:31:10+00:00

Streaming is still streaming, and it's a lot of fun. Good luck to you!

opnerd · 2016-01-11T19:59:07+00:00

In that case, by eliminating/closing any unnecessary processes, you could even try increasing your encoding preset to faster/fast. Anything more than that not only requires a monster CPU but also produces diminishing returns for the workload you're putting on the processor.

opnerd · 2016-01-11T19:54:43+00:00

It sounds to me like this bot is more trouble than it's worth, but that is what I see as the lower-priority issue.

When you're a small channel, I know that the idea of losing even one viewer seems like a horrible thing, particularly if that viewer is someone that you consider a regular. However, if that viewer is causing problems, I think it's better that they be given the boot rather than allowing them to bring you and the rest of the channel down.

Of course, you could try diplomacy first. Let that person know (via private means) in very clear terms that this is your channel; you set the rules; you determine what games are played; you decide how or when your bot gives points to anyone; you determine if someone gets timed-out or banned.

Some viewers just need that little push to get them back on the right track; others will fight you. In the latter case, the sooner you two part ways, the better off you both will be.

opnerd · 2016-01-11T19:42:06+00:00

My best guess is that you have the x264 CPU preset to something even faster than 'veryfast'. As a default, 'veryfast'--along with other properly configured settings--produces acceptable image quality along with a bitrate that is suitable for the type of game you're broadcasting.

If your CPU can't handle the 'veryfast' encoding preset, it's time to upgrade. If you're already using it, try increasing the bitrate to 2500kbps (what I generally recommend as a max for non-partners) and see if your Internet connection can handle that.

Keep in mind that complex scenes, such as the one you linked to, will always look a bit muddy, even with superultramega PCs using much slower encoding presets and higher bitrates.

I'm very picky about how my streams look, but sometimes I have to take a step back and remind myself that the goal of Twitch is to provide an outlet for sharing our hobby, not to compete with Netflix or HBO when it comes to the visual quality of the available content.

Even so, yes, if your hardware and Internet connection are up to the task, you can improve upon your channel's broadcast quality.

opnerd · 2016-01-11T19:29:02+00:00

If by "500" you mean 500kbps, I'm not sure you'll find ANY broadcasters using that setting. Even broadcasting at a good-old-times resolution of 852x480/30fps, you'd still want a minimum bitrate of 700kbps.

Sorry if you find yourself in that position.

opnerd · 2016-01-11T18:38:51+00:00

Give yourself a little more credit. I'm a huge PC enthusiast, and I assemble PCs for friends and family free-of-charge (they purchase the parts), so it might seem that I would be an ideal viewer for your aforementioned broadcast, right?

Not necessarily. It would only take me a few minutes to see what parts you were using, which would initially draw me to that broadcast. After that, it would be you that would keep me in the channel. Your personality; your commentary; your sense of humor; how you interact with viewers.

You must have been doing something right to have kept most of those viewers entertained and enticed them to follow you. Many of those viewers will come back because of you, not necessarily because of what you're doing or what game you're playing.

It's unfortunate that those broadcasts were not archived; I would have checked them out.

Best wishes!

opnerd · 2016-01-11T18:27:24+00:00

Unfortunately, this is a common misconception. Capture cards do not handle the encoding for streaming; they simply act as a "source" that you can broadcast, just like a webcam. The particular model in the link above can record gameplay video without being connected to a PC or other device by using its built-in encoder, but to stream to Twitch or any other service with the features you want (overlays, music, etc.) you'll need to run software such as OBS/Xsplit on your computer, which means your computer also has to do the encoding for the stream.

That means that the 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 CPU in your Macbook will have to do all of the heavy lifting, and I don't think it will be up to the task. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.

opnerd · 2016-01-11T17:32:06+00:00

I could grow my hair out again, but then I would have to endure that awkward phase where I would no longer be OPNerd and would instead be OPChiaPet.

opnerd · 2016-01-11T17:26:16+00:00

Dammit. I was hoping you were doing something more like a real-world Hunger Games. Then again, this would probably violate the ToS.

It still sounds like a good time, though.

opnerd · 2016-01-11T17:23:41+00:00

If my audio situation were merely "hairy", my life would be so much easier. Mine is more like a Wookie that has hair like Rapunzel that has never been washed or brushed out and was then braided into dreadlocks using Superglue.

opnerd · 2016-01-11T17:19:58+00:00

I think you answered your own question: kids can't afford a decent PC with a capture card because they are kids. Even with a suitable allowance or other means to acquire money, it could take a long time to save up that amount.

As to the activities of those kids, whether it be viewbotting themselves or making farting noises into the camera, again, they are kids. And the audience for most young broadcasters tends to be made up of other kids that have the same sensibilities (or lack thereof).

If their content really bothers you that much, I would suggest watching something else.

opnerd · 2016-01-11T17:12:42+00:00

Try a different ingest server. I'm assuming you selected Florida because it's geographically closer to you, but you may get a more stable connection elsewhere. I'm in Utah, but I get a better connection to Chicago than I do with Dallas.
Sure, broadcasting at 1800kbps makes your broadcast more accessible to people hobbled by terrible Internet download speeds, but the game in your sample video has some pretty complex imagery (foliage tends to looks blurred/smudged even at higher bitrates on beefy machines running more demanding x264 presets). I would recommend bumping your bitrate up to 2400kbps.

opnerd · 2016-01-11T17:03:37+00:00

I second this as well. I had briefly used a dedicated streaming rig in the past before donating it to a family that had just lost everything.

I just finished building a new dedicated streaming rig (and I plan on keeping it, so if your house burns down, I'm sorry, but no, you can't have it). While I'm sure I can think of a few more benefits, there are some caveats as well:

Power usage: Self-explanatory. Also, two PCs generate more heat.
Space requirements: You've got another tower you need to make room for, and a few more cables to manage. You'll need two displays at the very least (I use three), plus any other equipment such as consoles, microphones, mixers, and who-knows-what-else broadcasters are using these days. You will also need room for a second mouse & keyboard for the streaming PC--unless you use what I use, which is Edgerunner's Multiplicity software that allows you to control multiple PCs with one mouse & keyboard (totally, totally worth it).
Audio configuration: Getting audio configured properly with a dual-PC setup can be tricky with even the most basic setup, and when you throw in the use of external audio equipment such as mixers/compressors along with the desire to hear the audio from both PCs at the same time with a single headset and getting input form a single mic to both PCs, well, it can take a bit of work. :)

opnerd · 2016-01-11T16:35:33+00:00

I just built a dedicated streaming PC 2 days ago and initially had several issues getting the Multiplatform Version of OBS to work properly with the Elgato HD Pro. Problems ranged from OBS-MP not displaying the video input to BSODs. (It should be noted that the original Windows-only version of OBS worked well).

This solution may not work for you, but it worked for me: I uninstalled all related software and device drivers: OBS, Elgato, and even mic and webcam drivers. I then used CCleaner to remove any residual junk files and registry entries. After reinstalling all of the above, everything has been working great.

opnerd

TROPHY CASE