The Advanced Guide to Streaming TF2

Want to stream Team Fortress 2?
Want to make your TF2 stream look as good as possible?
Check out this guide to pick up some tips on polishing your stream and making it look the best that it can be.

This guide was written for for TeamFortress.TV, the premier website for Competitive TF2

Purpose of this Guide

This guide is designed to improve the quality of your TF2 stream. Many streamers do not know how to adequately modify their settings in order to have a pleasurable viewing experience, and this guide will help you with tips that you can use to polish your stream and make it look truly fantastic.

This guide was written on behalf of http://teamfortress.tv/ and the competitive 6v6 TF2 community. http://teamfortress.tv/ is dedicated to bringing you quality streams and content from the best players, shoutcasters, and entertainers in TF2. To find out more, please check out the website and forums as well as our professionally shoutcasted matches at http://twitch.tv/teamfortresstv. If you would like to get your stream listed on the website, you can find instructions at the bottom of the guide.

About the Author

I am MR SLIN, a Competitive Team Fortress 2 Player and Shoutcaster. I have been playing and streaming the game for some time now, and I want to help grow the scene and introduce more players to competitive 6v6 TF2. I stream at a 1280x720 resolution at 60 FPS, and you can check out my stream if you want to see some examples[www.twitch.tv]. A quick shoutout to TwitchTV John who has had a tremendous impact on my Twitch.TV streaming career and has really helped me to optimize my stream.

I have had a lot of fun experiences streaming TF2, and I want to enable you to do the same so that you can grow your own channel and get involved with our community. Please enjoy the guide!

Prerequisite Knowledge

This guide is for advanced streamers and is not a basic "how to set up your TF2 stream" guide.

The guide assumes that you:

• Have already set up an account on Twitch.TV, Own3d.TV, or other streaming website.
  
• Have already set up your streaming software which may include XSplit, Open Broadcaster Software, FFSplit, etc.
  
• Have a stable internet connection. A fluctuating connection is not good for streaming.
  
• Have already experimented with trying to stream TF2 on your own.

I will not give you exact numbers to use in your own stream. Each stream and each setup is unique in many ways. Rather, I will give you general numbers to aim for when polishing your stream.

A few tips before we begin:

• Learn through trial and error. Tweak a setting, and if it looks good, keep it. If it looks bad, change it back to what you had before or try something else. This means that you will need to watch your own VODs to check for quality, or have a friend watch your stream to give you feedback.
  
  
• DO NOT DROP FRAMES. Any piece of streaming software has a display that monitors how many frames you have dropped. Dropped frames results in stream lag, likely due to a lack of upload bandwidth. Do not drop frames. EVER. If you're dropping frames at any point, go back and tweak your settings.
  
  
• Use a test account. If you already have an established channel with viewers, I suggest that you create a new streaming account and use that to test your new settings. This way your viewers are always ensured a quality viewing experience, and you can test your stream with privacy.

Helpful links:

Complete XSplit Streaming Walkthrough for Twitch.TV:
http://support.twitch.tv/discussion/2807/longtldr-complete-xsplit-streaming-walkthrough-screen-regiongamesourcedxtory

Test Your Internet Connection:
http://www.speedtest.net
http://www.speakeasy.net

The Difference Between FPS Games and Other Titles/Genres

The first thing that you need to know when it comes to streaming an FPS title is that it is typically much more resource-intensive than other video game titles and genres. While some games are playable on a lower quality, FPS games need to be played and streamed with the highest FPS possible to allow you to make more accurate shots and also produce a smooth picture for the audience.

It is important for you to maintain high FPS for not only your personal gameplay but for your stream as well. If streaming causes your game to lag, that's a problem. If your game plays perfectly, but your stream lags or does not look smooth, that's a problem. As a competitive player, you want to make sure that your game performance stays high whether you are staring at a wall or spinning and twitching rapidly. As a streamer, you want to stream at the highest FPS possible to produce the best possible viewing experience.

In other words, 30 FPS streams won't cut it. Most viewers agree that they would rather see a lower-resolution stream that is smooth than a higher-resolution stream that is at 30 FPS. As a reference, you can stream at other values including 45 FPS, 52 FPS, and 60 FPS.

Fun fact: Nobody has been able to achieve a 1080p 60FPS TF2 stream that is of acceptable quality. A 1080p 60FPS stream is achievable in a game such as Starcraft 2, but not in TF2. The answer as to why this is will reveal itself as we continue through the guide.

I always encourage people to try to push a high FPS, but to be fair and show the other side of the argument, I'll give you some input from John, who handles Strategic Partnerships at Twitch.TV:

(Directed at myself): "For casting, 720p at 60FPS is great because you want to push the maximum possible quality for a high production stream. But for a private one-man stream, it's completely useless to push 60FPS. 60 is not ideal because you are taking a performance hit. If you have a 2 PC setup, 60 is fine. For a single PC setup, no PC is capable of pushing 60 without taking a significant performance hit. 60 FPS looks no different than 45 FPS in a flash player. You just want it to, so you think it does. There's no point in trying to push more FPS if you drop below 100 FPS when you stream. It's TF2. Streaming at 60 FPS makes you play worse, which I didn't realize was possible because you are already so bad.

For everyone else: if you can stream a higher FPS, you should do it. But you should never debate not streaming just because you can't push more than 25-30 FPS on your stream. "

So there you have it. Both sides to the argument. Do what's best for you. For me, when I do casting and camerawork for TFTV, I am not actually playing, and I don't mind taking the performance hit. For everyday use and playing, consider the consequences of taking that performance hit, and modify your setup accordingly.

TL;DR You want to get the highest frames per second as you can when streaming a first-person shooter game. MR SLIN's advice is to sacrifice resolution for frames per second. TwitchTV John's advice is to get high frames, yes, but don't push more than 45 FPS as it is unnecessary for personal use. That being said, if you only have enough bandwidth for 30 FPS, go with it.

Settings - Video and Audio Encoding

--Assuming you have a stable connection--
(i.e. you don't live with people who bittorrent at random times while you are trying to stream)

Video Settings

Optimal Settings:

• Quality: 10
  
• Max Bitrate: Between 3000 and 4000 kb/s
  
• Buffer Size: 0.75X, 1X, or 2X your max bitrate setting.
  (i.e. Setting max bitrate to 3000 means a buffer size of either 2250, 3000, or 6000)

Quality:
You should try to have your quality balance setting to "10". This allows you to have the clearest picture possible. If you cannot achieve a 10 quality, feel free to lower it but try to keep it above 5.

Here's how quality setting works: When encoding a video stream you can generally apply different rate control schemes. XSplit, OBS, and other streaming software often use a quality based rate control wherein a particular quality of the encoded video is targeted, while still observing an upper bitrate constraint (the vbv-maxrate). In complex scenes (frames) more bits are used to ensure a consistent visual quality and in less complex scenes less bits a used. The x264 encoder tries to interpret the importance of changes in frame and optimize visual quality depending on the settings (the CRF , aka Quality setting). The base line FPS for quality is 25 frames per second. The x264 will scale its quality based on the frame rate of the video, so a particular quality setting will give lower quality per frame for 60 FPS stream when compared to a 25 FPS. The reasoning here is simple – namely that a single frame at 25 FPS is more important than a single frame at 60 FPS when the overall target is to retain the same visual quality for both the 25 and the 60 FPS stream.


Max Bitrate:
If possible, you should set your maximum bitrate to a number between 3000 and 4000 kb/s. This number should not exceed 90% of your maximum upload speed to allow for fluctuations, etc.
The reason that you cannot exceed 4000 kb/s is because you need to take into account the average download rate for your viewers. For example, you may have an upload speed of 50Mbps. However, if you set your upload to 20Mbps (20,000 kb/s) you'll run into two problems:

1) Twitch.TV will not be happy with you transferring such large amounts of data.
2) The majority of your viewers likely do not have a download speed of 20Mbps. If you're uploading 3000 kb/s, you're forcing them to download 3000 kb/s. If they don't have that kind of bandwidth, their stream playback will stutter, lag, and be very unpleasant. This means that you need to set your max bitrate to something reasonable so that people can actually watch you play. Most viewers cannot watch a 4000 kb/s stream.


Buffer Size:
Through my research I have determined that there are three commonly used buffer settings: 0.75 X max bitrate, 1 X max bitrate, or 2 X max bitrate. You don't need to know why this is the case, just accept this as fact. I suggest that you record your stream 3 times with different buffers each time and see which one looks the best.


Audio Settings

Optimal Settings:

• Codec: AAC
  
• Bitrate: Between 92,000 and 192,000
  
• Format: 44.1khz stereo

This should be fairly self explanatory. AAC is a higher quality codec than MP3. While 192000 bitrate audio is great, it's not necessary unless you are an audiophile. If you're short on bandwidth and need to skimp on anything, do it on your audio, but do not go below 92000.

Helpful links:

• https://www.xsplit.com/blog.php?post_id=305

Settings - Ingestion Servers and Transcodes

Choosing the Best Option

Choose the best ingestion server. Use this link below for help:
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/viewmessage.php?topic_id=326034


How Twitch.TV Transcodes Work

Current information as of January 18, 2013
Twitch.TV Transcodes are the "Quality Switchers" that you will see on some streams. They allow you to change the quality of your stream player which is perfect for viewers who do not have large amounts of bandwidth available to watch streams. Keep in mind that watching streams requires a fairly high download speed because it is being displayed in real-time. Unlike a YouTube video, the viewer cannot pause and wait for the stream to buffer. Ingestion servers allow the streamer to stream at a high quality while still giving options for viewers to lower the quality.

Transcodes are currently only offered to Twitch.TV Partners as they are very expensive to maintain (imagine showing the same stream multiple times over). If you see a channel without the quality switching option, you know that they are not a Twitch.TV Partner. Even if you are a partner, you may receive less transcodes depending on how much traffic is being directed to your channel. Popular channels will receive the maximum number of transcodes (240p, 360p, 480p, 720p, and 1080p options), while smaller channels may only be offered one or two. You cannot get transcodes with a quality higher than what you're currently streaming at (if you stream at 720p, you will never see a 1080p option).

Here's another interesting fact. Only the highest quality transcode will play at the increased FPS, while the other transcodes will play at 30FPS. For example, if my stream runs 720p at 60FPS, only my 720p option will be in 60FPS. My 480p, 360p, and 240p options will only be at 30FPS. This is yet another reason why 1080p at 60FPS is not feasible. A very, very tiny percentage of the population will be able to watch that 1080p stream, while the rest of the viewers watch a 30FPS stream.

If you are not a Twitch.TV Partner, you're in a tough spot. Should you offer extremely high quality that most viewers cannot watch? Or should you intentionally lower your quality to cater to the majority? Regardless of your decision, keep these things in mind:

• Twitch.TV has steep requirements for partnership, which you can view here: http://www.twitch.tv/partner/signup. If you are just starting to stream, you won't get access for some time. Twitch occasionally allows exceptions, so apply if you feel that you have good reason to do so.
  
• If you have increased FPS settings, this requires more bandwidth to upload AND download (remember, the viewer has to download it on the other end). A stream running 720p at 60FPS requires more resources than a 1080p at 30FPS, so keep this in mind when you're adjusting your quality settings.

Settings - Advanced Settings

If you're using Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), here's something that you may want to use.

It's called a send buffer. It shouldn't matter to you what it does. Just know that you can try using one and messing with it to see if you can get a better quality picture. Try streaming with the lowest value, try streaming with the highest value, or try using something in between. Whatever works. Just closely watch the bottom of your OBS to see if you are dropping frames. If you are, this could help. Or hurt. I honestly have no idea.

Getting Listed on TeamFortress.TV

At TeamFortress.TV we feature hundreds of high-quality, competitive TF2 streams. Whether you play Standard 6v6, 9v9 Highlander, Jump Maps, Surf Maps, or Basketball, we encourage you to get listed on our website. It's free marketing for your stream, and it ensures that people who care about TF2 will know that you exist.

You will be featured in two places:

• On every single page of http://www.teamfortress.tv via the sidebar
  
• On our Twitch.TV team [www.twitch.tv] which puts a fancy link next to your name that looks like this: http://puu.sh/1PkIj

There are very few requirements to get listed:

• Be a member of the competitive Team Fortress 2 community.
  
• Stream mostly Team Fortress 2 content.

To submit your request, visit this link:
http://teamfortress.tv/forum/thread/1769-request-guidelines-and-format

Thanks for reading the guide!

Contact the Author & Comp Specs

Contact the author:

• via Twitch.TV Private Message to misterslin[www.twitch.tv]
  
• via Twitter @MR_SLIN
  
• via YouTube Private Message to misterslin
  
• via Twitch.TV chat at http://www.twitch.tv/misterslin (for live chat with me)
  
• via IRC in channel #tftv on Gamesurge (for live chat with me)

Please do not add the author on Steam, as his friends list is full.



Internet:
ISP: Time Warner Cable
Download Speed: 30Mbps
Upload Speed: 5Mbps

Computer Specs:
OS: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit
CPU: Intel i7 3770S Ivy Bridge @ 3.1 GHz
GPU: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580
RAM: 8 GB DDR3-1600 RAM

Other Peripherals:
Headphones: Sennheiser IE 80
Microphone: Blue Snowball
Mouse: Zowie AM
Mousepad: Steelseries QcK (Black)
Keyboard: Leopold "Otaku" Tenkeyless with Cherry MX Brown Switches

Other Stream Modifications

A list of optional stream modifications that you can make.
Check back frequently for updates.

Unlocking Hidden Bandwidth with TCP Relay[natf2.com]

How to Overlay Your Chat on Screen Using XSplit[bwana.tv]

Music Now Playing Direct from Spotify in XSplit[www.xsplit.com]

TwitchAmp Chat Bot (Displays Now Playing in Chat)[www.teamliquid.net]

Royalty Free Music:

• http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?genre=Electronica
  
• http://www.jamendo.com/en

[NoobD]

✩spookful✩ : That feature is game specific. e.g PUBG supports streamer mode...but TF2 does not.

[Vee]

yo i got a question how do you turn streamer mode on? the mode were when you kill someone its just the kill icon no names come up

[Oliver]

i got in i5, is that a problem?

[Jeddunk]

Can I recommend http://speedof.me/ as an alt to speedtest. Works via html5 and does give more accurate results.

[Big wheat]

slinFace/ Thanks

[slide]

tl:dr

;)

[i will literally piss on you]

This link is broken: http://support.twitch.tv/discussion/2807/longtldr-complete-xsplit-streaming-walkthrough-screen-regiongamesourcedxtory

As somebody who came here looking for a beginner's guide, it would be awesome to have a working link to something like that.

[Keelojee]

why would uoi bother to put all tags on your video it bothers the heck out of people

[Pee dad]

yolo. swag. 420.

[cibo]

Great guide +rep