OBS (Open Broadcaster Software) is a small, simple program designed specifically for broadcasts. Using this utility, you can display your screen on your computer and the events that occur on it to a wide audience. These broadcasts are called streams. OBS gained wide distribution and popularity in the gaming industry. Gameplay broadcasts attract a large audience, especially when it comes to eSports disciplines such as Dota 2, LoL, CS GO and others.
Thanks to OBS and several other similar programs, absolutely anyone can become a streamer. Some become professionals in their field, or stream for pleasure. If you want to try your hand and win an audience, this article will help to prepare the software for the stream.
First step
First you need to install OBS. The program is freely available on the Internet. Absolutely everyone can download and use it. The next step after installation is to configure OBS.
Before setting up the program, you need to decide on the platform on which the broadcasts will be conducted. At the moment, the choice of special sites is quite wide, both foreign and Russian. The largest platform is Twitch.tv. From Russian - GoodGame, CyberGame.
registration
Creating a channel on one of the services comes down to the usual registration on the site. Then you can become a streamer. An example would be setting up a program for the Twitch.tv platform.
Second step
After opening the program, you should immediately go to the "Settings" section. This is where the stream setup begins. OBS is a fairly understandable and friendly utility, therefore, even novice users should not have problems with it.
All the main parameters for the stream are in the "Coding" section. Image quality will depend on these settings. The "Twitch" platform requires a constant bitrate, so you need to put a daw in front of CBR. The higher the maximum bit rate, the better the picture quality will be produced by OBS. The setting for Dota 2 implies a rather high bitrate, since the game is dynamic, and with low quality the image will “fall apart” into squares.
Third step
The next tab is Broadcast. This item is also important. It prescribes data for communication with the Twitch.tv channel, which was registered a little earlier. In the column "Stream Key" you need to copy the key, which is located in the personal account of "Twitch". In the line “Broadcasting service” Twitch.tv should be selected. Configuring OBS for a stream from Russia or the CIS countries implies the choice of any European server (with the EU prefix) in order to avoid lags and low connection speed.
The next two tabs are Video and Audio. In "Video" you can choose the resolution in which the game will be broadcast, and the video card that will be responsible for the broadcast (relevant for those who have multiple video cards installed on the same computer). It is better to make finer settings after trial broadcasts, when the problem areas of the computer and the specifics of the game become clear.
For a weak computer
In the "Advanced" section, the OBS configuration is completed. For a weak computer, in the “CPU Preset” item, select the appropriate value. Ultrafast is suitable for very weak PCs. Fast and beyond - for modern and top-end configurations. Honestly, for a stream in normal quality with a high bitrate and resolution, you will need at least a computer with a good processor. The whole burden of responsibility for processing the image lies precisely with him, and already secondarily - on the video card and RAM.
Somehow, bitrate reduction and low graphics settings in Dota itself can help in this situation. Thanks to this, you can reduce the load on the processor. But, since DOta 2 is a dynamic game with a bunch of events per minute and effects, streams from weak computers do not look very attractive. The picture is blurry, there are constant friezes and frame loss.
But, in any case, you can squeeze the maximum performance and image quality on the stream using test broadcasts and long digging in the OBS settings.
Fourth step
Configuring OBS is complete - it's time to start learning the tools to display the game on the screen and start the broadcast itself. The OBS main screen contains the following elements: preview window , Scenes, Sources and stream control buttons. Before you start, you need to start Dota 2 and minimize it. Now you need to figure out what functions the Scenes perform and which Sources perform. The scene is a collection of sources. Sources may include games, webcams, a chat window, etc. All these elements are added to one scene and when selected appear on the screen at the same time. Thus, you can create many different scenes for different games or situations, for example, to pause on a stream, select a beautiful screen saver and turn it on with one click in the "OBS".
Having decided on the scenes, you can start the broadcast by clicking on the button of the same name in the stream control panel. Above the controls are the microphone volume and game scales, which can be adjusted independently of each other.
After starting the broadcast in the preview window, you can observe from the side how the stream looks. At the bottom of the program window is information on connection quality and frame loss. A good internet and proper setup will help to achieve a stable lossless connection. OBS for convenience, you can display on a second monitor (if available), so as not to minimize the "DotA" and not interrupt the gameplay. It is unlikely that viewers will like the constant pauses in the broadcast and the abstractness of the streamer itself.
Internet requirements
For streaming, you need not only a powerful PC, but also a fast Internet connection. It should be noted that the download speed for translation is not at all important. The most important thing is the high speed of return. For stable streaming, without lags and frame loss, a return speed of at least 10 Mb / s is recommended.
Streaming OBS Dota 2 is a straightforward process. Anyone can try their hand at broadcasting on any of the platforms. The main thing to remember is that having technical support is only half the battle. The second half is the ability to play Dota and be a good leader.