The Definitive XSplit Guide
by ApocTV and TechnicalMonkey (XSplit Community Staff)
Intro:
This guide is for setting up and tweaking XSplit. If you’re not familiar with XSplit, it’s software to live stream just about anything you want. Whether it’s your desktop, a video game, camera content, a console game via a capture card, or even a video from a file, XSplit can do it! XSplit can also make local recordings on your hard drive of the content.Get XSplit:
First off, you need to download and install XSplit from XSplit.com. This guide assumes you are an XSplit licensed user. If you are not, as you go through the guide you can adjust the settings to what you are restricted to in the free version of XSplit.
The video version of this guide:
Main XSplit Window:
Get Speedtest.net Results:
Next, go to www.speedtest.net and do 1 or 2 speedtests to locations near you, making note of your results, or even just saving the image file of your results.
Basic XSplit Setup:
In XSplit, we first need to setup the basic settings. Go to Tools -> General Settings, and go to the “General” tab. In here, we want to turn on “Disable Aero Theme”, turn off “Hide from Screen Region”, and turn off “Enable Skype interaction”. You will also see “Enable virtual camera output”. This is used if you want to use XSplit as a camera source for another piece of software. In most cases, you want this turned off. The last option is “Enable Game Source”. This is for “hooking” into games and using them as a direct feed into XSplit. If you are not familiar with GameSource, you can read more about it on XSplit.com. It also is explained a bit more in depth in the “Add Sources” section of this guide.
Still in the “General” tab of XSplit, you will see where you can set your Microphone. Select your mic in the dropdown. Below that is “My Recordings”, and this is where you specify a location where local recordings will be saved when using the “Local Recording” profile in XSplit. The “Local Recording” profile is setup like a stream channel is, but instead it records it to your computer locally instead of uploading it out. Keep in mind, you can stream out and also do a local recording at the same time. It’s a great way to save your content for making VODs later.
(It is highly recommended to use less CPU resources on your desktop while streaming. In Windows 7, you can change the theme by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting Personalization on the context menu. You can then force your PC to use either the Windows 7 Basic theme or the Windows Classic (which disables Aero). This will save on both CPU and GPU resources when it comes time to stream.)
Stream Channel Setup:
Now let’s setup your channel where you will be streaming to. We will assume you have an account with Twitch.tv or Own3d.tv and have already activated your channel by going to your streamer dashboard. If you don’t have an account, go set one up! It’s free.
To setup the channel, go to the “Channels” tab under Tools -> General Settings. Click “Add”, and then choose your stream provider, generally Twitch.tv or Own3d.tv. As far as settings go, this is where things vary from person to person. We’ll include some basic “templates” based on your CPU, but even then you will probably want to tweak the settings a bit to find the perfect settings for you. If you aren’t sure what CPU you have, google “CPU-Z” and download and run it. It will tell you all the info you need related to your CPU such as make, model, and speed.
We will list two settings for each CPU line. The first settings are the “low” settings, assuming your CPU is stock and untouched. The second settings will be marked with “(OC)” and assumes you have your CPU overclocked and are a more advanced user. Again, these settings are only a rough template, and although accurate, can still be tweaked for each individual:
TABLE #1
CPU Resolution @ FPS Preset Quality#
i7 3930k 1080p @ 30fps Fast 10
(OC) i7 3930k 1080p @ 60fps Fast 10
i7 2600k 1080p @ 30fps Veryfast 10
(OC) i7 2600k 1080p @ 30fps Veryfast 10
i7 920 720p @ 30fps Veryfast 10
(OC) i7 920 1080p @ 30fps Veryfast 10
i7 2630QM 720p @ 30fps Veryfast 10
(OC) i7 2630QM 1080p @ 30fps Veryfast 10
EDIT 2012-09-20: ZeroTalent and I (ApocTV) have a spreadsheet now with all this info and more that will be kept up-to-date @ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgrreMlF5qoRdGVXTlRmUzNlUGUxc2lvTjdTT240NWc
Anything older than these, you will have to test it out yourself. If we get input on settings from users with other CPU lines than what’s listed, we will add them into the guide. Keep in mind, this is what the CPU is capable of, not necessarily what you should stream at. More explanation later in the guide.
Now to actually setup your stream channel:
Channel
1. Username - Input your username for the stream provider in all lowercase.
2. Password - Input your password for the stream provider. Note: This is case-sensitive.
3. Stream Key - Alternative to your password. You will still see this used at sites like Twitch.tv. Note: DO NOT SHARE YOUR STREAM KEY. ANYONE CAN USE THIS TO STREAM UNWANTED CONTENT TO YOUR CHANNEL.
4. Channel - This should automatically fill itself out and will match your username.
5. Location - This is the ingestion server you will be uploading to.
To test ingestion servers, first you want to set your VBV Max Bitrate and VBV Buffer to your full upload speed. To do this, look at Item #8 and #9 in this list. Those are the fields to input your full speed to. So if your speedtest.net result was 5Mbps on the upload, put “5000” for both. Then select an ingestion server near you, and click “Test Bandwidth” button at the bottom of the channel setup window. Note the results, and then test a couple more. Whichever yields the fastest speed, use that server. If you ever get lag, you will want to test the speeds again. Remember, once you are done testing, return your Bitrate and Buffer (Items #8 and #9) to your normal stream settings.
Video Encoding
6. Preset - In almost all cases I recommend “Veryfast”. If you aren’t sure what to put here, start with that. You can also reference TABLE #1 above for what you should put.
7. Quality - This number is used to set the quality and affects the bitrate that your stream may spike up to. The max setting allowed for streams is 10. Note: this can be changed manually, and will be covered in the Advanced Guide. You can also reference TABLE #1 above for what you should put.
8. VBV Max Bitrate (kbps) - This is the bitrate of your video, and directly relates to your upload bandwidth. Remember in step 2 of the guide we had you speedtest your line at speedtest.net? Look at the results and note the upload. Remember, 1mbps = 1000kbps.
Here are some rough examples on what to put:
TABLE #2
Speedtest.net upload result What bitrate to use in XSplit
1mbps 600
1.5mbps 1100
2mbps 1500
2.5mbps 2000
3mbps 2400
4mbps 3000
EDIT 2012-09-20: ZeroTalent and I (ApocTV) have a spreadsheet now with all this info and more that will be kept up-to-date @ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgrreMlF5qoRdGVXTlRmUzNlUGUxc2lvTjdTT240NWc
Any higher, and you will want to test it out yourself to find optimal settings.
9. VBV Buffer (kbps) - This should be the same as your Max Bitrate setting (Item #8).
10. Resolution - For almost all users, you want to leave this at “Default Stage Resolution”. This is used to choose a resolution to transcode to. Note: This is generally used to have a stream or recording at a lower resolution, and may affect the picture quality of the video. Use at your own discretion. Recommended for advanced users.
Audio Encoding
11. Format - We recommend “44.100 KHz 16 bit stereo”. If you know what you’re doing, feel free to change this.
12. Codec - If you are a licensed user, you definitely want to use “AAC-LC”. This selects the audio encoding method to be used on your stream. If you are using the free version of XSplit, you will be limited to “Speex”. Sorry :(
13. Bitrate - It depends on the content of your stream and how important audio quality is to you, but in almost all cases “128000” is fine. This is 128kbps.
14. Automatically record broadcast - You never want to use this. If you want to do a local recording, use the “Local Recording” profile, not this.
15. Interleave audio and video in one RTMP channel: In most cases, you will want this turned on.
When you have everything setup, press “OK”.
Now you need to specify the resolution and FPS (frames per second) which you will stream at. From the main XSplit window, go to View -> Resolution. Make sure you reference “TABLE #1” above, where we listed CPU’s. That was what your CPU is capable of, assuming you have unlimited upload bandwidth. Though, that’s usually not the case. Now that you know the bitrate of your stream (Item #8 in the channel setup list above), you now can setup a resolution and fps to match that. Remember, your bitrate directly relates to your resolution and fps. Here are some recommended templates:
TABLE #3
Bitrate Resolution FPS
< 500 360p (640x360) 25
500-1200 480p (852x480) 30
1200-2200 720p (1280x720) 30
2200+ 1080p (1920x1080) 30
2200+ 720p (1280x720) 60
3000+ 1080p (1920x1080) 45
4000+ 1080p (1920x1080) 60
EDIT 2012-09-20: ZeroTalent and I (ApocTV) have a spreadsheet now with all this info and more that will be kept up-to-date @ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgrreMlF5qoRdGVXTlRmUzNlUGUxc2lvTjdTT240NWc
This assumes your CPU can handle the resolution and fps at each bitrate setting. Make sure to reference TABLE #1 earlier in the guide and balance it with this table. Also note, these resolutions are all 16:9. You want to stream at a resolution that is native to your source, whether that be a game or your desktop, or even a webcam.
Add Sources:
Now you have your channel all set up and you’re ready to stream to it, but what are you going to stream? We’re gonna show you how to add some “sources”.
In the main XSplit window, you will see “Scene Sources” in the bottom left. (Note: To the right of that you will see a microphone icon and a speaker icon with bars next to each. This is where you can set the volume for the default microphone and speaker capture respectively, or you can click one of the icons to mute or un-mute.) At the bottom left of scene sources you will see “Add”, “Remove”, and “Settings”. This is how you will manage your sources. Click “Add”, and you will be presented with a drop-down box with some options.
Add Camera - Add a camera source. Note: It’s also where you would add a DXTory source if you are using it as a “hook” source for your games.
Add Media File - Add single picture, video or sound/music files with this choice. Some files that can be added to your presentation are .mp3, .wmv, .jpg, .flv, etc.
Add Screen Region - Add a screen region. A screen region is an area of your desktop. To add your whole desktop, just click any blank space on your desktop, and the full desktop will be added.
Add IP Camera - You can add an IP camera, which is a camera that is linked to an internet feed. Most people don’t have one of these, and will just use “Add Camera” to add their webcams.
Add Video Playlist - If you have multiple videos and you want them to play one-after-another, this is where you add them. There are quite a few features, so play around with it.
Add Title - This is a basic text title. It also has a scrolling effect that can be used. Example: “BRB in 10 minutes” can be added on your stream, even scrolling across the screen if you like.
Add Livestream - You can add another livestream as a feed directly on your stream. Make sure you have access to the content you are adding so you don’t run into copyright infringement.
Add Game - If you have GameSource enabled, you can directly add a game. GameSource has some pro’s and con’s vs Screen Region. Screen Region is lower on resources (less lag), but can do only a maximum of 30fps. GameSource in some cases can result in a bit of lag, but can also do up to 60fps as a source, and also typically has higher quality image than Screen Region.
More Sources - This is where you can access the “Plugin store” and can add other sources that aren’t packaged by default with XSplit. Have fun here :)
Hotkeys:
If you plan on streaming regularly, this is definitely something you want to setup. It allows control over many aspects of your stream without having to go to the XSplit interface and click stuff, but rather to just hit a hotkey on your keyboard to handle it.
Go to Tools -> General Settings, and select the “Hotkeys” tab. Here, you select an item that you want to set a hotkey for, and in the bottom right use the dropdown box to select what keypress it is. Additionally, you can toggle “modifiers” for the hotkey, such as “Shift”, “Control”, and “Alt”.
We definitely recommend setting up hotkeys for at least a couple scenes, as well as turning on/off your stream.
Glossary:
VOD: “Video On Demand”. (Example: Videos on YouTube.com or Blip.tv are VOD’s)
Mbps: “Megabits per second”. This is a measurement of internet speed (aka “bandwidth”). Note: 1mbps = 1000kbps
Kbps: “Kilobits per second”. This is a measurement of internet speed (aka “bandwidth”).
FPS: “Frames Per Second”. Measurement of how many images are shown per second in the video.
DXTory: Software used to record PC game content. It can also be used to output the video via “DirectDraw” which XSplit can use as a source (under Add Camera). Great quality, allows 60+ fps capture, and doesn’t impact your game performance much at all. Can be found at www.dxtory.com
Need More Help?
Join the Official XSplit IRC Help Channel!
Server = irc.quakenet.org
Channel = #xsplit
Not familiar with IRC?
Go to http://webchat.quakenet.org/ and enter your alias under Nickname and put “#xsplit” (without quotes) in Channels, and click “Join chat”.
Authors:
ApocTV ( www.apoctv.com , www.twitch.tv/apoctv )
TechnicalMonkey ( http://thetechmonkey.blogspot.com , http://www.twitch.tv/technicalmonkey )
We are working on an Advanced XSplit Guide also. It will cover settings more in depth, and help you tweak advanced settings for your stream.
To contact us, you can message us on the XSplit forums:
ApocTV on XSplit forums = apoctv
TechnicalMonkey on XSplit forums = TechnicalMonkey
http://www.xsplit.com
Now let’s setup your channel where you will be streaming to. We will assume you have an account with Twitch.tv or Own3d.tv and have already activated your channel by going to your streamer dashboard. If you don’t have an account, go set one up! It’s free.
To setup the channel, go to the “Channels” tab under Tools -> General Settings. Click “Add”, and then choose your stream provider, generally Twitch.tv or Own3d.tv. As far as settings go, this is where things vary from person to person. We’ll include some basic “templates” based on your CPU, but even then you will probably want to tweak the settings a bit to find the perfect settings for you. If you aren’t sure what CPU you have, google “CPU-Z” and download and run it. It will tell you all the info you need related to your CPU such as make, model, and speed.
We will list two settings for each CPU line. The first settings are the “low” settings, assuming your CPU is stock and untouched. The second settings will be marked with “(OC)” and assumes you have your CPU overclocked and are a more advanced user. Again, these settings are only a rough template, and although accurate, can still be tweaked for each individual:
EDIT 2012-09-20: ZeroTalent and I (ApocTV) have a spreadsheet now with all this info and more that will be kept up-to-date @ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgrreMlF5qoRdGVXTlRmUzNlUGUxc2lvTjdTT240NWc
Anything older than these, you will have to test it out yourself. If we get input on settings from users with other CPU lines than what’s listed, we will add them into the guide. Keep in mind, this is what the CPU is capable of, not necessarily what you should stream at. More explanation later in the guide.
Now to actually setup your stream channel:
Channel
1. Username - Input your username for the stream provider in all lowercase.
2. Password - Input your password for the stream provider. Note: This is case-sensitive.
3. Stream Key - Alternative to your password. You will still see this used at sites like Twitch.tv. Note: DO NOT SHARE YOUR STREAM KEY. ANYONE CAN USE THIS TO STREAM UNWANTED CONTENT TO YOUR CHANNEL.
4. Channel - This should automatically fill itself out and will match your username.
5. Location - This is the ingestion server you will be uploading to.
To test ingestion servers, first you want to set your VBV Max Bitrate and VBV Buffer to your full upload speed. To do this, look at Item #8 and #9 in this list. Those are the fields to input your full speed to. So if your speedtest.net result was 5Mbps on the upload, put “5000” for both. Then select an ingestion server near you, and click “Test Bandwidth” button at the bottom of the channel setup window. Note the results, and then test a couple more. Whichever yields the fastest speed, use that server. If you ever get lag, you will want to test the speeds again. Remember, once you are done testing, return your Bitrate and Buffer (Items #8 and #9) to your normal stream settings.
Video Encoding
6. Preset - In almost all cases I recommend “Veryfast”. If you aren’t sure what to put here, start with that. You can also reference TABLE #1 above for what you should put.
7. Quality - This number is used to set the quality and affects the bitrate that your stream may spike up to. The max setting allowed for streams is 10. Note: this can be changed manually, and will be covered in the Advanced Guide. You can also reference TABLE #1 above for what you should put.
8. VBV Max Bitrate (kbps) - This is the bitrate of your video, and directly relates to your upload bandwidth. Remember in step 2 of the guide we had you speedtest your line at speedtest.net? Look at the results and note the upload. Remember, 1mbps = 1000kbps.
Here are some rough examples on what to put:
EDIT 2012-09-20: ZeroTalent and I (ApocTV) have a spreadsheet now with all this info and more that will be kept up-to-date @ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgrreMlF5qoRdGVXTlRmUzNlUGUxc2lvTjdTT240NWc
Any higher, and you will want to test it out yourself to find optimal settings.
9. VBV Buffer (kbps) - This should be the same as your Max Bitrate setting (Item #8).
10. Resolution - For almost all users, you want to leave this at “Default Stage Resolution”. This is used to choose a resolution to transcode to. Note: This is generally used to have a stream or recording at a lower resolution, and may affect the picture quality of the video. Use at your own discretion. Recommended for advanced users.
Audio Encoding
11. Format - We recommend “44.100 KHz 16 bit stereo”. If you know what you’re doing, feel free to change this.
12. Codec - If you are a licensed user, you definitely want to use “AAC-LC”. This selects the audio encoding method to be used on your stream. If you are using the free version of XSplit, you will be limited to “Speex”. Sorry :(
13. Bitrate - It depends on the content of your stream and how important audio quality is to you, but in almost all cases “128000” is fine. This is 128kbps.
14. Automatically record broadcast - You never want to use this. If you want to do a local recording, use the “Local Recording” profile, not this.
15. Interleave audio and video in one RTMP channel: In most cases, you will want this turned on.
When you have everything setup, press “OK”.
Now you need to specify the resolution and FPS (frames per second) which you will stream at. From the main XSplit window, go to View -> Resolution. Make sure you reference “TABLE #1” above, where we listed CPU’s. That was what your CPU is capable of, assuming you have unlimited upload bandwidth. Though, that’s usually not the case. Now that you know the bitrate of your stream (Item #8 in the channel setup list above), you now can setup a resolution and fps to match that. Remember, your bitrate directly relates to your resolution and fps. Here are some recommended templates:
EDIT 2012-09-20: ZeroTalent and I (ApocTV) have a spreadsheet now with all this info and more that will be kept up-to-date @ https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgrreMlF5qoRdGVXTlRmUzNlUGUxc2lvTjdTT240NWc
This assumes your CPU can handle the resolution and fps at each bitrate setting. Make sure to reference TABLE #1 earlier in the guide and balance it with this table. Also note, these resolutions are all 16:9. You want to stream at a resolution that is native to your source, whether that be a game or your desktop, or even a webcam.
Add Sources:
Now you have your channel all set up and you’re ready to stream to it, but what are you going to stream? We’re gonna show you how to add some “sources”.
In the main XSplit window, you will see “Scene Sources” in the bottom left. (Note: To the right of that you will see a microphone icon and a speaker icon with bars next to each. This is where you can set the volume for the default microphone and speaker capture respectively, or you can click one of the icons to mute or un-mute.) At the bottom left of scene sources you will see “Add”, “Remove”, and “Settings”. This is how you will manage your sources. Click “Add”, and you will be presented with a drop-down box with some options.
Add Camera - Add a camera source. Note: It’s also where you would add a DXTory source if you are using it as a “hook” source for your games.
Add Media File - Add single picture, video or sound/music files with this choice. Some files that can be added to your presentation are .mp3, .wmv, .jpg, .flv, etc.
Add Screen Region - Add a screen region. A screen region is an area of your desktop. To add your whole desktop, just click any blank space on your desktop, and the full desktop will be added.
Add IP Camera - You can add an IP camera, which is a camera that is linked to an internet feed. Most people don’t have one of these, and will just use “Add Camera” to add their webcams.
Add Video Playlist - If you have multiple videos and you want them to play one-after-another, this is where you add them. There are quite a few features, so play around with it.
Add Title - This is a basic text title. It also has a scrolling effect that can be used. Example: “BRB in 10 minutes” can be added on your stream, even scrolling across the screen if you like.
Add Livestream - You can add another livestream as a feed directly on your stream. Make sure you have access to the content you are adding so you don’t run into copyright infringement.
Add Game - If you have GameSource enabled, you can directly add a game. GameSource has some pro’s and con’s vs Screen Region. Screen Region is lower on resources (less lag), but can do only a maximum of 30fps. GameSource in some cases can result in a bit of lag, but can also do up to 60fps as a source, and also typically has higher quality image than Screen Region.
More Sources - This is where you can access the “Plugin store” and can add other sources that aren’t packaged by default with XSplit. Have fun here :)
Hotkeys:
If you plan on streaming regularly, this is definitely something you want to setup. It allows control over many aspects of your stream without having to go to the XSplit interface and click stuff, but rather to just hit a hotkey on your keyboard to handle it.
Go to Tools -> General Settings, and select the “Hotkeys” tab. Here, you select an item that you want to set a hotkey for, and in the bottom right use the dropdown box to select what keypress it is. Additionally, you can toggle “modifiers” for the hotkey, such as “Shift”, “Control”, and “Alt”.
We definitely recommend setting up hotkeys for at least a couple scenes, as well as turning on/off your stream.
Glossary:
VOD: “Video On Demand”. (Example: Videos on YouTube.com or Blip.tv are VOD’s)
Mbps: “Megabits per second”. This is a measurement of internet speed (aka “bandwidth”). Note: 1mbps = 1000kbps
Kbps: “Kilobits per second”. This is a measurement of internet speed (aka “bandwidth”).
FPS: “Frames Per Second”. Measurement of how many images are shown per second in the video.
DXTory: Software used to record PC game content. It can also be used to output the video via “DirectDraw” which XSplit can use as a source (under Add Camera). Great quality, allows 60+ fps capture, and doesn’t impact your game performance much at all. Can be found at www.dxtory.com
Need More Help?
Join the Official XSplit IRC Help Channel!
Server = irc.quakenet.org
Channel = #xsplit
Not familiar with IRC?
Go to http://webchat.quakenet.org/ and enter your alias under Nickname and put “#xsplit” (without quotes) in Channels, and click “Join chat”.
Authors:
ApocTV ( www.apoctv.com , www.twitch.tv/apoctv )
TechnicalMonkey ( http://thetechmonkey.blogspot.com , http://www.twitch.tv/technicalmonkey )
We are working on an Advanced XSplit Guide also. It will cover settings more in depth, and help you tweak advanced settings for your stream.
To contact us, you can message us on the XSplit forums:
ApocTV on XSplit forums = apoctv
TechnicalMonkey on XSplit forums = TechnicalMonkey
http://www.xsplit.com
