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If audio reaches YouTube but the picture is black, troubleshoot the video path separately: check the source, Restreamer’s local player or test transmission, then YouTube’s ingest and stream health. Audio working does not prove that Restreamer is receiving or publishing decodable video. Without your Restreamer version, source, logs, and YouTube health message, there is no single fix to assume.
Find the stage where video disappears
Restreamer’s troubleshooting guide separates the video input, player streaming, and publication service. Check each in order rather than changing several settings at once. First record your Restreamer version, source type and address or device, any upstream encoder, video and audio codec settings, destination protocol, and whether the Restreamer player shows moving video. Save the current configuration before making changes; Restreamer supports several kinds of inputs, so the right checks depend on your setup.
1. Test the source and a virtual source
Check whether the production source itself has moving video. Then use the test transmission or virtual-source procedure in the current datarhei Basic Troubleshooting guide. If the virtual test shows video but your production source does not, focus on the original camera, network stream, selected profile, source codec, or connection. If both are black in the local view, investigate Restreamer’s processing and player path and inspect process details.
2. Compare local playback with YouTube
If Restreamer’s player shows video but YouTube is black, check that you are publishing to the intended YouTube event and that the RTMP destination is configured correctly. Open YouTube Studio’s Live Control Room and inspect the preview, stream health, and any messages. The older datarhei YouTube guide describes entering YouTube’s RTMP URL and checking the Live dashboard; treat its interface and instructions as version-specific rather than current universal directions.
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Check the video codec and encoding mode
The datarhei encoding guide for Restreamer 0.4.0-era behavior says the default video codec is copy: Restreamer passes the incoming video through rather than re-encoding it. If that source codec is unsuitable for the destination or ingest path, H.264 encoding may be a useful controlled compatibility test. The guide describes selecting H.264 to force encoding, but it is older documentation; confirm your Restreamer version and available settings before applying it.
Re-encoding uses compute resources. If you test it, watch CPU load and logs, and change only the video encoding setting you are testing. Do not assume encoding will fix a missing source picture: confirm that the input contains video first. See datarhei’s Restreamer encoding guide for the version-specific setting.
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Verify YouTube and upstream encoder settings
Use YouTube’s current live encoder settings for the actual resolution, frame rate, and codec. The page lists RTMP/RTMPS and H.264, H.265, and AV1 video ingest, supports up to 60 fps, recommends constant bitrate (CBR), and recommends a two-second keyframe interval with a four-second maximum. Its bitrate recommendations vary by codec, resolution, and frame rate, so select the matching row rather than applying a generic number.
If OBS is feeding Restreamer, Restream’s OBS settings guide recommends CBR, a two-second keyframe interval, Main profile, NV12 color format, and 709 color space for that connection path. Those are Restream recommendations for OBS, not universal datarhei Restreamer requirements. Its guide also points to OBS Analyzer for settings, connection, and stream-health checks. For YouTube, test with movement and monitor the Live Control Room’s stream health during the event.
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Use the symptom to choose the next check
| What you see | Next check |
|---|---|
| Production source is black locally; virtual test shows video | Inspect the original source, selected profile, codec, and connection. |
| Both production source and virtual test are black locally | Review Restreamer process details, video processing, and the player-streaming stage. |
| Restreamer shows video; YouTube is black | Verify the event and RTMP publishing configuration, then read YouTube’s stream-health messages. |
| OBS sends video to Restreamer | Check the OBS output and color settings for this path, and run OBS Analyzer if useful. |
| You are considering forcing H.264 encoding | Confirm the Restreamer version and source codec first; monitor CPU use during the test. |
Read logs and ask for help with evidence
If the test transmission does not isolate the issue, inspect process details and logs. When seeking help, datarhei’s current troubleshooting page asks users to attach a process report. Include the Restreamer version, source type, encoder settings, whether local playback has video, YouTube’s exact stream-health message, and a time-stamped example. This information helps distinguish a source failure from processing or publishing trouble.
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