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Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →In OBS Studio, open Settings → Output, choose Advanced output mode, select the streaming encoder, then enter custom options in that encoder’s custom-options field if it has one. Use only parameters documented for that specific encoder: NVENC, AMD AMF, Intel Quick Sync, Apple VideoToolbox, x264 and FFmpeg do not share a universal options string.
This guide focuses on OBS because the title does not specify an application. The available controls and accepted values depend on your OBS version, operating system, hardware and drivers, selected encoder, and streaming service.
Where to enter extra encoder parameters in OBS
- In OBS, open Settings → Output.
- Set Output Mode to Advanced.
- Open the Streaming section and check which encoder is selected. Do not choose an option string until you know the encoder and, where relevant, codec.
- Open that encoder’s settings. If OBS exposes a custom-options field for it, enter only properties supported by that encoder.
- Apply the settings, restart or reinitialize streaming output if needed, and inspect the OBS log and stream behavior for errors. A setting is not confirmed merely because OBS accepted the text.
Before changing anything, note your OBS version, operating system, CPU or GPU encoder, codec and streaming destination. This makes it easier to match a parameter to the right documentation and undo a change if output fails.
What syntax does the OBS options box use?
For OBS 31.0 and later, the OBS Project’s Advanced NVENC Options page documents custom NVENC properties as option=value pairs separated by spaces. OBS’s AMF/FFmpeg interface also describes an option=value field and shows level=5.2 profile=main as an example. That is an illustration of syntax, not a recommended universal streaming string.
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Use the exact spelling, value format and separators required by the documentation for your selected encoder. Do not paste NVENC options into x264, AMF, Quick Sync, VideoToolbox or a different FFmpeg output mode unless that implementation documents them.
Choose options for the encoder you are actually using
OBS supports hardware-encoding paths including NVIDIA NVENC, AMD AMF, Intel Quick Sync Video and Apple VideoToolbox, as well as the x264 software encoder. Which choices appear and work depends on the operating system, hardware and drivers. The OBS Project’s hardware-encoding compatibility notes describe platform and hardware requirements; check them before troubleshooting a missing encoder.
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NVENC parameters
OBS documents NVENC-specific properties such as averageBitRate and maxBitRate, whose relevance depends on the selected rate-control mode. Its NVENC page describes keyint as an interval in frames and explicitly notes it is “Not a standard NVENC option.” The page recommends using keyint except in the special infinite-GOP case, for which it documents gopLength. Consult the current OBS NVENC option list rather than guessing at names or values.
x264, AMF, Quick Sync and other encoders
These encoders have distinct implementations and controls. A similarly named setting may have different accepted values or behavior, and an option may not exist at all in another encoder. OBS’s interface strings for AMF/FFmpeg illustrate a custom-option field, while its encoder API reference describes separate encoder implementations. Treat an example from one implementation as inapplicable to another unless its own documentation confirms it.
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Decide whether a custom option is needed
For ordinary live streaming, first use OBS’s built-in controls for common settings such as rate control, bitrate and keyframe interval. Add a custom property only when the setting is not exposed directly or the encoder’s documentation specifically calls for it. When assessing an option, consider:
- Encoder and platform: does this exact encoder support the option on your operating system and hardware?
- Codec and service: does the streaming destination accept the codec and configuration?
- Rate control and bitrate: is the property meaningful in the mode you selected, and does the bitrate meet the service’s current requirements?
- Keyframe/GOP behavior: is the value expressed in frames or time, and does it meet the destination’s rules?
- System load and latency: will the change increase GPU or CPU use or affect latency?
- Image quality at your bitrate: is the change likely to help under your actual streaming constraints?
Use vendor streaming recommendations as examples, not universal presets
NVIDIA’s NVENC OBS guide, checked October 3, 2026, recommends CBR, a two-second keyframe interval, the P6 preset, High Quality tuning and two-pass quarter-resolution multipass for the NVENC workflow it describes. These are NVIDIA’s recommendations for that workflow—not default instructions for every OBS encoder or streaming service. The guide also notes that platform requirements can constrain keyframe intervals and that GPU utilization may be a reason to turn off look-ahead.
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The same guide gives different codec guidance for Twitch and YouTube depending on available hardware, and describes H.264, HEVC, AV1 and HDR distinctions. Confirm current destination requirements before changing codec or bitrate. Its stated Twitch maximum of 6000 Kbps is a platform-specific figure from an undated guide, so recheck Twitch’s current rules rather than treating it as permanent. Enable HDR only when the service, capture pipeline, display and encoder all support it.
OBS’s advanced recording settings guide gives different starting options for NVENC, x264, AMD and Quick Sync. It is a recording guide; use it to understand that encoder choices differ, not as an automatic live-streaming prescription.
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Common problems and how to recover
- The encoder or custom-options field is missing: check that the intended encoder is available for your hardware, drivers and operating system, and that the relevant output mode is selected. Consult OBS’s compatibility notes.
- OBS rejects the option or output fails to start: remove the custom text, confirm streaming works with built-in settings, then verify each option’s spelling and value against documentation for the selected encoder. Add properties back one at a time.
- The stream starts but the service reports a configuration problem: check the service’s current codec, bitrate and keyframe requirements. An encoder accepting a parameter does not mean the destination accepts the resulting stream.
- GPU use or dropped frames increase: revert the last change and compare system load. NVIDIA specifically notes GPU utilization as a reason to disable look-ahead in its NVENC recommendations.
- A parameter copied from a tutorial has no effect: verify that the tutorial uses the same OBS version, encoder implementation, codec and output mode. A recording example or another encoder’s setting may not apply to your live stream.
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