How to Raise Recording Quality in OBS

As the world transitions to a new digital age, high-quality recorded materials are essential for streaming, learning, and business applications. OBS Studio is a well-known and free software that offers numerous options to make your recordings stand out.

However, simply using OBS is not sufficient, properly configuring the OBS settings can significantly enhance the professional appearance and clarity of your recordings. In this article, we will explore every aspect of working with OBS Studio and how to raise recording quality, ensuring the highest standards for your recordings.

Part 1: How to Raise Recording Quality in OBS

Enhancing the rather high quality of recordings set by OBS Studio is crucial when it comes to making such recordings more presentable and memorable. Some modification with surroundings produces a record that would have a clear and closer to real sound. Taking into account the ideas emerging from the outcomes of this video lesson, let it be us dwell upon the ways of enhancing these settings, including properly managing audio sources—if you only need to capture certain sounds, learning how to record specific audio in OBS can help ensure cleaner and more professional recordings.

1. Change Output Resolution

• Access Settings: Click the 'Settings' button at the bottom right corner of the OBS Studio.
• Go to Video Settings: Select the 'Video' option from the 'Settings' box.
• Set Base and Output resolutions: Set to 'Full HD 1920x1080', as both 'Base (Canvas) Resolution' and 'Output (Scaled) Resolution' should match the recording quality you want.
• Apply Changes: Click on 'Apply' to confirm the changes you made and click 'OK' again.

2. Boost the Bitrate

• Open Output Settings: Return to the 'Settings' window to select the 'Output' tab.
• Advanced Mode: Switch to 'Advanced Output Mode' for more advanced settings.
• Changing the Recording Bitrate: Set it to a higher one in the 'Recording' section. The minimum bitrate recommended for 1080p recordings is 10,000 kbps.
• Apply and Save: Click on 'Apply' and then 'OK' when done to save the settings.

3. Choose the Right Encoder

• Access Output Settings: Select the encoder option in the 'Recording' column of the 'Output' tab while in advanced output mode.
• Choose the Right Encoder: Use one that suits your system, such as NVENC for coding by 'NVIDIA GPU' or 'x264' for encoding on a CPU.
• Apply Changes: Click on 'Apply' and 'OK' to confirm.

4. Adjust Rate Control and Quality

• Open Output Settings: Under the 'Advanced' options, find the 'Rate Control' section in the 'Output' tab.
• Select Rate Control Method: Go for constant quality to keep the recording quality at a constant level.
• Set CQ Level: Keep the CQ Level low for better quality, say below 18.
• Apply and Save: To save the settings, click on 'Apply' and then 'OK'.

5. Frame Rate Increase

• Access Video Settings: Open the 'Video' tab in the 'Settings' window.
• Set the Standard FPS Value: For smoother motion, you may use 60 FPS, or you could use the usual 30 FPS for ordinary quality.
• Apply Changes: Click on 'Apply' and 'OK' to confirm. In some workflows, you may also want to exclude microphone input entirely, and record without voice audio in OBS is a practical approach for achieving cleaner, distraction-free recordings.

Bonus: Best Camera for Raising Recording Quality - OBSBOT Tail 2 Live Production Camera

The OBSBOT Tail 2, an AI-powered camera, offers exceptional visual quality and is designed to enhance your recording setup, making it ideal for OBS recordings. With standout features such as advanced AI tracking technology, improved slow motion, 5x optical zoom, and 90° rotatable gimbal, the camera effortlessly tracks and follows your movements to accurately capture details, both close-ups and distant shots, ensuring you maintain a clear perspective throughout your OBS recordings while consistently delivering content that meets high standards.

Key Features:

• AI Tracking 2.0: Featuring advanced AI technology, this camera can precisely track subjects, effortlessly capturing movements and creative sessions during OBS recordings.
• 5x Optical Zoom: Achieve stunning close-ups and distinctive angles, making it perfect for emphasizing key moments in OBS recordings, while enhancing the overall visual experience.
• High Resolution: This camera is capable of recording in impressive 4K@60fps and 1080p@120fps, delivering high-quality video content that enhances OBS recordings, making it ideal for capturing any activity.
• 12 Optical Lenses & 1/1.5" CMOS Sensor: This setup offers exceptional imaging capabilities for vibrant and detailed visuals, making it crucial for producing captivating OBS recordings.
• 90° Rotatable Gimbal: Allowing for seamless transitions from stunning wide-angle compositions to portrait setups, fostering greater creativity in your OBS recordings.
• Versatile Integration: One of the key advantages of the camera is its multiple connectivity options, Ethernet, USB-C, SDI, and HDMI, ensuring seamless integration with OBS for efficient and streamlined recording.
• Optimized for Professional Use: The Tail 2 ensures exceptional quality for OBS recordings, making it ideal for presentations, lectures, and creative activities, such as online meetings, webinars, and tutorials.

FAQs About Raise Recording Quality in OBS

1. How to improve recording quality in OBS Studio?

You can improve quality by adjusting video and output settings. Set your base and output resolution correctly, and increase the recording bitrate. Use a stable frame rate like 30 or 60 fps. If you use a webcam, starting with a sharp source like OBSBOT Tiny 2 helps maintain clarity after compression.

2. How to make OBS resolution higher?

You can increase resolution in OBS by changing both Base (Canvas) and Output (Scaled) Resolution. Set them to 1920×1080 for Full HD recording. Higher resolution improves detail but uses more CPU and storage. Make sure your computer and camera can handle the higher settings smoothly.

3. Why is OBS recording so blurry?

The most common reason is low bitrate or incorrect resolution scaling. If OBS downscales the video too much, the image becomes soft or blurry. Fast motion can also cause blur at low bitrates. Increasing the bitrate and matching your canvas to your source usually fixes this issue.

4. How to set OBS recording to 1080p?

OBS supports 1080p recording. Go to Video Settings and set both Base and Output Resolution to 1920×1080. Then adjust the bitrate to match the resolution. If your system struggles, lower the frame rate instead of the resolution to keep the video sharp.

5. How to fix bad stream quality on OBS?

Bad stream quality is often caused by low upload speed or high bitrate. Lower your streaming bitrate to match your internet connection. Keep resolution at 720p if bandwidth is limited. For smoother streams, use hardware encoding and avoid running heavy apps while streaming.

6. How to make OBS recording not pixelated?

Pixelation can be reduced by increasing the recording bitrate and using a higher-quality encoder. Make sure your output resolution matches your source. Pixelation often appears during fast movement, like gameplay or sports. Recording locally instead of streaming also improves overall video quality.

Conclusion

Raise the recording quality in OBS by taking advantage of the improvements offered by OBS Studio, allowing you to achieve well-processed and engaging footage. Elevate your content further by incorporating advanced hardware like the OBSBOT Tail 2, which offers excellent image quality and effective low-latency motion tracking.