StreamLive Pro

My encoder says it is streaming, but there is no picture

OBS, vMix or your encoder says it is streaming but StreamLive Pro or the networks show no picture: the likely causes in order, a symptom table, and what to send support.

Updated November 5, 2026 · 4 min read

The most likely cause is that the stream reaches us in a form we cannot show: the encoder is set to HEVC or AV1 instead of H.264, or the keyframe interval is on "auto" and comes out longer than 10 seconds. The ingest behind StreamLive Pro accepts H.264 video with AAC audio, a combined bitrate between 2 and 14 Mbps, and a keyframe interval between 2 and 10 seconds (Cloudflare Stream: Start a live stream, checked 5 November 2026). An encoder may connect with other settings and still deliver nothing usable. The next most likely causes are a key from a different broadcast and a broadcast with no channels ticked.

Symptom table

Steps

1. Check the encoder's codec. In OBS: Settings, Output, Advanced, Streaming tab, Video Encoder must say H.264 (for example x264 or NVENC H.264). In vMix: the Quality settings, Format H264. Hardware encoders: look for H.264 or AVC, not H.265 or HEVC.
2. Set the keyframe interval to 2. OBS: Keyframe Interval 2, not 0. vMix: Keyframe Frequency 2. YouTube also asks for 2 and no more than 4 (YouTube Help: live encoder settings).
3. Check the bitrate. Between 2 and 14 Mbps for video and audio together. vMix's default 360p preset at 1.5 Mbps is below that.
4. Copy the address and key again. Use the copy buttons on the Encoder card of the broadcast you have open on Live stream. A trailing space or a key from yesterday's broadcast is enough to fail.
5. Tick your channels and keep the page visible. Switch on the destinations in the Channels list before you start the encoder, and keep the broadcast page open. The page checks for your stream every ten seconds and, when it is detected, sends the broadcast to the ticked channels. If nothing is ticked, it warns you that no destination was selected.
6. Restart the encoder's stream. Stop streaming in the encoder, wait ten seconds, and start again.
7. Look at the notifications. If a broadcast is live and no signal reaches us within about thirty seconds of the start, StreamLive Pro puts a notice in the bell, and after the broadcast the Home page reminds you that the last broadcast had no picture. These notices check the connection, not the codec, so a stream in the wrong format can pass them.

How the broadcast ends when the signal stops

When the signal stops, the broadcast is not ended at once: StreamLive Pro waits for the encoder to come back (a few minutes by default) and only then ends the broadcast and notifies you. So if your encoder drops and comes back, the broadcast carries on. If it stays off, the broadcast closes on every network by itself.

When to contact support

If you went through every step and still have no picture, write to [email protected]. Send:

• the broadcast title and the date and time you tried, with your time zone;
• the encoder and its version (for example OBS 31, vMix 28, or the hardware model);
• the protocol tab you used (RTMP, RTMPS or SRT);
• a screenshot of the encoder's output settings, with the stream key hidden;
• what you saw in StreamLive Pro: the detection message, the warning banner, or nothing.

Never send the stream key itself.

Related: Connect OBS to StreamLive Pro and multistream, Connect vMix to StreamLive Pro and stream everywhere, Streaming from OBS or vMix with RTMP and Troubleshooting the problems that come up most.

Frequently asked questions

Why does OBS say it is streaming but my live does not start?

Usually the key belongs to another broadcast, or OBS sends HEVC or AV1, which the ingest does not accept. Copy the current key from the Encoder card and choose an H.264 encoder with keyframe interval 2.

How long should I wait before I worry?

About thirty seconds. Detection runs every ten seconds and the preview needs ten to thirty seconds more to build. If there is still nothing, go through the steps on this page.

The preview shows my picture but YouTube shows nothing. Why?

The stream reached us but no channel was ticked, or the YouTube connection expired. Tick the channel, check for a reconnect mark, and keep the broadcast page open when the stream starts.

Can I use HEVC or AV1 to save bandwidth?

Not with StreamLive Pro's encoder ingest. It accepts H.264 video and AAC audio only, so use H.264.

Does the 10-second camera check test my encoder?

No. The 10-second camera check tests the camera and microphone in the browser studio. For an encoder, the detection message on the broadcast page and the steps on this page are the checks.

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