StreamLive ProThe studio lowered my live quality by itself
The studio says it lowered the broadcast quality because your upload is slow. Why it does that, how it returns, what the network cell shows, and how to fix the line.
If the browser studio showed "Your internet upload is slow right now, so we lowered the broadcast quality", it did that on purpose. Your upload could not carry the quality you chose, so the broadcast was falling behind real time. Rather than let viewers watch you later and later, or freeze, the studio stepped the bitrate down to what your line really carries and reconnected the same broadcast to the same networks. It goes back up by itself when the line improves. The fix is on the network side: a cable, a closer router, or fewer uploads on the same line.
Symptom, likely cause, fix
| What you see | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| "We lowered the broadcast quality to ... Mbps" | Upload slower than the chosen bitrate | Cable or closer router; stop other uploads. It returns by itself |
| "The connection improved - broadcast quality is back to ... Mbps" | The line recovered | Nothing to do |
| "Too slow even at the lowest quality, viewers see you late" | The line carries less than the lowest step | Change network: cable, another Wi-Fi or a phone hotspot |
| Network cell in the studio bar turns amber or red | The broadcast is seconds behind live | Same as above; watch the cell after each change |
| "The internet connection dropped for about N seconds" | A short cut on the line | Nothing if it is rare; check the router if it repeats |
| "The browser was paused for N seconds" | Laptop sleep, locked phone screen, or the page in the background | Keep the screen on and the studio page in front |
How the automatic step-down works
- When. The studio compares what it sent with what our server received. When the broadcast is more than 3 seconds behind live twice in a row, or more than 10 seconds once, it steps down.
- The steps. 8, 6, 4.5, 3.5, 2.5, 1.8, 1.2, 0.8 and 0.5 Mbps. It goes at least one step down, and skips steps when the measured upload is far lower.
- What viewers notice. A short reconnect of the same broadcast, then a softer but live picture. Destinations stay the same; nothing has to be started again.
- Back up. After 2 minutes in real time it tries one step higher. If that step does not hold, it waits longer before the next try. It never goes above the bitrate you chose.
- Where it shows. The studio bar's network cell shows your real upload ("up 2.5 Mbps") and turns amber or red when the broadcast is behind; the Stream health badge adds "quality ... (slow network)".
This happens in the browser studio and the podcast studio when you broadcast from them. With OBS, vMix or another encoder, the bitrate is set in the encoder: My live stream drops frames or keeps buffering.
Steps
- Watch the network cell in the studio bar while live. It shows the upload the studio measures.
- Move to a cable if you can. A wired connection holds a steady upload better than Wi-Fi.
- Stop other uploads on the line. Cloud backup, file sync, another video call, a phone uploading photos.
- Count guests. Each guest in the live studio also receives a return video from your computer, which uses upload: Guests and invitations — bringing people into the room.
- Choose a lower starting point for next time. On Live stream, the settings tab, Stream Quality: Resolution and Bitrate. Bitrate on Auto (recommended) picks a rate for the resolution; 720p needs less than 1080p. The bitrate field accepts typed values in kbps or Mbps (Other...). The choices apply the next time you go live.
- Measure the line before a big broadcast. Compare the upload from a speed test with the bitrate you send: Upload speed and bitrate for multistreaming.
When to contact support
If quality drops on a wired connection whose speed test shows plenty of upload, write to [email protected]. Send the broadcast time, the exact message you saw, the upload the network cell showed, your browser and computer, and a speed test result. A screenshot of the studio bar helps.
Frequently asked questions
Why did my live quality drop by itself?
Your upload could not carry the chosen bitrate and the broadcast was falling behind. The studio lowered the bitrate so viewers stay live.
Will the quality come back?
Yes. After 2 minutes in real time the studio tries a step higher, up to the bitrate you chose.
Can I turn this off?
No. Without it, viewers would see you later and later or the picture would freeze. Choose a lower starting quality, or improve the line.
Did my broadcast restart on the networks?
No. It is the same broadcast reconnecting with the same destinations. Viewers may notice a short pause.
Does streaming to more networks cause this?
No. You upload one stream and our servers send it to every network, so the number of networks does not change your upload.
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