Piczel works with any streaming software that can send RTMP. We recommend OBS Studio, which is free and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, so this page uses it as the example. The settings themselves apply whatever software you use.
What OBS looks like
Scenes are arrangements you switch between. Sources are what goes in them: a window capture, an image, a browser source, etc. A basic art stream is usually one scene with a display or window capture of your art program and maybe a few decorative images or text sources.
Add your first source
Press the + under Sources and pick what people will see: Window Capture for your art program or Display Capture for the whole screen. Window capture generally is safer for your privacy - it's easy to accidentally stream sensitive information with display capture. Without a source your stream is a black screen.
Point your software at Piczel
Open Stream settings and copy the Stream URL and Streamkey from the Broadcasting section. Treat the key like a password. Stream settings covers both fields.
In OBS, open Settings from the bottom right, then Stream.
We recommend against the Piczel option in the OBS dropdown, so set
Service to Custom.... That replaces the preset list with two fields:
- Server is the Stream URL. We recommend starting with
rtmp://boston.piczel.tv:1935/liveand only change if absolutely necessary. - Stream Key is the streamkey.
Leave Use authentication unticked. The streamkey is your authentication.
Encoder settings
Two things hold in any software. Piczel recommends the x264 CPU encoder: it
gives better quality per bit than a GPU encoder at the same bitrate. And your
encoder must not send b-frames - if it does, the zero-latency WebRTC player
cannot be used and your viewers are limited to HLS. Piczel warns you about this
while you are live. On x264, Tune set to zerolatency disables b-frames; on
a GPU encoder, set b-frames to 0.
In OBS, go to Output and set Output Mode to Advanced.
The values that matter:
- Video Encoder:
x264. We strongly recommend against using the GPU encoder. - Rate Control:
VBR. - Bitrate: start at 1500 Kbps and adjust from there if necessary.
- Keyframe Interval:
4. - Tune:
zerolatency.
For more in depth explanations of how to optimize your stream settings, please read Optimization.
Go live
Press Start Streaming. Your channel is at piczel.tv/watch/<username>, and
the player takes a few seconds to pick the stream up.
Watch the status bar at the bottom of OBS: dropped frames and encoding-overloaded warnings show there, and both mean something needs adjusting.
Chat in OBS
Your chat can go straight into OBS, either as something viewers see or as a panel only you see. Both use the address:
https://piczel.tv/chat/<username>
As an on-stream overlay, add a Browser Source pointing at it. Overlay mode strips the chat down to messages on a transparent background and disables PMs. You'll need to sign in - right click the source in OBS and select "Interact" to do so.
As a dock: in OBS, click Docks, then Custom Browser Docks, and add the same address. Piczel notices it is running inside an OBS dock and keeps the full chat, input box included, so you can read and reply while you draw without leaving OBS.
The poll overlay is a separate source, covered in Polls and raffles.
If something is wrong
Work through Optimization before emailing support@piczel.tv.