Xsplit
Pros
1. Ease of Use
One of the reasons I love Xsplit is how easy it is. When you’re getting into streaming, it can be a huge plunge, so if you’re looking for something that doesn’t make things complicated, Xsplit is the right choice for you. The interface is really easy to follow and everything is pretty much in a central place. Whether it’s cropping your screen capture or connecting your account to your streaming site of choice, Xsplit makes it so that you’re only a few clicks away from going live to the whole world.
2. Preview Editor (Requires Premium License)
One of the big features of Xsplit is the ability to edit on the fly while streaming. Say you’re in the middle of a really long stream and you need to change a layout around for future use of the current stream. You don’t want to cut stream to do it and you don’t want to make the edits live on stream so that people can see. Xsplit allows you to edit scenes without affecting the current scene that you are using. So if you’re going for more of a bigger production show, Xsplit is the way to go.
3. Customer Support
Of the two options, Xsplit could be seen as the more corporate like program. It has a paid team that designs and sells it, as well as a support team that has business hours. Because of this, you are much more likely to get a question answered regarding any issue or bug you run into while using the program. Quick, accurate, and helpful answers are a huge plus, and you’re more likely to get that from the helpful staff that moderate their Support Forums. With OBS, because the program is open source, and not a product that is sold, a lot of questions are going to rely on the community and could unanswered or take a much longer amount of time to get answered.
Pros
1. Ease of Use
One of the reasons I love Xsplit is how easy it is. When you’re getting into streaming, it can be a huge plunge, so if you’re looking for something that doesn’t make things complicated, Xsplit is the right choice for you. The interface is really easy to follow and everything is pretty much in a central place. Whether it’s cropping your screen capture or connecting your account to your streaming site of choice, Xsplit makes it so that you’re only a few clicks away from going live to the whole world.
2. Preview Editor (Requires Premium License)
One of the big features of Xsplit is the ability to edit on the fly while streaming. Say you’re in the middle of a really long stream and you need to change a layout around for future use of the current stream. You don’t want to cut stream to do it and you don’t want to make the edits live on stream so that people can see. Xsplit allows you to edit scenes without affecting the current scene that you are using. So if you’re going for more of a bigger production show, Xsplit is the way to go.
3. Customer Support
Of the two options, Xsplit could be seen as the more corporate like program. It has a paid team that designs and sells it, as well as a support team that has business hours. Because of this, you are much more likely to get a question answered regarding any issue or bug you run into while using the program. Quick, accurate, and helpful answers are a huge plus, and you’re more likely to get that from the helpful staff that moderate their Support Forums. With OBS, because the program is open source, and not a product that is sold, a lot of questions are going to rely on the community and could unanswered or take a much longer amount of time to get answered.
So you finally have your dream streaming computer or maybe just something to start off with. You’ve picked the kind of game you want to stream, and you have the hardware to make it happen, now what? When it comes to streaming, there are a few options out there, but the two we are going to cover today are Xsplit and OBS. Both have their pros and cons, and both are great options to choose, it really depends on what you’re looking for.
*NOTE* This intro to streaming software isn’t an in-depth guide, but more of a few reasons why to choose either Xsplit or OBS. Down the road we’ll tackle more of the features of each program with more detail, but this will give you a great heads start!
Cons
1. Not Entirely Free
One of the main drawbacks to Xsplit is that while they do give you a barebones version that will allow you to stream with relative ease, a lot of the cool features of Xsplit require you to pay so much per month to access them. Features such as adding a game capture, streaming at 30 FPS or higher, and scene previews all require you to spend some cash. This is a huge turn off to those who just wanted to get started and have the full features of everything right at the start for free.
2. CPU usage
Another drawback to Xsplit is how much CPU it eats up when running. Compared to OBS, Xsplit uses a lot of CPU and can slow down everything else around it. If you’re looking to stream computer games and you’re concerned about the performance of your computer, there’s a good chance that Xsplit will only make the speed and framerate go down which will affect the quality of your stream. If you have a great set up and CPU really isn’t an issue, this shouldn’t be a problem.
1. Not Entirely Free
One of the main drawbacks to Xsplit is that while they do give you a barebones version that will allow you to stream with relative ease, a lot of the cool features of Xsplit require you to pay so much per month to access them. Features such as adding a game capture, streaming at 30 FPS or higher, and scene previews all require you to spend some cash. This is a huge turn off to those who just wanted to get started and have the full features of everything right at the start for free.
2. CPU usage
Another drawback to Xsplit is how much CPU it eats up when running. Compared to OBS, Xsplit uses a lot of CPU and can slow down everything else around it. If you’re looking to stream computer games and you’re concerned about the performance of your computer, there’s a good chance that Xsplit will only make the speed and framerate go down which will affect the quality of your stream. If you have a great set up and CPU really isn’t an issue, this shouldn’t be a problem.
Open Broadcasting Software (OBS) (Written by @Knoxisbest)
Pros
1. Completely Free:
That’s right, OBS is free to use by all who have internet and can download software. There is absolutely no cost to you when it comes to using OBS. The project is open source and available to download on GitHub, making it easy for people to get hold of various things. There are no limits on what you can do with OBS; full features are included without paying a cent. This can be seen as a great benefit to those who want to get themselves into streaming without having to pay for their streaming software.
2. Plugins and Programs:
There is a huge community of users on the OBS forums who have come up with a plugin or external program for any need you might have for your stream. Some of the most useful stream additions can be attained thanks to the plugins that are available on the website. Things like an automatic scene switcher, twitch chat to be on stream, stream notifications, music displays, and much more than what I have listed are all something that can be achieved.
3. Huge Knowledgebase and Support forum:
The OBS website has an entire section dedicated on resources for streaming. There are multiple guides and topics written up for when you might have issues with the software. You can search for your problem on the website, and get results that will usually have an answer for you. If not, the community that posts on the forums is responsible for the majority of the help, so there is almost always someone around to answer your question in the case that you need it answered fast.
4. Computer Friendly:
OBS is known to be one of the most computer friendly software programs due to its resources available. It generally has the lowest CPU usage out of the big streaming software, making it appeal to people who are watching their computer. There is also a multiplatform version that is currently being worked on and is functional for OSX users, which will include an updated Windows version eventually and support for Linux distributions.
Pros
1. Completely Free:
That’s right, OBS is free to use by all who have internet and can download software. There is absolutely no cost to you when it comes to using OBS. The project is open source and available to download on GitHub, making it easy for people to get hold of various things. There are no limits on what you can do with OBS; full features are included without paying a cent. This can be seen as a great benefit to those who want to get themselves into streaming without having to pay for their streaming software.
2. Plugins and Programs:
There is a huge community of users on the OBS forums who have come up with a plugin or external program for any need you might have for your stream. Some of the most useful stream additions can be attained thanks to the plugins that are available on the website. Things like an automatic scene switcher, twitch chat to be on stream, stream notifications, music displays, and much more than what I have listed are all something that can be achieved.
3. Huge Knowledgebase and Support forum:
The OBS website has an entire section dedicated on resources for streaming. There are multiple guides and topics written up for when you might have issues with the software. You can search for your problem on the website, and get results that will usually have an answer for you. If not, the community that posts on the forums is responsible for the majority of the help, so there is almost always someone around to answer your question in the case that you need it answered fast.
4. Computer Friendly:
OBS is known to be one of the most computer friendly software programs due to its resources available. It generally has the lowest CPU usage out of the big streaming software, making it appeal to people who are watching their computer. There is also a multiplatform version that is currently being worked on and is functional for OSX users, which will include an updated Windows version eventually and support for Linux distributions.
Cons
1. Not always User-Friendly:
Even though OBS is great once you get it working, it can be somewhat complicated when it comes to setting up OBS the way you want it. Some users have found it to be very overwhelming when you are trying to set up the program. Some would rather download a program and have it work perfectly on install; unfortunately you need to spend some time with OBS in order to have it function the way you want it to.
2. Missing Features:
OBS may have a lot of things going for it, but it is missing some features in comparison to some other streaming software. For example, a scene preview editor or broadcasting to more than one stream at a time are things that you cannot do with OBS. However, even though you cannot currently do that, they are planning on implementing those features with the rewritten multiplatform software. None the less, you cannot do them now, which is a big deal breaker for some people.
1. Not always User-Friendly:
Even though OBS is great once you get it working, it can be somewhat complicated when it comes to setting up OBS the way you want it. Some users have found it to be very overwhelming when you are trying to set up the program. Some would rather download a program and have it work perfectly on install; unfortunately you need to spend some time with OBS in order to have it function the way you want it to.
2. Missing Features:
OBS may have a lot of things going for it, but it is missing some features in comparison to some other streaming software. For example, a scene preview editor or broadcasting to more than one stream at a time are things that you cannot do with OBS. However, even though you cannot currently do that, they are planning on implementing those features with the rewritten multiplatform software. None the less, you cannot do them now, which is a big deal breaker for some people.
The Essentials #4 Networking Pt.1
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