Twitch streaming & lack of quality options

NEW UPDATED VERSION: http://pellakensblog.blogspot.com/2021/04/lack-of-quality-options-when-twitch.html

Hello streamer! You are reading this because I (or someone else) has linked you to this post. You've started a stream that has no quality options!

What are quality options? 
On any stream you watch, at least on desktop (I don't use mobile) you can click the little gear icon. In that menu is a "Quality" option. If you have no quality options, the only options available will be your native streaming rate, and "auto"

What is encoding and transcoding related to this?
Words describing the same thing - quality options.

What does it mean if someone says I don't have quality options?
That they'd like to use these options, but you do not have them.

Why don't I have them?
You are not a twitch partner. Non-partners only get quality options "sometimes"

When do I get them?
Whenever, based on a random chance, based on how busy twitch is. This is why, if you start at a specific time of the day, you will often have, or, often not have, the options.

How can I get them if I do not have them?
You can re-start your stream. This re-rolls the random chance. Many times, a single restart will generate the options, sometimes it make take many restarts (20 or more) pending on how busy twitch is, and how lucky you are with your random chance.

What can I do if I can't make them appear?
Viewers use these because their internet connection is simply not fast enough to watch your stream at the bitrate at which you are streaming. Many guides suggest streaming at a bitrate of 6000. Sadly, many of the "old standard" internet connections - which were considered fast a decade ago - can not handle 6000 bits. Many people in rural areas are therefore stuck on slower connections. If you do not get quality options, and, do no change the bitrate you are outputting, they will be unable to watch your stream. To change your broadcast bitrate, you will need to change the settings in your broadcaster program (OBS, xsplit, streamlabs, etc)

What rate should I set it at?
Sadly, I can not answer this. There will always be people with connections too slow to handle whatever you are streaming at. Setting it at 4000 or 3500 seems to enable most people to watch.

What about my stream quality?
Sadly, you are going to have to make a choice. There are those who will not watch streams that are below 1080P at 60fps. and there are those who do not have an internet connection able to receive that much data. If you are unwilling to restart your stream until you get quality options, You'll have to decide which group you are going to exclude.