Hello streamer! You are reading this because I (or someone else) has linked you to this post. This is an updated post from my previous very similar post. You are being sent this link because you've started a stream that has no quality options!
What are quality options?
On any stream you watch, on desktop and 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". These are sometimes encoding or transcoding options.
Why do I want quality options, and why don't I have them already?
Non-partners only get quality options "sometimes". People use quality options to watch streams when their internet connection is slower than the modern standard. This is common in many rural areas where connections of 5Mpbs can not handle the suggested 6000 bitrate of streams. Many older mobile phones on data will also be unable to reach a 6000 bitrate of download.
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. Many well known affiliate streamers will do this. In fact, if you follow an affiliate who always seems to get quality options, you can outright ask them if they restart to get them. They will tell you that they do.
Why should I restart to make them appear?
Viewers use quality options 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 if I do not want to restart?
There really is nothing wrong with restarting, and it is commonplace among affiliates who average more than 40 viewers. The only other way to allow more people to watch without restarting is to lower the bitrate at which you stream.
What rate should I set it at, and how will that impact my quality?
There will always be people with connections too slow to handle whatever you are streaming at. Setting it at 3500 seems to enable most people to watch as "high speed" internet standards from a decade or two ago would target similar numbers. In terms of quality, 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, for whatever reason, you are unwilling to restart your stream until you get quality options, You'll have to decide which group you are going to exclude.
What rate should I set it at, and how will that impact my quality?
There will always be people with connections too slow to handle whatever you are streaming at. Setting it at 3500 seems to enable most people to watch as "high speed" internet standards from a decade or two ago would target similar numbers. In terms of quality, 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, for whatever reason, you are unwilling to restart your stream until you get quality options, You'll have to decide which group you are going to exclude.
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