Quality options, what they are, and how to get them!

  Hello streamer! You are reading this because I (or someone else) has linked you to this post. This is the third version of similar posts. 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 source streaming rate, and "auto". These are sometimes encoding or transcoding options. These are all words for the same thing. They allow users to watch at a lower bitrate, using less bandwidth. 

What should I set, 720p or 1080p?

Your output resolution does not matter at all. It has no impact on if you do or do not get quality options, and has no impact on what quality options do for viewers.

My connection is good/bad, so...

This also does not matter at all, and also has no impact on if you do or do not get quality options. Your stream is sent to twitch, and without quality options, it is simply sent to others as-is. If you get quality options, that means Twitch uses its magic to reduce the needed internet speed for people who view your stream. 

How does my output bitrate does not matter?

Your settings only impact your output bitrate. Quality options allow people to watch at lower bitrates, and not just the one you are outputting. Without these, the only option is your output bitrate. With them, lower bitrates can be selected. You can stream at, for example 720p at 30fps at 6000 bitrate, or at 3000 bitrate. The only thing that matters for some people is the bitrate, as that determines what loads quickly and what constantly buffers. What matters is getting quality options, as that will enable people to watch. 

Why don't I have them already?
Non-partners only get quality options "sometimes". Affiliates and Non-Affiliates seem to get them at the same rate. If you are a partner; good news: you already have quality options automatically every time you stream. 

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. I personally recommend trying at least 5 times. Each time you try, check your own stream, and look for that quality option. You should see a list of options such as 160p, 360p, 480p, and so on. You may see less if you stream at lower resolutions, but those first few options should always be there.

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. but many users, such as those on mobile data, can not handle 6000 bits. Getting the options allows viewers to watch at a lower bitrate, lower than whatever you've set the bitrate to. To check and/or change your broadcast bitrate, you will need to look at the settings in your broadcaster program (OBS, xsplit, streamlabs, etc)

What if I do not want to restart?

It's understandable, but 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. You can get to partner without ever doing any of this; however, getting quality options can often double your viewership, and greatly increase the amount of subs and donations you get. It will also mean a more fun chat experience with better quality interactions with viewers. 

So wait, summarise for me; why do I want this again?

Some people literally can not watch your stream without quality options. Their internet is not fast enough. Quality options let them watch at a bitrate that their internet can handle. While the quality options are presented as options such as "480p" and "720p", your output resolution does not matter. You'll often see people who output at 720p, at 60fps, have both a source option, and a separate 720p, 60fps quality option. The latter is your stream after twitch has worked its magic. This latter option, despite being identical, often cuts the bitrate viewers need in half. 

Is there really no other way?
You could set your base output bitrate lower. This will enable more people to watch, but can mean your stream does not look as crisp.

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 3000 seems to enable most people to watch as "high speed" internet standards from a decade or two ago would target similar numbers, and many old-standard mobile data networks can handle this. 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. Setting things based on the game can be smart; if playing a game with a 30 fps framerate, for example, you could easily find bitrate savings just by reducing your output fps. 

This all sounds like a bit much!

When you are not used to it, it can be. Streamers who are used to restarting, simply consider it part of their "steam starting routine." It can be difficult to add this as part of your routine, but eventually it will become a habit. 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. You can choose to stick with not having quality options, but this will mean many people can't watch. You can choose to not restart but stream at a lower bitrate. This can work for some, but not for others. Or you can choose to restart until you get the options. This may add frustration to your stream routine. I highly recommend you do this as the minor irritation this provides you with is easily offset by the hours of entertainment you can provide to people who otherwise can not watch, but in the end, this is your choice, and I can not make that decision for you.