OBS Studio Review

OBS Studio enables users to capture live video from any type of console (Nintendo, Xbox, Wii), desktop computer, webcam, and much more. Typically, a large percentage of users online flock to a website called twitch.tv and do live stream using OBS Studio. This is likely do to the tool have the ability to record at 60 FPS to reduce lag time.

The purpose of this video is my review of the tool and I demonstrate how to use it to capture all types of screens. In my example in the video above, I showed how to create Scenes that can capture input/output from devices connected to your computer, such as a game capture device that is used to record live action of video games.

One of the first things I showed my viewers  is how I was able to capture the video signals from my Commodore 64 system for this OBS Studio review that used cables plugged into the the HD GameCaster device I purchased to show a live game in action. For users who may not be from my generation, this computer runs in 8-bit mode, has 64k of memory, but still had an amazing ability to produce some fancy multicolor displays for the mountain of games that were saved on floppy disks then.

Soon the game Back to the Future II was present in OBS Studio review playing music. The music is not actually emitting from OBS Studio, but rather I had the game projected on my television and output the sound through its’ speakers. This is only because I could not figure out how to project the sound through the tool. However, nothing wrong with cutting corners. Had I not mentioned it, nobody would have realized the sound was only audible since my computer was very close to the TV connected to my Commodore 64 system.

OB Studio review has an ability to run a game or project a screen in full mode. This is done by right clicking on the display window and selecting the option Fullscreen Projector (Source). This was exciting to me at the time, since I had spent quite a bit of time trying different techniques to get the Commodore 64 to display the picture in full screen on my desktop computer. However, you will discover that in another video.

Once I had discovered I had the ability to record my Commodore 64 screens in full screen, I was sold. Soon afterward, I ventured out and started uploading full screen game captures from my C64 system. I did this to make a point. A lot of the YouTube videos at that time were only recorded using the VICE C64 emulator or possibly using a camera phone to record the Commodore 64 in action. Yet this was a major breakthrough and I could not hold back my excitement.

How to create a Scene in OBS Studio

To create a scene in the OBS Studio tool, you click on the plus (+) sign at the bottom left window in the “Scenes” area. This will load up a dialogue box that says, Please enter the name of the scene. Then you simply either leave the default set to ‘Scene 2’ or create your own name for the Scene and then press the OK button.  In my example I used the name Game_Capture_Device.

OBS Studio ScenesThe background screen will now turn to black. Previously it was still controlling the desktop camera that was recording myself talking about the tool.  Then I mentioned to click on the plus (+) sign in the second window to the right of the Scenes window, titled Sources. It pulls up a large menu of choices. The menu contains Audio Input Capture, Audio Output Capture, BrowserSource, Color Source, Display Capture, Game Capture, Image, Image Slide Show, Media Source, Scene, Text (GDI+), Video Capture Device, Window Capture, and Deprecated.

Selected the menu option for Video Capture device, I was soon looking at a dialogue box that was labeled Create/Select Source. Below that in the main area there was two selections. The first one said ‘Create New’ (pre-selected by default) and the second one said ‘Add Existing’. Below the Add Existing window was a tainted display showing Video Capture Device2 and Web_Camera, which was recalling previous options I had saved. The default name listed under Create New was Video Capture Device. I decided to clear that entry and name it Diamond Capture.

Properties for Video Capture

OBS Studio Capture WindowClicking the OK button brought up a new window. This one was titled, Properties for ‘Diamond Capture’. Listed below this was a blank window and further down were other selections. These selections included Device (set to Logitech HD Pro Webcam C920), Deactivate, Configure Web, and Configure Crossbar. There was a checkbox that said Deactivate when not showing. Below this was several drop down boxes. These were titled Resolution/FPS Type (set to Device Default), Resolution, FPS (set to Match Output FPS),  Video Format (set to Any), YUV Color Space (set to Default), YUV Color Range (set to Partial), and Buffering (set to Auto-Detect).

Next I changed the Device window within OBS Studio review to show USB 28480p Device so it could record streaming from the GameCaster unit I had connected to my desktop computer.

Using Window Capture

After this I decided to get a capture of the desktop computer. So clicking on the plus (+) sign under Source, I chose the option for Window Capture. As usual the same Create/Select Source dialogue box appeared. I decided to leave the name as the default title of Window Capture and pressed the OK button.

OBS Studio Window CaptureNext another dialogue box titled Properties for ‘Window Capture’ filled the center area of my screen. Since I was recording live from Camtasia Studio, the device instantly captured a window for that area to show the Camtasia box with the time recording counter, Audio control slider, and the button Delete, Pause, and Stop to the right of this area. A screenshot example will clarify this.

In the area below there is an option for Window (set to [CamRecorder.exe]: Recording, Window Match Priority (set to Window Class), and two checkboxes showing Capture Cursor and Multi-adapter Compatibility.

In the main area for Window Capture you can click on an object there (such as the Camtasia Studio Recorder) and resize the image by left clicking the edges. The whole area will be surrounded by a red border to indicate you are in the edit resize phase.

OBS Studio Window CaptureNext, I provided further clarification of how to switch out the Window Capture display area. Right clicking on the Window Capture Source I created at the bottom left allowed an option to view the Properties. So I opened it up and the first dialogue box appeared again for Properties for ‘Window Capture’. Then I clicked in the Window area below (that was previously set to [CamRecorder.exe]: Recording, and showed the other options that OBS Studio had found. These options included [firefox.exe], [ScheduleAgent.exe], and[Magic Visual Effects.exe]: ArcSoft. OBS Studio had analzyed the applications I had running in the background and presented them in a drop down selection. Clicking on any of these selections would instantly replace the Camtasia Studio Recorder object with the new item in view.

There is also the ability to swap between the Scenes created just by clicking on the item of selection. As an example in the video, I had creates Scenes for Game_Capture_C64, Webcam, Fullscreen_Webcam, and Game_Capture_Device. As I clicked on each individual name, I could instantly witness the larger display area above changing to reflect the new window output.

Removing a Scenes Window

OBS Studio also contains the ability to remove a current Scene that was previously created. Just click on the plus (+) sign at the bottom edge of the Scenes window. You will then see a dialogue box labeled Confirm Remove and the request stating ‘Are you sure you wish to remove ‘FullScreen_Webcam?”. Selecting the Yes button will delete the Scene from the bottom left corner.