OBS Studio
OBS Studio is the most common encoder for Farbstrom.
You don't need to build the ingest URLs by hand: the admin Stream keys tab lists the full, ready-made URL for every protocol next to each key — just copy and paste the one you need into OBS.
SRT (recommended — H.265 passthrough)
- In OBS, open Settings → Stream.
- Set Service to Custom….
- Server: paste the SRT URL from the Stream keys tab (
srt://<host>:9999?streamid=default/live/<STREAM_KEY>). - Leave Stream Key empty (the key is carried in the
streamid). - Click OK, then Start Streaming.
To send H.265 (HEVC), set Settings → Output → Streaming → Video Encoder to an HEVC encoder (e.g. NVIDIA NVENC HEVC or x265). SRT preserves it end to end.
RTMP (most compatible)
- In OBS, open Settings → Stream.
- Set Service to Custom….
- Server: paste the RTMP server URL from the Stream keys tab (
rtmp://<host>:1935/live). - Stream Key: your
<STREAM_KEY>(also shown in the Stream keys tab). - Click OK, then Start Streaming.
Recommended encoder settings
In Settings → Output, set Output Mode: Advanced and use the Streaming tab. Pick the path that matches what you're delivering — SDR (H.264) or HDR (H.265).
SDR (H.264)
Use x264 (software) on macOS, or NVIDIA NVENC on PC/Linux. On macOS, avoid the hardware-accelerated Apple H264 encoder — it's objectively lower quality, with strong compression artifacts and banding, especially in low light or fast-paced sequences. x264 is the best option for H.264.
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Rate Control | CBR |
| Bitrate | 6000 Kbps |
| Keyframe Interval | 1 s |
| CPU Usage Preset | faster |
| Profile | high |
| Tune | zerolatency |
| x264 Options | bframes=0 |
Disable B-frames for WebRTC
WebRTC playback breaks up and stutters with B-frames on. On x264, bframes=0 (above) covers it; on NVENC set Max B-frames to 0.
HDR (H.265)
HDR review needs H.265 (HEVC). On macOS use the Apple VT HEVC Hardware Encoder — unlike H.264, this is the right choice here: it outputs the 10-bit 4:2:2 that HDR needs. (On PC/Linux, use NVENC HEVC.)
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Video Encoder | Apple VT HEVC Hardware Encoder |
| Rate Control | CBR |
| Bitrate | 6000 Kbps |
| Keyframe Interval | 1 s |
| Profile | main 4:2:2 10 |
| Use B-Frames | off |
| Spatial AQ | Disabled |
Then set the HDR color pipeline in Settings → Advanced → Video:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Renderer | Metal |
| Color Format | P216 (16-bit, 4:2:2) |
| Color Space | Rec. 2100 (PQ) |
| Color Range | Full |
| SDR White Level | 100 nits |
| HDR Nominal Peak Level | 1000 nits |
Capture device
If your source is a Blackmagic DeckLink or UltraStudio, its device settings must be configured manually for HDR — OBS won't do it for you. Match the device's color space and HDR settings to your incoming signal.
Send this over SRT, and set the room's delivery mode to LLHLS so HDR reaches Apple HDR browsers — see HDR review.
Confirming you're live
Once streaming, the room using this key shows as live, and the stream appears on the admin Dashboard with bitrate, resolution, and duration.