OBS Review

If you are looking for a free program that gives you the amenities of a paid software, OBS is a perfect choice. Also known as which stands for Open Broadcast Software, OBS lets you stream and record your screen or connect any video inputs you may have connected to the computer itself. When you start learning about everything that OBS has to offer, you will come to realize that it is a top-tier choice. 

OBS: at a Glance

For an overall understanding of how great OBS is, look at the following scores that they received for each category. Understanding how they rank before diving deeper into more information about OBS is a great place to start!  

The Score

Visit OBS.

Ease of Use: 8/10

Features: 10/10

Pricing: 10/10

Overall:  9.3/10

The Good

• It’s Free

The fact that OBS offers all of its services for free is astounding. You can contribute to OBS in the form of a donation through their website if you want to. Simply go to the page where you originally downloaded the program to begin and submit your donation. Note that payment is not required.  

• Recording Quality

The recording quality that you’ll find in OBS is second to none. However, the overall quality will also rely on the abilities of your computer. So remember that your graphics card and monitor will have an impact on the quality of your final products even with OBS. 

• Operating Systems

The most common issue that users face is a lack of compatibility across platforms. However, OBS doesn’t cause any of those issues. Windows, Mac, and even Linux are all supported by OBS. Even better, OBS makes it easy to download the software on any platform directly from the front page of their site. 

The Bad

• Confusing

While OBS is a fantastic program that provides a large number of tools, it can be difficult to navigate. Everything is labeled well but if you are a beginner who is unfamiliar with what they are looking for, it will be confusing.

• OS Difficulties

Using OBS on Windows very rarely results in any difficulties or hiccups with setup or functionality. However, working with OBS on Mac has caused difficulties for many users. You have to go into the settings to turn off privacy features and give permissions for OBS if you want the software to function at full capacity. Even then, there can still be many issues with the interface. 

Features

Reading a score and hearing that a program is great is one thing, but understanding why it received each rating is more important. Here are the main factors that make OBS stand out. 

People download OBS because they are either trying to record their screen or stream from their computer. The overall quality that OBS provides is above and beyond what most would normally expect from a free program like this. OBS is perfect for any level of experience. 

There are 2 forms of audio input that you can use on OBS: audio input sources and audio output sources. It may seem confusing at first because everything is technically an input source with OBS, but you have to think of it in relation to the computer itself. 

When you add a new audio source it gives you the option of an input or output source and from there you have to select the device you will be using. For inputs, it will recognize anything such as a built-in mic on the computer itself or even a USB-connected microphone or headset. You can even use audio interfaces as inputs in OBS. 

Adding output sources is basically the same. You have to select output and then determine the device you want to use. You will have to create multiple inputs if you are wanting to have multiple sources of audio. For instance, if you are streaming a game and want your mic to be heard by the audience you will need to create an input source for your mic and an output source to capture the audio of the game. 

Setting up the video sources is similar to the process of setting up your audio sources. Start by clicking the button that lets you begin adding a new source to OBS. Then, select the type of source from the drop-down list. You can create video sources for games, specific monitors, custom-sized windows, camera inputs, and more. While it is fantastic for recording and streaming your screen and a single camera, the video setup is not optimal if you will be switching between multiple cameras. 

If you regularly use OBS for multiple purposes, you will most likely require different setups than someone who only uses OBS for one set purpose. To accommodate your many uses of OBS, you can set up multiple scenes rather than having one giant cluttered window. This is helpful if you are streaming because you can use more audio inputs than if you are only recording your screen. 

OBS provides filters for both audio and video sources. To enter and edit the filters, you must have your source selected. Then click on the “Filters” button which is right next to “Properties.” 

From there, click the plus button and select the type of filter you wish to use. Video filters offer tools for sharpening, color correction, blending, scaling, and more. Audio filters go much more in-depth with what you can use. 

For audio filters, you can access the basics such as a compressor, limiter, noise-gate, noise suppression, and so on. But if you have any experience in audio production and have plugins for audio that you use from companies such as iZotope, you can use them in OBS. 

Go to the bottom of the filter list for your audio source and select “VST 2.x Plugin.” After confirming your selection, you can choose which plugin you have installed on the computer you want to use. 

Feel Official with OBS

When you look at everything that OBS has to offer, it’s worth taking the time to learn how to use OBS. There are countless ways to learn everything you need to know, from YouTube or forums and beyond. Every time you finish streaming or recording with OBS, you can feel confident that you have created a high-quality product for your viewers.