Do you have a powerful PC but your Twitch streaming leaves much to be desired? The reason for that is probably the Internet connection and its speed, in particular.
You will agree that there are several factors which influence the quality of broadcasting. They are an overcrowded network, router effectiveness, damaged or not properly inserted cables, and, of course, the Internet speed and the quality of the video streamed.
Quality broadcasting can be performed only if you meet several requirements and remove all the obstacles on its way.
This article will inform you what speed is recommended for Twitch live streaming and how to check the current Internet speed you have.
What Upload Speed Do You Need to Stream on Twitch?
It would be great to answer this question with one word or number, however, there are many ‘buts’ to consider before making this conclusion.
Look: the quality of streaming depends directly on the quality of video broadcasted, not only the Internet speed.
Consequently, according to Twitch broadcasting guidelines, there are 6 examples of video quality streamed on the portal and each of them will have its optimal Internet speed. 4 of them have high definition resolution with both a standard and high framerate, and only 2 of them broadcast video of standard definition and low bandwidth ingest. As a result, the Internet speed for live streaming will depend on the video quality you will choose.
Now, it is time to learn the basic figures.
When we speak about broadcasting, it is important to take into account the upload speed needed to stream – how fast you can send data from your PC or mobile device to the Internet. One more important thing to consider is the bandwidth of your network, since the larger information requests you need, the wider ‘pipeline’ you should have for it to squeeze through.
According to different resources, there is a minimum and recommended Internet speed for videos of different quality. The minimum bandwidth required for standard definition videos is as follows:
- 720×480 – 350kbps
- 640×480, 640×360 – 300kbps
- 320×240 – 200kbps
When we decide to watch HD videos, the minimum looks in this way:
- 1920×1080 (1080i/p HD) – 3.5Mbps
- 1280×720 (720p HD) – 1.8Mbps
- 720×480 (480p) – 1.2Mbps
However, if you want to avoid pauses, lag and tearing and establish a high-quality stream of high definition video, there are general recommendations of the Internet speed to be considered.
- 3 Mbps for 480p;
- 6 Mbps for 720p;
- 13 Mbps for 1080p.
Twitch has over 2 million active broadcasters, and most of them prefer to provide high-quality videos with 1920×1080p resolution. Even if you plan to stream your own video with the medium HD resolution, the recommended upload speed for Twitch is 4-6 Mbps.
How Can You Effectively Conduct a Performance Test of Your Internet
Before you visit or contact your Internet provider to change the speed of your Internet connection, it is preferable to conduct a speed test of the existing connection. In fact, you do not need special software for this purpose. All you need is a computer with a web browser.
The first thing you should do is to prepare for the test. For this purpose, it is preferable to plug a PC directly into the modem or, if you use Wi-Fi router, minimize interference of other electronic devices. It is also important to check that your computer does not download anything at the time of the test performance. Your bandwidth usage must drop to zero to start the test.
Secondly, you need to open any online Internet connection speed test and press the button ‘Start’. In several seconds or minutes, you will see the report with the numbers that stand for your Internet speed. Be ready to see that your speed is far from being the top one since it is more a rarity rather than a rule. But still, it should be much slower than you were promised, otherwise, it is time to turn to the technical support and troubleshoot the problem.
Conclusion
Twitch is a very popular platform where most of the broadcasters wish to offer a top-notch experience to their viewers and offer video only of the best quality and resolution. Consequently, you need to have not only a stable but also a fast Internet connection with the speed of 4Mbps and higher. Only such speed can guarantee you an uninterrupted stream with an excellent quality of the picture.
