Open Broadcaster Software
 | |
|
OBS v0.522b x64 running on Windows 7 | |
| Developer(s) | Hugh "Jim" Bailey and Many Contributors |
|---|---|
| Initial release | v0.32a / 1 September 2012[1] |
| Stable release | v0.657 / 24 November 2015[2] |
| Preview release | v0.13.4 (Studio) / 21 March 2016[2] |
| Development status | Active |
| Written in | C, C++[2] |
| Operating system |
Windows[2] OS X Linux |
| Platform | IA-32 and x86-64 |
| Available in | 21 languages |
| Type | Software vision mixer, Streaming media |
| License | GNU GPLv2 |
| Website |
obsproject |
Open Broadcaster Software (also known as OBS) is an open source streaming and recording program maintained by the OBS Project.
Overview
Open Broadcaster Software is a free and open source software suite for recording and live streaming. Written in C and C++, OBS provides real-time source and device capture, scene composition, encoding, recording and broadcasting. Transmission of data is done via the Real Time Messaging Protocol and can be sent to any RTMP supporting destination (e.g. YouTube) including many presets for streaming websites such as Twitch.tv and DailyMotion.[3]
For video encoding, OBS is capable of using the x264 free software library,[4] Intel Quick Sync Video and Nvidia NVENC to encode video streams into the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC format. Audio can be encoded using either the MP3 or AAC codecs.
History
Open Broadcaster Software started out as a small project created by Hugh "Jim" Bailey but quickly grew with the help of many online collaborators working both to improve OBS and spread the knowledge about the program. In 2014,[5] development started on a rewritten version known as OBS Multiplatform (later renamed OBS Studio) for multiplatform support, a more thorough feature set, and a more powerful API.[6] OBS Studio is currently a work in progress as it has not yet reached feature parity with the original OBS, which is why the original is still available.[7]
Languages
Open Broadcaster Software is currently available in 21 languages. These are the following:
- Bulgarian, Portuguese, Danish, German, Greek, English, Spanish, Estonian, Finnish, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Lithuanian, Norwegian, Dutch, Polish, Russian, Swedish, Chinese Traditional, Chinese Simplified[8]
Many individuals have contributed translations for OBS, with additional languages being added frequently by members.
Plugins
Functionality can be extended by add-on programs called plugins (or plug-ins) found on the official forums.
There are various types of plugins, such as automated scene switchers, remote controllers, and new inputs/devices. Below are some popular types of plugins, and the developers associated with them:
- OBS Remote (Bill Hamilton[9]) - Allows remote control over OBS from the web browser on an external computer or over the internet. This is useful on systems with only 1 monitor and allows control over the application without it appearing in the video source. It is also useful for production machines that cannot be easily accessed by conventional means.
- Simple Scene Switcher (chris84 & ThoNohT[10]) - Allows for automated scene switching based on which window has focus. It can also switch scenes when the title of that window changes.
- DirectShow Audio Source (paibox[11]) - Any audio input device or video capture device (if it has audio capabilities that isn't already supported by OBS) can be used as a source in addition to the mic/aux and playback devices in the OBS settings.
- CLR Browser Source (Faruton[12]) - The CLR browser source plugin uses the Chromium Embedded Framework to render websites as a video source. It supports HTML5, JavaScript, and every technology that Chromium is capable of utilizing.
Revision control
The OBS Project uses the open source Git revision control system provided by GitHub.[13] Since May, 2013, the OBS GitHub has received over 1,000+ commits contributed by various developers, testers, and translators all over the world.[14]
See also
References
- ↑ "Open Broadcaster Software - Changelog". The OBS Project. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 "Open Broadcaster Software - Download". The OBS Project. Retrieved 28 November 2015.
- ↑ "How to stream games with Open Broadcaster: a fast, free livestreaming application - News - PC Gamer". Future Publishing Limited. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ↑ "x264 Home Page". VideoLan Organization. Retrieved 2011-03-11.
In addition to being free to use under the GNU GPL, x264 is also available under a commercial license from x264 LLC and CoreCodec.
- ↑ "OBS Studio Github Page". Github, Inc. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ↑ "OBS Homepage". The OBS Project. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ↑ "READ FIRST: Missing features still in development". The OBS Project. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
- ↑ "Locales". The OBS Project. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ↑ "OBS Remote". The OBS Project. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
- ↑ "Simple scene switcher". The OBS Project. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
- ↑ "DirectShow Audio Source Plugin". The OBS Project. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
- ↑ "CLR Browser Source Plugin". The OBS Project. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
- ↑ "jp9000/OBS - GitHub". GitHub, Inc. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ↑ "Commit History - jp9000/OBS". GitHub, Inc. Retrieved 27 May 2013.