Twitch Enhanced Broadcasting Explained: Complete Guide to AV1, HEVC & High-Quality Streaming

Key Takeaways

• Enhanced Broadcasting uses next-gen codecs - AV1 and HEVC offer 30-50% better compression than H.264.
• Hardware requirements are specific - RTX 40-series or AMD RX 7000-series for AV1; RTX 20-series or RX 5000-series for HEVC.
• Viewer compatibility is automatic - Twitch transcodes for viewers on older devices.
• Lower bitrate, same quality - Stream 1080p60 at 4000-6000 Kbps with AV1 vs. 6000-8000+ with H.264.
• Rolling availability - Check your Creator Dashboard for access status.

Why New Codecs Matter

Video compression works by discarding information that viewers are unlikely to notice while preserving the visual details that matter. Better codecs are smarter about what to keep and what to discard:

• Fewer compression artifacts: Blocky squares, banding, and mosquito noise are reduced
• Better motion handling: Fast-paced games look smoother without smearing
• Improved gradients: Skies, fog, and subtle color transitions render more accurately
• Higher detail retention: Text, foliage, and fine patterns remain crisp

According to research from the Alliance for Open Media (the organization behind AV1), the codec achieves approximately 30-50% better compression than H.264 at equivalent visual quality levels.

Codec Comparison

NVIDIA GPUs

NVIDIA's NVENC encoder is widely considered the best for streaming due to its quality and efficiency:

• AV1 Encoding: RTX 40-series (4060, 4070, 4080, 4090) required
• HEVC Encoding: RTX 20-series (2060 and up) or newer
• Dual encoders: RTX 4080 and 4090 have dual NVENC for simultaneous encode tasks

The RTX 40-series introduced the 8th generation NVENC with dedicated AV1 encoding hardware. According to NVIDIA's Video Codec SDK documentation, this generation provides substantial quality improvements over previous encoder versions.

AMD GPUs

AMD's VCE (Video Coding Engine) has improved significantly in recent generations:

• AV1 Encoding: RX 7000-series (7600, 7700 XT, 7800 XT, 7900 XT/XTX) required
• HEVC Encoding: RX 5000-series (5500 XT and up) or newer
• Note: AMD encoder quality has historically lagged behind NVIDIA, though the gap has narrowed

Intel GPUs

Intel Arc GPUs offer competitive encoding capabilities:

• AV1 Encoding: All Intel Arc GPUs (A380, A750, A770, etc.)
• HEVC Encoding: All Intel Arc GPUs
• Advantage: Intel Arc provides AV1 encoding at lower price points than NVIDIA
• Consideration: Arc driver maturity and game compatibility may vary

Integrated Graphics

Some integrated graphics solutions support Enhanced Broadcasting codecs:

• Intel 11th Gen (Tiger Lake) and newer: AV1 decode, limited encode support on 12th Gen+
• AMD Ryzen 7000 series (Phoenix/Hawk Point): AV1 encode/decode support
• Apple M1/M2/M3: HEVC support (AV1 decode on M3)

Integrated graphics may struggle with demanding games while also encoding, but work for low-intensity streaming scenarios.

Hardware Upgrade Considerations

If you're considering upgrading specifically for Enhanced Broadcasting, evaluate whether the visual quality improvement justifies the cost. For streamers already planning a GPU upgrade, prioritizing a model with AV1 support (RTX 40-series, RX 7000-series, or Intel Arc) provides future-proofing. However, upgrading solely for AV1 may not be cost-effective if your current setup produces acceptable quality.

Step 1: Verify OBS Version

Enhanced Broadcasting requires OBS Studio 29.1 or newer:

1. Open OBS Studio
2. Click Help > About
3. Check the version number
4. If below 29.1, download the latest version from obsproject.com

Step 2: Enable Enhanced Broadcasting in Twitch

1. Go to your Twitch Creator Dashboard
2. Navigate to Settings > Stream
3. Look for Enhanced Broadcasting or Next-Gen Codecs section
4. Enable the feature (if available for your account)
5. Note any specific codec preferences or limitations

Step 3: Configure OBS Output Settings

1. In OBS, go to Settings > Output
2. Set Output Mode to Advanced
3. Select the Streaming tab
4. For Encoder, choose one of:
   • NVIDIA NVENC AV1 (RTX 40-series)
   • NVIDIA NVENC HEVC (RTX 20-series+)
   • AMD HW AV1 (RX 7000-series)
   • AMD HW H.265 (RX 5000-series+)
   • Intel QSV AV1 (Arc GPUs)
5. Click Apply

Step 4: Optimize Encoder Settings

Recommended settings for AV1 streaming at 1080p60:

Step 5: Configure Video Settings

Ensure your video settings match your output goals:

1. Go to Settings > Video
2. Set Base (Canvas) Resolution to your monitor resolution
3. Set Output (Scaled) Resolution to 1920x1080
4. Set Common FPS Values to 60
5. For Downscale Filter, use Lanczos (sharpest) or Bicubic
6. Click Apply

Fast-Paced Competitive Games

Games like Valorant, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty benefit enormously from AV1/HEVC:

• Problem with H.264: Fast motion causes significant quality degradation and blocky artifacts
• AV1/HEVC advantage: Better motion estimation preserves clarity during rapid camera movements
• Recommended bitrate: 5000-6000 Kbps (AV1) for crisp 1080p60
• Consider: Using stream delay for competitive integrity in ranked matches

Story-Driven and RPG Games

Games with detailed environments and gradual pacing showcase Enhanced Broadcasting's gradient handling:

• Problem with H.264: Banding in skies, fog effects, and dark areas
• AV1/HEVC advantage: Smoother gradients and better shadow detail
• Recommended bitrate: 4500-5500 Kbps (AV1) is often sufficient
• Pairs well with: Strategic category selection for discoverability

Just Chatting and Webcam-Focused Content

Webcam quality improvements are noticeable but less dramatic than gameplay:

• Improvement areas: Better skin tone rendering, reduced webcam noise
• Lower bitrate possible: 3500-4500 Kbps for webcam-only content
• More impactful: Good lighting and webcam hardware matter more than codec choice
• Focus on: Professional channel setup for Just Chatting success

Retro and Pixel Art Games

Low-resolution or pixel art games can actually present challenges:

• Consideration: Simple graphics compress well with any codec
• Potential issue: Some encoders may introduce unwanted smoothing on pixel art
• Recommendation: Test with your specific games; H.264 may be equivalent
• Lower bitrate works: 3000-4000 Kbps often sufficient for retro content

Automatic Transcoding

Twitch automatically handles codec compatibility for viewers:

• Compatible viewers: Receive the native AV1/HEVC stream for best quality
• Incompatible viewers: Receive H.264 transcodes (standard quality)
• Mobile viewers: Automatically served appropriate format for their device
• Quality options: Transcodes still available (160p, 360p, 480p, 720p, etc.) for bandwidth-limited viewers

This means you don't exclude any viewers by using Enhanced Broadcasting, viewers on older devices simply receive the traditional quality level.

Browser and Device Compatibility

Bandwidth Benefits for Viewers

Enhanced Broadcasting's efficiency benefits viewers as much as streamers:

• Lower data usage: Same quality at 30-50% less bandwidth
• Better mobile experience: High quality without excessive data consumption
• Reduced buffering: Lower bitrates are easier on inconsistent connections
• Improved multi-stream viewing: Viewers watching multiple streams benefit from lower per-stream bandwidth

Encoder Not Available in OBS

If AV1/HEVC encoders don't appear in your OBS settings:

• Update GPU drivers: Encoder support requires recent driver versions
• Update OBS: Version 29.1+ required for AV1 support
• Verify hardware: Confirm your GPU model supports the desired codec
• Check Windows version: Windows 10 1903+ or Windows 11 required
• Reinstall OBS: Fresh installation may resolve detection issues

Stream Disconnects or Errors

If your stream disconnects when using Enhanced Broadcasting:

• Check Twitch settings: Ensure Enhanced Broadcasting is enabled for your account
• Reduce bitrate: Try lower bitrates to rule out upload bandwidth issues
• Test with H.264: If H.264 works but AV1 doesn't, the issue is codec-specific
• Review encoder preset: Higher presets require more GPU power; lower if you see encoding lag

Quality Looks Worse Than Expected

If Enhanced Broadcasting quality doesn't meet expectations:

• Bitrate too low: AV1 is efficient, but still needs adequate bitrate (4500+ Kbps for 1080p60)
• Encoder preset too fast: Use P5 or P6 preset for better quality
• Source resolution mismatch: Ensure canvas and output resolutions are appropriate
• Test viewing conditions: Watch your own VOD on a quality monitor to assess accurately

Performance Issues While Gaming

If encoding affects your game performance:

• Lower encoder preset: P4 or P3 reduces GPU encoder load
• Check GPU utilization: Encoding should use dedicated encoder, not shader cores
• Consider HEVC: Less demanding than AV1 on some GPUs
• Dual-PC setup: Offload encoding to a second system if issues persist

New Streamers (Pre-Affiliate)

• Priority: Focus on content quality over technical perfection
• Recommendation: Use Enhanced Broadcasting if you have the hardware, but don't upgrade solely for it
• Transcoding note: Pre-Affiliate streams may not always have transcodes available
• Path to growth: Meet Affiliate requirements first

Affiliates

• Transcoding: Affiliates get transcodes during peak hours, making codec less critical for viewer compatibility
• Benefit: Enhanced Broadcasting improves source quality for viewers on good connections
• Consideration: Evaluate if hardware upgrade cost makes sense for your growth goals
• Monetization: Better quality may improve viewer retention and subscription conversions

Partners

• Guaranteed transcodes: All viewers can watch regardless of source codec
• Recommendation: Enhanced Broadcasting is strongly recommended for professional quality
• Competitive edge: Superior quality differentiates your stream
• Future-proofing: Positions your stream for platform quality improvements

AV1 Adoption Trends

AV1 is positioned to become the dominant streaming codec:

• Royalty-free: No licensing fees make it attractive for platforms
• Industry backing: Supported by Google, Netflix, Amazon, Apple, and more
• Hardware acceleration expanding: All new GPUs include AV1 encode/decode
• YouTube adoption: Already supports AV1 for uploads and streaming

What's Next After AV1?

The codec development cycle continues:

• AV2 in development: Next iteration already being designed
• VVC (H.266): HEVC successor with even better compression
• Timeline: Widespread streaming adoption likely 5-10 years away
• Practical impact: AV1 is the relevant choice for the foreseeable future

Does Enhanced Broadcasting work with Streamlabs Desktop?

Yes, Streamlabs Desktop (formerly Streamlabs OBS) also supports AV1 and HEVC encoding. The settings are similar to OBS Studio. Navigate to Settings > Output > Streaming and select the appropriate encoder. Streamlabs may have slightly different naming conventions, but the functionality is equivalent.

Can I use Enhanced Broadcasting with a capture card?

Yes, capture cards work with Enhanced Broadcasting. The capture card provides video input, but encoding still happens on your GPU. Ensure your streaming PC has a compatible GPU for AV1/HEVC encoding. The capture card's codec support is irrelevant since encoding is handled separately.

Will Enhanced Broadcasting improve my VOD quality?

VODs (Video on Demand) are stored based on your broadcast quality. If you stream with Enhanced Broadcasting, your VODs should reflect that quality. However, Twitch may transcode stored VODs, so the exact quality preservation depends on Twitch's backend processing.

Should I use AV1 or HEVC?

AV1 generally offers slightly better compression than HEVC and is royalty-free. If your hardware supports both, AV1 is the recommended choice. However, if you only have HEVC support (RTX 20-30 series, RX 5000-6000 series), HEVC still provides significant improvements over H.264.

Does Enhanced Broadcasting affect stream latency?

Enhanced Broadcasting codecs don't inherently increase latency. Stream latency is primarily determined by your Twitch latency mode setting (Low Latency vs. Normal) and any manually added delay. Some viewers on older hardware may experience slightly longer initial buffer times as their devices decode the newer codec.

Tools & Calculators

• Stream Schedule Analyzer - Find optimal streaming times
• Viewer Engagement Calculator - Measure and improve engagement
• Stream Growth Calculator - Project your channel growth milestones
• Total Income Estimator - Calculate potential Twitch earnings

Related Guides

• Twitch Stream Delay Explained - Latency settings and optimization
• Twitch Stream Overlays Explained - Professional visual presentation
• Twitch Analytics Explained - Track your channel performance
• Affiliate vs Partner Guide - Understand program differences
• Best Extensions for Small Streamers - Boost engagement with extensions