Nothing shows up in OBS

OBS Studio is just black in the browser source; potentially you hear audio, but nothing else.

Common causes for no video showing up in OBS are the following:

  • Check OBS hardware acceleration settings

    • Enable or disable "Browser Source Hardware Acceleration" in OBS advanced settings

  • Run OBS as Administrator (for Windows users)

    • This can resolve permission-related issues affecting video capture

  • Try a different network connection

    • Switch between WiFi and cellular, or use a VPN to bypass potential network restrictions, or disable any VPN in use

  • Your stream ID changed, entered incorrectly, or other setting / parameter is incorrect

  • Try using a different browser to publish with; try Firefox, Edge, Chrome, or even the native app.

If suffering from choppy video,

Packet Loss

VDO.Ninja Troubleshooting Guide

Platform-Specific Issues

Windows

  • Ensure that the "Enable Browser Source Hardware Acceleration" checkbox is checked in the advanced settings.

  • If you get black video when it's checked:

    • Try unchecking the Hardware Acceleration checkbox (may be choppy and use more CPU)

    • Run OBS Studio as an Administrator

    • Update OBS Studio to the newest version (fully uninstall old version first)

    • If using OBS 64-bit, try the 32-bit version instead

    • Enable Compatibility Mode for OBS (right-click OBS icon → properties)

  • Ensure you have started in Administrator mode

macOS

  • Old versions of OBS, such as OBS v24 to v26.0 do not natively support VDO.Ninja, but version 26.1.2 and newer does.

    • Use the Electron Capture app if you are using a non-compatible version of OBS. > Get it here <

Mobile Devices

  • For Android smartphones, try using Firefox instead of Chrome if having issues

  • For Samsung A-series smartphones (especially Galaxy A12), try different browsers or the native Android app

  • Restart your smartphone if it suddenly stops working properly

    • Commonly when this happens the video output might be just black

Network and Connectivity Issues

General Network Troubleshooting

  • Run the speed test at https://vdo.ninja/speedtest or https://vdo.ninja/check to verify the connection works

  • Use diagnostic tools at https://vdo.ninja/browsercheck, https://browserleaks.com/webrtc, or https://networktest.twilio.com/ to ensure WebRTC is enabled

  • Check the stats while using VDO.NInja by adding &stats to the VDO.Ninja URL

  • If video is choppy, ensure there is no packet loss and that your computer is not overloaded

Firewall and Security Issues

  • If in Iran, China, Russia, or other sanctioned/restricted country, WebRTC may be blocked; try using a VPN or self-host VDO.Ninja instead.

  • If behind a corporate firewall, try switching to cellular network or talking to your IT department

  • If using PFSense or a PiHole:

    • Try bypassing it or using a different network

    • Whitelist the IP address of the remote camera source

    • Allow webRTC-related UDP traffic to prevent frame loss

  • Disable any anti-virus or other security software temporarily for testing

  • Make sure you have not disabled webRTC in your browser settings

  • If using Brave or other privacy focused browser, ensure the VPN isn't turned on

  • Try a different browser in general, or a different computer/network

Connection Types

  • If on cellular, try switching to a different network

  • If issues persist on one network type, try another (WiFi vs. cellular)

  • Try with or without a VPN, such as speedify.com, to see if it helps.

    • Speedify does offer a 1GB free usage tier I believe that's suitable for testing

Performance Optimization

Hardware Issues

  • Update your graphics card drivers, especially after a fresh install

  • Switch the GPU used by OBS if using an NVidia GPU (via Nvidia control center)

  • For laptops:

    • Check this guide: https://obsproject.com/wiki/Laptop-Troubleshooting#for-nvidia-based-laptops

    • Disable power-saving mode

    • Connect power directly to wall outlet

Resource Usage

  • If your computer is running at high CPU/GPU load:

    • Lower browser source resolution to 1280x720 or even 640x360

    • Try using H264 codec (add &codec=h264 to the view links)

    • Specify custom frame rate of 30 in browser source options

    • Try adding &meshcast to your push link to use the SFU service

Video Codec Options

  • Try different video codecs by adding parameters:

    • &codec=h264 (often best for performance)

    • &codec=vp9 (may help with specific devices)

OBS-Specific Solutions

Hardware Acceleration

  • If hardware acceleration is unchecked, check it and restart

  • If it's checked but not working, try unchecking it

  • In OBS Settings → Advanced menu, try toggling "Browser source hardware acceleration"

Alternative Solutions

  • Download Electron Capture app instead of using OBS browser source: http://electroncapture.app

  • Consider using Cloud-hosted version of OBS (Paperspace or AWS with Parsec)

OBS WHIP Issues

  • WHIP protocol may have NAT traversal issues (not fully supported yet)

  • Can't publish WHIP via OBS outside your LAN? Download our patched OBS version. [source]

  • Try alternative connection methods if WHIP fails to connect

Additional Recommendations

  • Restart all devices involved (computer, phone, router) before extended troubleshooting

  • If a device was working before but suddenly isn't, try a simple restart first

  • For persistent issues, consider trying an entirely different device or browser

  • Consider network congestion during peak hours as a possible cause of intermittent issues

  • If you're experiencing issues with PFSense, check its logs for blocked connections

  • Make sure you haven't limited the frame rate in the OBS browser source to something like 30-fps

  • Always update to the latest browser versions as WebRTC support improves with each update

  • Try an older version of VDO.Ninja, such as https://vdo.ninja/v27.4/

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