In datarhei Restreamer, the documented video bitrate control applies when Restreamer encodes the video. Its documented default is copy, which passes the source video through unchanged. To change the outgoing video bitrate, select the H264 video codec to expose encoding options, then set a target that matches YouTube’s recommendation for your codec, resolution, and frame rate—and that your upload connection can sustain.
Find out whether Restreamer is encoding or copying your video
Check the video codec in your Restreamer encoding settings. The Restreamer encoding guide, which describes behavior from version 0.4.0 and carries a 2022 footer, says the default codec is copy. In that mode, the source video is used unmodified, so the documented encoding bitrate option is not changing its bitrate. The guide says selecting H264 exposes encoding options including preset, bitrate, FPS, profile, and tune. Re-encoding can use significant CPU resources. Read the Restreamer encoding guide.
Exact labels and screen layout may differ in your installed release; treat the guide as documentation of the setting’s behavior, not a guarantee that every current interface is identical. Restreamer’s separate YouTube publishing instructions describe entering a stream ID and monitoring bitrate in the main window. They do not identify that displayed bitrate as an editable control. See Restreamer’s YouTube publishing guide.
Choose a bitrate for YouTube and your upload connection
There is no one bitrate target for every YouTube stream. YouTube’s recommended video bitrate depends on the ingestion codec, resolution, and frame rate. These are platform recommendations, not guarantees of stability or image quality. The following H.264 examples come from YouTube’s encoder settings page, accessed in 2026:
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| YouTube input mode | YouTube-recommended H.264 video bitrate |
|---|---|
| 720p at 30 fps | 8 Mbps |
| 720p at 60 fps | 8 Mbps |
| 1080p at 30 fps | 14 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 17 Mbps |
| 1440p at 30 fps | 21 Mbps |
| 1440p at 60 fps | 34 Mbps |
Do not apply those H.264 figures to another codec as if they were universal. For example, YouTube recommends 10 Mbps for AV1 or H.265 at 1080p30, compared with 14 Mbps for H.264 at the same mode. Consult YouTube’s current live encoder settings for the codec and mode you actually send.
Your upload path must also sustain the target. Restream’s Help Center recommends keeping video bitrate at no more than half the upload speed it measures. That is Restream’s 2024 troubleshooting rule of thumb—not a YouTube requirement—and it is not a guarantee against drops. Read Restream’s stability troubleshooting guidance. Leave capacity for audio and other network use as well, and consider the connection between the Restreamer machine and YouTube rather than relying on a best-case speed test alone.
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Change the bitrate and test the stream
- Check the current video codec. In Restreamer’s encoding settings, determine whether it is set to
copyor H264. If it is copying, changing the documented encoding bitrate setting will not re-encode the source video. - Expose the encoding controls if needed. Select H264 as the video codec, following the controls available in your installed Restreamer version. The documented guide lists bitrate alongside preset, FPS, profile, and tune.
- Set a mode-appropriate target. Choose the YouTube-recommended target for the codec, resolution, and frame rate you will send. Confirm that the upload path can sustain it before starting the event.
- Check the wider encoder configuration. YouTube recommends constant bitrate (CBR) and a two-second keyframe interval; do not exceed four seconds. YouTube supports RTMP/RTMPS and recommends RTMPS for encrypted delivery. These settings complement bitrate; they do not compensate for an overloaded encoder or weak connection. See YouTube’s encoder settings.
- Run a representative test before going live. Include movement and audio like the actual stream, then monitor YouTube’s stream health and messages. YouTube Help specifically advises testing with audio and video movement similar to the planned stream.
Troubleshoot a stream that is still unstable
- The bitrate setting seems to do nothing: check whether the video codec is still
copy. In that mode, Restreamer passes through the source video rather than using its encoding bitrate control. If you need to alter the outgoing video bitrate, use the documented H264 encoding mode. - YouTube reports a high or low bitrate: compare the incoming signal with the YouTube recommendation for its actual codec, resolution, and frame rate. Check YouTube’s health message rather than raising or lowering bitrate blindly. YouTube’s live-stream diagnostics documentation describes health issues including high or low bitrate, long keyframe intervals, and insufficient incoming video.
- Viewers buffer or YouTube reports insufficient incoming video: investigate upload capacity and connection quality. YouTube’s
videoIngestionStarveddiagnostic indicates insufficient incoming video and can be associated with viewer buffering. A higher target can worsen the problem if the streaming path cannot sustain it. - The encoding device is overloaded: review CPU load and reduce bitrate, resolution, or FPS if needed. Restream recommends lowering encoder settings when the device is overloaded; re-encoding also consumes CPU.
- Upload speed is low or inconsistent: test the connection used by the Restreamer machine. Restream suggests trying wired Ethernet and checking router, modem, or ISP issues when low speeds persist. A cable is an optional troubleshooting step, not a requirement for changing bitrate.
Or let it run in the cloud
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