Publishing Guide

Recommended encoder settings for streaming to Meshcast

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Recommended Settings
OBS Studio Setup
HEVC/H.265 Warning
RTMP Publishing
SRT Publishing
WebRTC/WHIP Publishing
Troubleshooting

Recommended Settings

These settings work well for most streaming scenarios. Adjust based on your upload speed and content type.

Video Bitrate

2,500 - 6,000 kbps

Higher for fast motion content

Audio Bitrate

128 - 320 kbps

AAC codec recommended

Keyframe Interval

2 seconds

Required for smooth playback

Resolution

1920x1080 max

720p works great for most uses

Bitrate by Resolution

Resolution	Frame Rate	Video Bitrate	Total Bitrate
1920x1080 (1080p)	30 fps	4,500 - 6,000 kbps	~6.5 Mbps
1920x1080 (1080p)	60 fps	6,000 - 9,000 kbps	~9.5 Mbps
1280x720 (720p)	30 fps	2,500 - 4,000 kbps	~4.5 Mbps
1280x720 (720p)	60 fps	3,500 - 5,000 kbps	~5.5 Mbps
854x480 (480p)	30 fps	1,000 - 2,000 kbps	~2.5 Mbps

Upload Speed Requirement

Your upload speed should be at least 1.5x your total bitrate. For a 6 Mbps stream, you need at least 9 Mbps upload.

OBS Studio Setup

Stream Settings

Go to Settings > Stream
Set Service to Custom
Enter the Meshcast RTMP URL from your dashboard
Use your Publish Key (pk_...) for publishing. Do not use the public Stream ID (st_...) in OBS.

            RTMP URL
            rtmp://[server-ip]:1935/[publish-key]
        

In OBS you can paste the full RTMP URL in the Server field and leave Stream Key empty, or use rtmp://[server-ip]:1935 as Server and paste the same pk_... Publish Key in Stream Key.

Output Settings

Go to Settings > Output
Set Output Mode to Advanced
Configure as shown below:

Setting	Recommended Value
Encoder	x264 or NVENC H.264 (see note below)
Rate Control	CBR
Bitrate	4500 kbps (for 1080p30)
Keyframe Interval	2 seconds
CPU Usage Preset	veryfast (or faster if CPU allows)
Profile	high
Tune	zerolatency (for low latency)

Avoid HEVC/H.265 for Compatibility

If you need viewers to watch in OBS Browser Source or older browsers, use H.264 encoding (x264, NVENC H.264, AMF H.264).

HEVC/H.265 requires Chromium 137+ for WebRTC playback. OBS Browser Source currently uses Chromium ~127, which cannot decode HEVC streams.

See our HEVC compatibility guide for more details.

Audio Settings

Setting	Recommended Value
Audio Bitrate	160 kbps
Audio Encoder	AAC
Sample Rate	48 kHz
Channels	Stereo

RTMP Publishing

RTMP is the most common streaming protocol, supported by OBS, Streamlabs, and most broadcast software.

URL Format

rtmp://[server-ip]:1935/[publish-key]

FFmpeg Example

            ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 4500k \
  -maxrate 4500k -bufsize 9000k \
  -g 60 -keyint_min 60 \
  -c:a aac -b:a 160k \
  -f flv rtmp://[server-ip]:1935/[publish-key]
        

Important: Keyframe Interval

Always set keyframe interval to 2 seconds (60 frames at 30fps, 120 frames at 60fps). This ensures smooth playback and segment creation for HLS.

SRT Publishing

SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) offers better reliability over unstable networks with built-in retransmission. It helps when occasional packets are lost, but it still needs enough upload bandwidth for the selected bitrate.

URL Format

            srt://[server-ip]:8890?streamid=publish:[stream-id]:meshcast:[publish-key]&pkt_size=1316&latency=400000
        

Important: Stream ID Format

SRT requires streamid=publish:[stream-id]:meshcast:[publish-key]. The public Stream ID starts with st_ and is the media path viewers watch; the Publish Key starts with pk_ and authenticates the publisher.

SRT Latency Values

OBS and FFmpeg pass SRT URL options through FFmpeg, where latency is measured in microseconds. Use latency=200000 for 200 ms, latency=400000 for 400 ms, or latency=800000 for unstable mobile/Wi-Fi networks.

OBS SRT Setup

Go to Settings > Stream
Set Service to Custom
For Server, enter the full SRT URL including streamid, pkt_size, and latency
Leave Stream Key empty because the Publish Key is already in the URL

FFmpeg SRT Example

            ffmpeg -i input.mp4 \
  -c:v libx264 -preset veryfast -b:v 4500k \
  -g 60 -keyint_min 60 \
  -c:a aac -b:a 160k \
  -f mpegts "srt://[server-ip]:8890?streamid=publish:[stream-id]:meshcast:[publish-key]&pkt_size=1316&latency=400000"
        

SRT Latency Presets

Network	URL Option	Tradeoff
Wired or strong LAN	`latency=200000`	Lower delay, less time for retransmits
Normal internet uplink	`latency=400000`	Good default for OBS publishing
Mobile, Wi-Fi, or congested uplink	`latency=800000`	More smoothing, more end-to-end delay

SRT vs RTMP

Feature	RTMP	SRT
Error Correction	None	Built-in ARQ
Encryption	None (use RTMPS)	AES-128/256
Latency	2-5 seconds	0.5-2 seconds
Firewall Friendly	TCP 1935	UDP 8890
Best For	Standard streaming	Unreliable networks

WebRTC/WHIP Publishing

WebRTC offers the lowest latency (~500ms) and works directly from web browsers.

Browser Publishing

Use our built-in publisher at:

https://app.meshcast.io/studio

WHIP Endpoint

https://app.meshcast.io/api/gateway/whip/[publish-key]

Lowest Latency Option

WebRTC provides sub-second latency. Use it for interactive streams, interviews, or real-time applications.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Problem	Cause	Solution
"Invalid stream key"	Wrong, expired, or public key used for publishing	Use the `pk_...` Publish Key from the dashboard
Connection drops	Bitrate too high for upload	Lower bitrate to 80% of upload speed
Choppy playback	Wrong keyframe interval	Set keyframe interval to exactly 2 seconds
SRT rejected	Missing `publish:` prefix or wrong key type	Use `streamid=publish:st_...:meshcast:pk_...`
No audio	Wrong audio codec	Use AAC codec (not MP3 or Opus for RTMP)
High latency	VBR or large buffer	Use CBR, reduce buffer size
Video not showing in OBS Browser Source	HEVC/H.265 codec not supported	Use H.264 encoder instead of HEVC (see warning)

Testing Your Stream

Start your stream with OBS or FFmpeg
Check the Dashboard - your stream should appear as "Live"
Open the viewer link in another browser/device
Check telemetry for bitrate, packet loss, and latency

Need Help?

Contact support at steve@seguin.email with your stream key and a description of the issue.