Video playback blurry

[WOJE]

I want to use Stream as an e-Learning platform, I tried a short video for testing (20"), but this video is very blurry ... this quality is not acceptable. It's a just 2,2Mb mp4 file, this should be no problem? Starting the same video from SharePoint works fine ...

[#2]

Are you uploading pre-recorded content? You have to give it awhile to decode if so, it starts out very low quality and after awhile will process the higher bitrates.

[#3]

Yes, I uploaded a recorded Video (2,2Mb) … waiting since 24 hours, quality is still very bad ...

Playing same Video from SharePoint works perfect … why not from the video-platform (Video or Stream)?

[#4]

I dunno, check your bit-rate in the bottom right, see what it's set too, maybe your connection is keeping it from using higher bit-rate since it's playing through a streaming service. SharePoint is just serving up the file buffered. I've had a good experience with uploaded content on Stream, so it should be able to render at or near same quality.

[#5]

Setting is on automatic, but changing to highest bitrate makes no difference.

After about 25" it changes to an acceptable quality, not good for an 30" video ...

Where are you based? US? Maybe a problem of the region?

[#6]

I'm thinking you might just need to upload higher quality video. 2.2meg for 30 seconds, and the fact the bitrate is very low might be the issue as it might have an issue trying to encode something so low from the start? Also I bet region might have some effect there. I would just test with a higher end video and see what happens and go from there. 

Here is my 10 second video, and it's bitrate is pretty high. 

[#7]

Of course I tested a bigger video with high resolution, but there was the same problem. Not a problem with my bandwidth (250Mbit).

I just need videos recorded from my screen, I want to use them as E-Learning videos, but I think Stream or Video is not the right place for this? Which I can't understand, because that is what it is made for!?

This is really annoying, especially if it's working in US region and not in Central or West Europe?!

There are a lot of posts about this problem reaching back to 2016 ... and I cant find any solution.

[#8]

Stream is encoded in 6 second bursts and it is a known issue that the first 6-18 seconds can be blurry. Maybe this is happening for you?
https://office365.uservoice.com/forums/264636-general/suggestions/35568271-improve-stream-performanc...
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/Office-365-Video/MS-Stream-Video-very-blurry/m-p/77873/highli...

[#9]

@WOJE did you ever solve this, i have same issue, recording a 1080p 30fps video with OBS of my desktop. Uploaded it and it is super blurry because it is only offering the lowest bitrate setting in the player.

I recorded directly from streams web based record and it is gave me high bitrate - looking at the under the covers blog comments it seems this has been an issue for 2+ years.

Very disappointing as a new user.

[#10]

@Alex Balcanquall I am having the same issue.. very frustrating. May need to switch to YouTube.

[#11]

@Alex Balcanquall @zacheriah

Using screen capture directly in MS Stream was fixing my problem, works perfectly!

[#12]

Ah, thanks for the tip. unfortunately our videos need to be edited (confidential info blurred out etc) so we use screen recording software to capture the recordings

[#13]

Same issue here: Uploaded a recorded screen session, with

• resolution of 1920*1080
• Data rate 795kbps
• Total bitrate 910 kbps
• 30 frame/second

but even after hours it is available at Stream with 360p only.

Workaround using in-build screen recording won't work for me, because of the 15minute length limitation.
Anyone an idea, how to overcome this? Are there any special requirements the video needs to fulfill? MP4 as the format unfortunately won't say much.

Update:

Figured out a workaround, but kind of category creepy:

• Just started a Teams Meeting,
• Shared my prepared video in this meeting with full screen and including system audio
• Recorded the meeting via Teams
• Teams uploaded the recording to Stream
• High quality from the very first moment

Has a few drawbacks, I admit, but at least works somehow

[#14]

@Alex Balcanquall I am having the same issue. I am trying to create how-to videos for my college and when I upload a MP4 video file to Stream, it give me just the 360p playback quality.

I was able to work around this by saving my recording in a AVI format and when I uploaded that, the system provided the 1080p playback. The only issue now is that it is showing just the 1080p and the 360p with nothing inbetween. I would also like to have the 720p available for users who have bottom of the barrel internet, but at least for now I was able to get the 1080p.

[#15]

@johnsoep great info.

I am using xsplit vcam and xplit broadcaster and worked with their support to understand how their apps offer the stream to  the team client.

Luckily they have a config file, it contains multiple resolutions.  

Removing just the 640x360 resolution fixed the issue.

Either dshow has a bug or the teams client. 

There is no workaround for OBS that I am aware of. https://obsproject.com/forum/threads/obs-virtual-cam-bad-video-quality-in-teams-skype.118800/ (i am the one posting the xplit detail in that thread)

[#16]

@Alex Balcanquall oh it looks like the new upcoming built in camera output on OBS won't have this issue.  Just need to wait patiently for it to make its way into the release version.