Melee is over a decade old and released on a console with only a fraction of the graphical prowess of today’s machines. Regardless, I still find the game beautiful, and I have created this guide to get the best picture quality out of the game to create amazing live streams and recordings for many more years of viewing.
Compare the following two images at full-size:
The first image is a screenshot taken from a GameCube emulator. It's a perfect representation of what the graphics are capable of. The second image is the same screenshot with several filters applied to simulate the look of a low-quality capture. With the right setup, you can achieve a capture very close to the first image with actual hardware. However, even if you don’t have the budget, you can still get a capture superior to the second image.
Melee on HD Gaming Monitors
To achieve the highest quality capture, we must use an HD monitor designed for competitive gaming. With recent monitors, it's possible to use Melee in an HD monitor setup with less than one frame of input lag in gameplay.
Choosing an HD Monitor
Most monitors that can provide a lagless experience will be using a 24 to 27-inch screen, which can be seen as a drawback; many tournaments use a large CRT in their stream setup. The biggest drawback, however, is the price. Many suitable CRTs can be found for as cheap as free. In contrast, the cheapest suitable HD monitors will be in the $150+ USD price range.
As an example, the BenQ RL2455HM has been proven in this video to provide less than one frame of lag with the Wii. Another much cheaper example is the Asus VH238H. There are many monitors on DisplayLag.com listed to have lag under one frame, but some introduce lag when they scale smaller resolutions, such as the Wii’s 480p output. Contact a monitor’s manufacturer if you can’t find a definitive result.
Connecting a Wii to the HD Monitor
To play Melee on an HD monitor without lag, only the Wii can be used. Additionally, you must use a very specific HDMI adapter. Many cheap HDMI adapters exist for the Wii, but only two are proved (to my knowledge) to not introduce lag: the Sewell Wii HDMI converter here on Amazon for ~$30 USD, and the Neoya Wii2HDMI, available here on Neoya's site for ~$30 USD as well, though with more costly shipping.
Choosing an HDMI Capture Device
Most HDMI capture devices from reputable brands like Elgato, BlackMagic, Micomsoft, etc, are largely similar. The most important thing to look for is whether or not the capture device can be used for streaming.
Many devices, especially older ones from Hauppauge and Avermedia, encode video on the device. This prevents some capture software, especially Open Broadcaster Software, from being able to use it. Research and see if the device will work with your software.
For the sake of convenience, I recommend choosing an external USB capture device. It's important that you plug the device directly into a port on the PC, not a USB hub. You should only use one USB cable, as extension cables commonly cause problems with capture devices.
It's also important to determine if your capture device supports passthrough. These devices will have one input and one output which will simplify your setup. If your device has only one port for input, you’ll need to purchase a powered splitter to get video to both the device and the monitor. Most reliable splitters will be ~$30 USD or greater.
With a passthrough capture device, a set up will look similar to this:
Without a passthrough device and with a powered splitter, it will look similar to this:
Once you have your hardware setup, skip to the section titled “Setting Up Streaming/Recording Software” below.
Melee on CRT TVs
CRT TVs are the most common display method for Melee, due to low cost and virtually nonexistent input lag. Nearly every non-HD CRT will be lagless and can be found at thrift shops everywhere. However, CRTs can still differ in quality and it's important to determine the capabilities of the TV you will be using for streaming and recording.
Choosing a CRT TV
Not all CRTs are created equal. While the majority of CRTs only accept composite input (the yellow connector), some will support S-Video, or even component. To get the best quality without an HD monitor, you must find a non-HD component CRT TV.
Component
Component video uses the same RCA-style connectors as composite video with the image split over three connectors.
Only the Wii can (easily) be used for this setup. GameCube component cables are rare and sell for a minimum of $200 USD. Reliable Wii component cables are no more than $15 USD.
Component video is the highest quality connector for analog signals. Compared to composite, component will provide much better clarity, brightness, contrast, color accuracy, and vibrancy.
The biggest advantage of component video is that it can transmit a progressive signal, as opposed to interlaced. Essentially, interlaced video only sends half the amount of horizontal lines per frame. A 480i frame will actually be 240 pixels tall. A 480p frame is 480 pixels tall, which is double the resolution. The increase in quality is noticeable.
Lagless progressive CRTs are uncommon. Even if you must use interlaced component, with proper deinterlacing methods (explained later in this article) it will be a much clearer image compared to composite.
Choosing a Component Capture Device
When choosing a capture device, it's important to determine whether or not it supports streaming. As explained above, many devices, such as those from Hauppauge or Avermedia, encode video on the device which prevents streaming software from accessing the video. Research to determine if a device can be used with your software of choice before purchasing.
Secondly, it must be determined if the card supports passthrough. Such a card will have one input and one output, simplifying the setup. If your card doesn’t support passthrough, you will need to purchase a powered splitter, also called a distribution amplifier, to get the video to both the capture device and TV.
Component distribution amplifiers are hard to find outside of eBay. I recommend searching for CE Labs, as they are very common and can be bought immediately on eBay for around $20 USD.
With a passthrough capture device, a set up will look similar to this:
Without a passthrough device and with a powered splitter, it will look similar to this:
Once you have your hardware setup, skip to the section titled “Setting Up Streaming/Recording Software” below.
S-Video
If you can't obtain a CRT with component input, S-Video is the next best thing. It's slightly more common than component and still very much preferred over composite. However, S-Video does not support progressive signals. To improve the quality of S-Video capture, you will need to follow the deinterlacing part of the guide.
One minor benefit of using an S-Video setup is that S-Video cables for the GameCube are only ~$15 USD as opposed to $200 USD. If you don’t have a Wii for your stream setup, the GameCube with an S-Video cable is a cheaper alternative.
It's VERY important to purchase S-Video cables that ONLY have the S-Video connector and not S-Video and composite together. Cables with both are lesser quality due to poor shielding. Here is an example of a Wii S-Video cable you should NOT buy:
As you can see, it contains both an S-Video and composite connector.
Inversely, here is a GameCube S-Video cable that you SHOULD buy:
Proper GameCube S-Video cables are slightly uncommon and usually sell for no less than $15 USD. It should be noted that a GameCube video cable of any kind will not work with the Wii. A proper Wii S-Video cable is even more uncommon, and sell for $20 to $30+ USD. I recommend using the GameCube for an S-Video setup.
If you find a good S-Video cable (that has no composite connector) listed as being for the SNES or N64, you can use it with your GameCube, so long as it matches your GameCube’s region, being NTSC or PAL.
Choosing an S-Video Capture Device
As explained above, some capture devices from Hauppauge, Avermedia, and others, encode the video on the device which means some streaming software, especially Open Broadcaster Software, can't use it. Research before buying to determine whether or not it will work with your software.
Secondly, it's important to determine if the device supports passthrough. Such cards will have one input and one output, simplifying your setup. If it has only one input, you will need to purchase a powered splitter, also called a distribution amplifier.
S-Video distribution amplifiers are slightly uncommon, and you won’t find one outside of eBay. I recommend the Extron MDA 3SV, as it can easily be found and purchased immediately on eBay for $10 to $20+ USD.
However, unlike the above recommended component splitter, this doesn’t split the RCA audio cables. Using a powered splitter for audio is much less necessary than for video. You can use two cheap Y-adapter cables for splitting your audio:
The male ends of the adapters will plug into the capture device. The GameCube or Wii white audio will plug into one adapter, and the red audio in the second adapter. Then plug two male-to-male audio cables into each adapter, making sure you have two whites and two reds on the same adapter. The other ends of the male-to-male cables plug into the TV.
Here is an example diagram with video connections omitted for simplicity:
Refer to the component diagrams above for an idea of what the setup will look like with a passthrough device, or a non-passthrough device and distribution amplifier.
Composite
Composite is the lowest quality video connector for the Wii and GameCube. It's fuzzy, blurry, and introduces spotty artifacts due to the low bandwidth of the signal. Colors will also appear slightly washed out. Only use composite for your stream setup if you truly can’t find any TVs with S-Video or component input.
GameCubes and Wiis come bundled with composite cables, making them extremely common and dirt-cheap. You may be able to find a CRT, GameCube, and cables for free, making this the cheapest option.
Choosing a Composite Capture Device
Cheaper devices that capture only composite (or composite and S-Video), such as the Dazzle or Easycap, will be dirt-cheap and very poor quality. They will rarely support passthrough, meaning they will have only one input, and no output. You will need to buy a powered splitter, also called a distribution amplifier, to get the video to both the TV and capture device.
Powered composite splitters are easy to find on eBay for around $20 USD. I recommend AVOIDING RadioShack branded models.
Extron, which makes the recommended S-Video splitter above, makes a very good composite splitter known as the Extron CVDA 6 which can be bought instantly on eBay for around $20 USD. However, like the S-Video splitter, it only splits video. You’ll need to split the audio separately. I recommend using cheap Y-adapters as explained above.
The CDVA 6 in particular actually requires BNC connectors, which are simply a different physical plug at the end of each cable:
You’ll need three BNC to RCA adapters to plug in your composite video cables. One for input, two for output.
Refer to the above sections on component and S-Video for example setup diagrams.
Setting Up Streaming/Recording Software
Whether you are live streaming or locally recording, chances are you’ll be using one of two very popular pieces of software: XSplit and Open Broadcaster Software. Unfortunately, both are Windows exclusive programs. OBS has only an alpha build for Linux and Mac, and I won’t be covering it in this guide.
XSplit requires a paid subscription to use. The free version isn’t worth it, as OBS surpasses it in terms of quality and features.
I’ll be using XSplit Broadcaster 2.3 and OBS 0.651 in this guide.
The first thing you’ll want to do is disable Windows Aero if you are using Windows 7. This will slightly lessen the strain on the GPU and CPU, preventing dropped frames in your live stream. In XSplit, you’ll find this in the Tools menu after clicking General Settings. In OBS, it’ll simply be under Settings.
Secondly, you’ll need to set the bitrate for your live stream. This will be what determines the raw quality of your stream. A higher bit rate means higher quality. However, Twitch limits you to 3500 kb/s. Furthermore, if you have a slow internet connection or a very weak CPU, you will need to reduce your bitrate or your stream will drop frames and buffer constantly. If your CPU is quad-core or greater, and your internet upload speed is 15 Mb/s (megabits per second) or higher, you should be good with 3500. If your upload speed is lower, use 2000 kb/s bitrate.
In XSplit, click on the gear icon next to your preferred streaming service in the “Broadcast” menu. In OBS, these settings can be found in settings within Encoding.
In OBS, you can improve performance slightly by enabling these settings in Advanced:
Beyond that, the stream will be up to you. Although Melee is only 480 pixels tall, I recommend a stream layout that is 1280x720 pixels so that your overlay, which can contain logos, player cams, and player names, will be more clear. Melee can be scaled up within your streaming software.
Streaming and Recording Locally Simultaneously
If you are setting up a stream for a local scene and would like to host replays of matches online, you’ll want to record as you stream.
Unless your CPU is particularly weak, any dropped frames, stuttering, and buffering that viewers on Twitch may experience shouldn’t show up in a local recording. This is why I recommend recording locally with software, as opposed to downloading an archived Twitch broadcast.
In OBS, you can simply enable these options in Broadcast Settings:
In XSplit, first click on the gear icon next to your streaming service in the Broadcast menu, and click “Automatically save recording on local drive”.
Then under the Broadcast menu, click the gear icon next to Local Recording, and configure these settings:
A Note on Aspect Ratio
Most devices will capture the Wii or Gamecube signal and display it as 720x480 resolution, which is simply the standard. It is neither 16:9 widescreen nor the common 4:3 ratio of CRTs, and will surely look off unless your capture device is 720x480 with black bars on either side, squishing the actual game to 640x480, which is perfectly 4:3. However, Melee is not actually this resolution! Its aspect ratio is 73:60. If you had a basic 720p stream and stretched Melee to 960x720 and placed it in the center of your stream layout, it will appear slightly too wide. Depending on the height of the area in your stream layout containing the game’s capture, you’ll need to make the width whatever the height is multiplied by 73/60. Round up to the nearest whole number.
This information post on Reddit explains the situation: https://np.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/38igh7/aspect_ratio_what_melee_and_pm_streams_are_doing/
You can resize the game’s capture freely in both XSplit and OBS, refer to your program’s documentation for more information.
Deinterlacing and Interpolating
If you are capturing Melee using composite, S-Video, or component on a non-progressive CRT, you will be capturing interlaced video. Interlaced video means each frame has every other horizontal line of pixels omitted to save on bandwidth. Composite and S-Video cannot transmit enough data for a full frame of a 640x480 image.
If you disregarded the blank lines, a raw interlaced picture would look like this:
Deinterlacing refers to the method of video interpolation used to convert an interlaced signal into one that appears to be progressive. If you use an interlaced capture source in XSplit or OBS and didn’t enable any deinterlacing, your stream and local recordings would look similar to this:
Computer monitors don’t use interlacing technology, so they show the whole frame at once. This causes the interlacing to be visible. On a CRT, you won’t see the lines, but you may notice a subtle flicker, which can be slightly alleviated in Melee’s settings, as well as other games from this era.
A simple method of deinterlacing can be line-doubling, which is exactly what it sounds like.
If you compared this image to the original image at the top of this guide, you’ll notice this image looks to be of much less resolution. There are better methods of deinterlacing, which can be achieved with a program known as AmarecTV. Both XSplit and OBS can deinterlace within the program, but they are of lesser quality and can introduce screen tearing.
AmarecTV is a Japanese program but it does have an English option. Here is a link to a translated download page: https://goo.gl/dhRvw7
It is only compatible with certain capture devices, particularly ones that don’t encode video. Earlier I explained the importance of choosing a capture device that can be used for streaming. XSplit, for example, CAN use some capture devices that encode video. Such devices include the Hauppauge HD PVR series and the Roxio GameCap HD Pro. If you have a device that isn’t “Directshow” compatible, you can’t use it AmarecTV.
Note for OBS users: You must use the 32-bit version of the software to take advantage of AmarecTV.
Once you download the AmarecTV ZIP file, extract it to find several files. Click on the file named “live_setup300.exe”, a program that allows AmarecTV to be used with OBS and XSplit. You may see gibberish symbols if your PC isn’t configured to display Japanese system fonts. Here is how to install the program:
Once that is installed, go back to the folder containing the program named “AmaRecTV.exe” and open it. It should be in English by default. If not, click the left-most tab to change the language.
In the second tab, “Graph 1 (Device)”, you will select your capture device. In the top left box, select the device, such as “Dazzle DVC100”, “Elgato Game Capture”, etc. In the top-right box, you will need to select the input resolution. Choose the one that says:
You’ll see other similar entries, be sure that it matches exactly the one listed here. The width and height will cause Melee to look off. In XSplit or OBS, you can crop black bars and manually resize the video to fit the proper aspect ratio mentioned above.
In the bottom left, select your capture card again. This will provide audio input. Leave the default option in the bottom right. It should be
Click the third tab, “Graph 2 (Preview)”. Under Aspect Ratio, select 4:3. Under Scan Mode, select Underscan. Under Deinterlacing, select Top Field First and under Function select “for Action Game”. Cropping and Display Rotation should be left at default. Under Scan Line Doubler, select Disable.
Go to the fourth tab, “Graph 3 (Live)”. Check the box next to “Live Enable”, and set framerate to 60. Resize should be 720 and 480 respectively. Output line should be Line 1. Leave audio setting at its defaults.
Go to the next-to-last tab, “Advanced”. Other than the defaults, check the boxes next to “Register to GraphEdit” and “Invalidate Desktop composition”. Under Video Render Setting, select “Priority to EVR”. In the bottom left under “Priority”, check the box and select High.
Once all of this is done, hit Apply and then OK. In both XSplit and OBS you can add AmarecTV as a source, as “Video Capture Device” in OBS or Camera in some versions of XSplit.
XSplit or OBS are set to capture audio from your OS automatically. AmarecTV will play the game’s audio to your OS, which will be picked up by the streaming program. Don’t add AmarecTV audio as an additional source or input device in OBS. Since the streaming programs capture all OS audio, turn down the Windows system volume so that things like error box sounds don’t make it into your stream. In the volume mixer, only AmarecTV should be turned up.
Closing Statements
This is it! hope this guide was easily understandable. If you have any questions or perhaps contributions to the guide, such as clarifications or other additions, please leave a reply/comment!
Compare the following two images at full-size:
The first image is a screenshot taken from a GameCube emulator. It's a perfect representation of what the graphics are capable of. The second image is the same screenshot with several filters applied to simulate the look of a low-quality capture. With the right setup, you can achieve a capture very close to the first image with actual hardware. However, even if you don’t have the budget, you can still get a capture superior to the second image.
Melee on HD Gaming Monitors
To achieve the highest quality capture, we must use an HD monitor designed for competitive gaming. With recent monitors, it's possible to use Melee in an HD monitor setup with less than one frame of input lag in gameplay.
Choosing an HD Monitor
Most monitors that can provide a lagless experience will be using a 24 to 27-inch screen, which can be seen as a drawback; many tournaments use a large CRT in their stream setup. The biggest drawback, however, is the price. Many suitable CRTs can be found for as cheap as free. In contrast, the cheapest suitable HD monitors will be in the $150+ USD price range.
As an example, the BenQ RL2455HM has been proven in this video to provide less than one frame of lag with the Wii. Another much cheaper example is the Asus VH238H. There are many monitors on DisplayLag.com listed to have lag under one frame, but some introduce lag when they scale smaller resolutions, such as the Wii’s 480p output. Contact a monitor’s manufacturer if you can’t find a definitive result.
Connecting a Wii to the HD Monitor
To play Melee on an HD monitor without lag, only the Wii can be used. Additionally, you must use a very specific HDMI adapter. Many cheap HDMI adapters exist for the Wii, but only two are proved (to my knowledge) to not introduce lag: the Sewell Wii HDMI converter here on Amazon for ~$30 USD, and the Neoya Wii2HDMI, available here on Neoya's site for ~$30 USD as well, though with more costly shipping.
Choosing an HDMI Capture Device
Most HDMI capture devices from reputable brands like Elgato, BlackMagic, Micomsoft, etc, are largely similar. The most important thing to look for is whether or not the capture device can be used for streaming.
Many devices, especially older ones from Hauppauge and Avermedia, encode video on the device. This prevents some capture software, especially Open Broadcaster Software, from being able to use it. Research and see if the device will work with your software.
For the sake of convenience, I recommend choosing an external USB capture device. It's important that you plug the device directly into a port on the PC, not a USB hub. You should only use one USB cable, as extension cables commonly cause problems with capture devices.
It's also important to determine if your capture device supports passthrough. These devices will have one input and one output which will simplify your setup. If your device has only one port for input, you’ll need to purchase a powered splitter to get video to both the device and the monitor. Most reliable splitters will be ~$30 USD or greater.
With a passthrough capture device, a set up will look similar to this:
Without a passthrough device and with a powered splitter, it will look similar to this:
Once you have your hardware setup, skip to the section titled “Setting Up Streaming/Recording Software” below.
Melee on CRT TVs
CRT TVs are the most common display method for Melee, due to low cost and virtually nonexistent input lag. Nearly every non-HD CRT will be lagless and can be found at thrift shops everywhere. However, CRTs can still differ in quality and it's important to determine the capabilities of the TV you will be using for streaming and recording.
Choosing a CRT TV
Not all CRTs are created equal. While the majority of CRTs only accept composite input (the yellow connector), some will support S-Video, or even component. To get the best quality without an HD monitor, you must find a non-HD component CRT TV.
Component
Component video uses the same RCA-style connectors as composite video with the image split over three connectors.
Only the Wii can (easily) be used for this setup. GameCube component cables are rare and sell for a minimum of $200 USD. Reliable Wii component cables are no more than $15 USD.
Component video is the highest quality connector for analog signals. Compared to composite, component will provide much better clarity, brightness, contrast, color accuracy, and vibrancy.
The biggest advantage of component video is that it can transmit a progressive signal, as opposed to interlaced. Essentially, interlaced video only sends half the amount of horizontal lines per frame. A 480i frame will actually be 240 pixels tall. A 480p frame is 480 pixels tall, which is double the resolution. The increase in quality is noticeable.
Lagless progressive CRTs are uncommon. Even if you must use interlaced component, with proper deinterlacing methods (explained later in this article) it will be a much clearer image compared to composite.
Choosing a Component Capture Device
When choosing a capture device, it's important to determine whether or not it supports streaming. As explained above, many devices, such as those from Hauppauge or Avermedia, encode video on the device which prevents streaming software from accessing the video. Research to determine if a device can be used with your software of choice before purchasing.
Secondly, it must be determined if the card supports passthrough. Such a card will have one input and one output, simplifying the setup. If your card doesn’t support passthrough, you will need to purchase a powered splitter, also called a distribution amplifier, to get the video to both the capture device and TV.
Component distribution amplifiers are hard to find outside of eBay. I recommend searching for CE Labs, as they are very common and can be bought immediately on eBay for around $20 USD.
With a passthrough capture device, a set up will look similar to this:
Without a passthrough device and with a powered splitter, it will look similar to this:
Once you have your hardware setup, skip to the section titled “Setting Up Streaming/Recording Software” below.
S-Video
If you can't obtain a CRT with component input, S-Video is the next best thing. It's slightly more common than component and still very much preferred over composite. However, S-Video does not support progressive signals. To improve the quality of S-Video capture, you will need to follow the deinterlacing part of the guide.
One minor benefit of using an S-Video setup is that S-Video cables for the GameCube are only ~$15 USD as opposed to $200 USD. If you don’t have a Wii for your stream setup, the GameCube with an S-Video cable is a cheaper alternative.
It's VERY important to purchase S-Video cables that ONLY have the S-Video connector and not S-Video and composite together. Cables with both are lesser quality due to poor shielding. Here is an example of a Wii S-Video cable you should NOT buy:
As you can see, it contains both an S-Video and composite connector.
Inversely, here is a GameCube S-Video cable that you SHOULD buy:
Proper GameCube S-Video cables are slightly uncommon and usually sell for no less than $15 USD. It should be noted that a GameCube video cable of any kind will not work with the Wii. A proper Wii S-Video cable is even more uncommon, and sell for $20 to $30+ USD. I recommend using the GameCube for an S-Video setup.
If you find a good S-Video cable (that has no composite connector) listed as being for the SNES or N64, you can use it with your GameCube, so long as it matches your GameCube’s region, being NTSC or PAL.
Choosing an S-Video Capture Device
As explained above, some capture devices from Hauppauge, Avermedia, and others, encode the video on the device which means some streaming software, especially Open Broadcaster Software, can't use it. Research before buying to determine whether or not it will work with your software.
Secondly, it's important to determine if the device supports passthrough. Such cards will have one input and one output, simplifying your setup. If it has only one input, you will need to purchase a powered splitter, also called a distribution amplifier.
S-Video distribution amplifiers are slightly uncommon, and you won’t find one outside of eBay. I recommend the Extron MDA 3SV, as it can easily be found and purchased immediately on eBay for $10 to $20+ USD.
However, unlike the above recommended component splitter, this doesn’t split the RCA audio cables. Using a powered splitter for audio is much less necessary than for video. You can use two cheap Y-adapter cables for splitting your audio:
The male ends of the adapters will plug into the capture device. The GameCube or Wii white audio will plug into one adapter, and the red audio in the second adapter. Then plug two male-to-male audio cables into each adapter, making sure you have two whites and two reds on the same adapter. The other ends of the male-to-male cables plug into the TV.
Here is an example diagram with video connections omitted for simplicity:
Refer to the component diagrams above for an idea of what the setup will look like with a passthrough device, or a non-passthrough device and distribution amplifier.
Composite
Composite is the lowest quality video connector for the Wii and GameCube. It's fuzzy, blurry, and introduces spotty artifacts due to the low bandwidth of the signal. Colors will also appear slightly washed out. Only use composite for your stream setup if you truly can’t find any TVs with S-Video or component input.
GameCubes and Wiis come bundled with composite cables, making them extremely common and dirt-cheap. You may be able to find a CRT, GameCube, and cables for free, making this the cheapest option.
Choosing a Composite Capture Device
Cheaper devices that capture only composite (or composite and S-Video), such as the Dazzle or Easycap, will be dirt-cheap and very poor quality. They will rarely support passthrough, meaning they will have only one input, and no output. You will need to buy a powered splitter, also called a distribution amplifier, to get the video to both the TV and capture device.
Powered composite splitters are easy to find on eBay for around $20 USD. I recommend AVOIDING RadioShack branded models.
Extron, which makes the recommended S-Video splitter above, makes a very good composite splitter known as the Extron CVDA 6 which can be bought instantly on eBay for around $20 USD. However, like the S-Video splitter, it only splits video. You’ll need to split the audio separately. I recommend using cheap Y-adapters as explained above.
The CDVA 6 in particular actually requires BNC connectors, which are simply a different physical plug at the end of each cable:
You’ll need three BNC to RCA adapters to plug in your composite video cables. One for input, two for output.
Refer to the above sections on component and S-Video for example setup diagrams.
Setting Up Streaming/Recording Software
Whether you are live streaming or locally recording, chances are you’ll be using one of two very popular pieces of software: XSplit and Open Broadcaster Software. Unfortunately, both are Windows exclusive programs. OBS has only an alpha build for Linux and Mac, and I won’t be covering it in this guide.
XSplit requires a paid subscription to use. The free version isn’t worth it, as OBS surpasses it in terms of quality and features.
I’ll be using XSplit Broadcaster 2.3 and OBS 0.651 in this guide.
The first thing you’ll want to do is disable Windows Aero if you are using Windows 7. This will slightly lessen the strain on the GPU and CPU, preventing dropped frames in your live stream. In XSplit, you’ll find this in the Tools menu after clicking General Settings. In OBS, it’ll simply be under Settings.
Secondly, you’ll need to set the bitrate for your live stream. This will be what determines the raw quality of your stream. A higher bit rate means higher quality. However, Twitch limits you to 3500 kb/s. Furthermore, if you have a slow internet connection or a very weak CPU, you will need to reduce your bitrate or your stream will drop frames and buffer constantly. If your CPU is quad-core or greater, and your internet upload speed is 15 Mb/s (megabits per second) or higher, you should be good with 3500. If your upload speed is lower, use 2000 kb/s bitrate.
In XSplit, click on the gear icon next to your preferred streaming service in the “Broadcast” menu. In OBS, these settings can be found in settings within Encoding.
In OBS, you can improve performance slightly by enabling these settings in Advanced:
Beyond that, the stream will be up to you. Although Melee is only 480 pixels tall, I recommend a stream layout that is 1280x720 pixels so that your overlay, which can contain logos, player cams, and player names, will be more clear. Melee can be scaled up within your streaming software.
Streaming and Recording Locally Simultaneously
If you are setting up a stream for a local scene and would like to host replays of matches online, you’ll want to record as you stream.
Unless your CPU is particularly weak, any dropped frames, stuttering, and buffering that viewers on Twitch may experience shouldn’t show up in a local recording. This is why I recommend recording locally with software, as opposed to downloading an archived Twitch broadcast.
In OBS, you can simply enable these options in Broadcast Settings:
In XSplit, first click on the gear icon next to your streaming service in the Broadcast menu, and click “Automatically save recording on local drive”.
Then under the Broadcast menu, click the gear icon next to Local Recording, and configure these settings:
A Note on Aspect Ratio
Most devices will capture the Wii or Gamecube signal and display it as 720x480 resolution, which is simply the standard. It is neither 16:9 widescreen nor the common 4:3 ratio of CRTs, and will surely look off unless your capture device is 720x480 with black bars on either side, squishing the actual game to 640x480, which is perfectly 4:3. However, Melee is not actually this resolution! Its aspect ratio is 73:60. If you had a basic 720p stream and stretched Melee to 960x720 and placed it in the center of your stream layout, it will appear slightly too wide. Depending on the height of the area in your stream layout containing the game’s capture, you’ll need to make the width whatever the height is multiplied by 73/60. Round up to the nearest whole number.
This information post on Reddit explains the situation: https://np.reddit.com/r/smashbros/comments/38igh7/aspect_ratio_what_melee_and_pm_streams_are_doing/
You can resize the game’s capture freely in both XSplit and OBS, refer to your program’s documentation for more information.
Deinterlacing and Interpolating
If you are capturing Melee using composite, S-Video, or component on a non-progressive CRT, you will be capturing interlaced video. Interlaced video means each frame has every other horizontal line of pixels omitted to save on bandwidth. Composite and S-Video cannot transmit enough data for a full frame of a 640x480 image.
If you disregarded the blank lines, a raw interlaced picture would look like this:
Deinterlacing refers to the method of video interpolation used to convert an interlaced signal into one that appears to be progressive. If you use an interlaced capture source in XSplit or OBS and didn’t enable any deinterlacing, your stream and local recordings would look similar to this:
Computer monitors don’t use interlacing technology, so they show the whole frame at once. This causes the interlacing to be visible. On a CRT, you won’t see the lines, but you may notice a subtle flicker, which can be slightly alleviated in Melee’s settings, as well as other games from this era.
A simple method of deinterlacing can be line-doubling, which is exactly what it sounds like.
If you compared this image to the original image at the top of this guide, you’ll notice this image looks to be of much less resolution. There are better methods of deinterlacing, which can be achieved with a program known as AmarecTV. Both XSplit and OBS can deinterlace within the program, but they are of lesser quality and can introduce screen tearing.
AmarecTV is a Japanese program but it does have an English option. Here is a link to a translated download page: https://goo.gl/dhRvw7
It is only compatible with certain capture devices, particularly ones that don’t encode video. Earlier I explained the importance of choosing a capture device that can be used for streaming. XSplit, for example, CAN use some capture devices that encode video. Such devices include the Hauppauge HD PVR series and the Roxio GameCap HD Pro. If you have a device that isn’t “Directshow” compatible, you can’t use it AmarecTV.
Note for OBS users: You must use the 32-bit version of the software to take advantage of AmarecTV.
Once you download the AmarecTV ZIP file, extract it to find several files. Click on the file named “live_setup300.exe”, a program that allows AmarecTV to be used with OBS and XSplit. You may see gibberish symbols if your PC isn’t configured to display Japanese system fonts. Here is how to install the program:
Once that is installed, go back to the folder containing the program named “AmaRecTV.exe” and open it. It should be in English by default. If not, click the left-most tab to change the language.
In the second tab, “Graph 1 (Device)”, you will select your capture device. In the top left box, select the device, such as “Dazzle DVC100”, “Elgato Game Capture”, etc. In the top-right box, you will need to select the input resolution. Choose the one that says:
Code:
w=720, h=480, fps=29.97, fcc=YUY2, bit=16In the bottom left, select your capture card again. This will provide audio input. Leave the default option in the bottom right. It should be
Code:
sample= 48000, bit=16, ch= 2Click the third tab, “Graph 2 (Preview)”. Under Aspect Ratio, select 4:3. Under Scan Mode, select Underscan. Under Deinterlacing, select Top Field First and under Function select “for Action Game”. Cropping and Display Rotation should be left at default. Under Scan Line Doubler, select Disable.
Go to the fourth tab, “Graph 3 (Live)”. Check the box next to “Live Enable”, and set framerate to 60. Resize should be 720 and 480 respectively. Output line should be Line 1. Leave audio setting at its defaults.
Go to the next-to-last tab, “Advanced”. Other than the defaults, check the boxes next to “Register to GraphEdit” and “Invalidate Desktop composition”. Under Video Render Setting, select “Priority to EVR”. In the bottom left under “Priority”, check the box and select High.
Once all of this is done, hit Apply and then OK. In both XSplit and OBS you can add AmarecTV as a source, as “Video Capture Device” in OBS or Camera in some versions of XSplit.
XSplit or OBS are set to capture audio from your OS automatically. AmarecTV will play the game’s audio to your OS, which will be picked up by the streaming program. Don’t add AmarecTV audio as an additional source or input device in OBS. Since the streaming programs capture all OS audio, turn down the Windows system volume so that things like error box sounds don’t make it into your stream. In the volume mixer, only AmarecTV should be turned up.
Closing Statements
This is it! hope this guide was easily understandable. If you have any questions or perhaps contributions to the guide, such as clarifications or other additions, please leave a reply/comment!
- Applicable Games
- Melee
