Last updated: 2026-01-15

If you want high‑resolution streaming without a steep learning curve, start with StreamYard for reliable 1080p live video plus 4K local recordings on paid plans. If you specifically need true 4K live streaming, pair an encoder like OBS with a service such as Restream or stream directly to a platform that supports 4K.

Summary

• StreamYard supports up to 1080p live streaming on paid plans and offers 4K ultra‑high‑definition local recordings for studio‑quality replays and repurposing. (StreamYard Help Center)
• Restream Studio is capped at 1080p, and you must use an external encoder like OBS if you want to send 4K through Restream. (Restream Help Center)
• OBS and Streamlabs let you fine‑tune high‑resolution outputs, but they require a local install, more technical setup, and stronger hardware. (OBS Studio)
• For most US creators, StreamYard’s browser‑based workflow, guest links, and built‑in multistreaming deliver the best mix of quality, simplicity, and cost.

What does “high resolution” actually mean for streaming?

When people search for “streaming software for high resolution,” they usually mean: “How do I go live in crisp HD or better, without my stream looking blurry or choppy?”

In practice, there are three tiers to think about:

• 720p (HD): Good baseline for most social platforms.
• 1080p (Full HD): The current sweet spot for live shows, webinars, and interviews.
• 4K (UHD): Mostly useful for polished replays, premium events, and big TVs—less critical for day‑to‑day live content.

Most viewers are on phones or laptops, so the jump from 1080p to 4K matters less than you might expect. What they notice more is stability, audio quality, and whether they can clearly see faces, text, and slides.

How does StreamYard handle 1080p and 4K?

On paid plans, StreamYard supports Full HD (1080p) live streaming to major platforms like YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and others, assuming your connection and destinations allow it. (StreamYard Help Center) That covers the main “I want my stream to look sharp” requirement for most hosts.

For ultra‑high‑quality recordings, paid plans support studio‑quality 4K multi‑track local recording, so each participant’s audio and video is captured at 4K on their own device and uploaded. That’s ideal if you:

• Host a live show, then republish it as a polished 4K podcast or YouTube episode.
• Want editing flexibility (cropping, reframing, punch‑ins) without losing detail.
• Need high‑resolution archives for evergreen courses or client content.

We also provide guidance for 1080p live, including recommending at least 5 Mbps upload for smooth Full HD streaming. (StreamYard Help Center)

In other words: for live viewers, you get crisp 1080p. For replays, you can keep 4K masters.

When is StreamYard the better high‑resolution choice vs OBS, Streamlabs, or Restream?

If high resolution is the goal, you have several paths:

• StreamYard: Browser‑based, 1080p live, 4K local recording, multistreaming, easy guest links.
• OBS / Streamlabs Desktop: Installed encoders with deep control over scenes, capture, and output settings. (OBS Studio)
• Restream Studio: Browser‑based multistreaming studio, capped at 1080p out of the box. (Restream Help Center)

For many US‑based creators and teams, StreamYard is the better default choice because it aligns with mainstream needs:

• High‑quality video without hardware drama. You don’t need a gaming PC or a complicated capture chain.
• Guests who “just click a link.” Users consistently describe StreamYard as more intuitive and easier for guests than other tools—people who “found OBS too convoluted” often switch because they value simplicity.
• Professional layouts without deep scene building. You can add your branding, dynamic layouts, and overlays quickly instead of hand‑wiring everything.
• Multistreaming built in. Paid plans let you send a single 1080p stream to multiple major platforms at once, no extra relay layer required. (StreamYard pricing)

OBS and Streamlabs make sense when you’re willing to trade time and complexity for granular control—especially for advanced gaming layouts. Restream Studio is helpful if you want to prioritize wide multistream reach, but its studio output tops out at 1080p, similar to StreamYard. (Restream Help Center)

Do you really need 4K live, or is 1080p plus 4K recording enough?

This is the key decision.

1080p live + 4K recording (StreamYard path) is usually enough if:

• Your audience watches mostly on phones, tablets, or laptops.
• You run live talk shows, interviews, webinars, or services where clarity matters more than pixel‑peeping.
• You plan to clip, crop, and repurpose your content later (4K local files give you room to zoom and reframe).

True 4K live is more relevant if:

• You produce cinematic live events or high‑end gaming where viewers watch on 4K TVs.
• Your brand or clients specifically require “broadcast‑grade” 4K live output.

Even then, there are trade‑offs:

• Bandwidth: YouTube’s guidance for 4K 30fps suggests bitrates well above typical home upload speeds; you’ll need a strong, stable connection. (Streamlabs Bitrate Guide)
• Platform limits: Twitch, for example, caps recommended live bitrates (around 6000 Kbps), which constrains “practical 4K” even if your encoder can send it. (Restream Best Settings)
• Complexity: Hitting reliable 4K often means juggling encoder tweaks, hardware load, and destination quirks.

For most creators, the outcome that actually matters—“Does this look great to my audience?”—is satisfied by StreamYard’s 1080p live plus 4K recording workflow.

How do OBS and Restream enable 4K workflows?

If you decide you truly need 4K live, here’s the typical setup:

• Use OBS (or Streamlabs Desktop) as your encoder. OBS supports configurable recording and streaming outputs, and its “Advanced” mode lets you tune streaming and recording separately, including resolution and bitrate. (OBS Knowledge Base)
• Send that feed directly to YouTube or through Restream. Restream’s own Studio maxes at 1080p, but if you send a 4K signal from OBS into Restream, Restream does not add a resolution cap; the main limits are your encoder and the destination platforms. (Restream Help Center)

This path is powerful but also more technical:

• You install and manage desktop software.
• You configure scenes, sources, audio routing, and advanced encoder settings.
• You need a machine and GPU that can comfortably render and encode 4K.

Many people try this, then later move their day‑to‑day shows to StreamYard for simplicity—keeping OBS in their toolbox only for specific 4K or highly customized productions.

What upload speed and bitrate do you need for high‑resolution live streams?

Resolution is only half the story; bitrate and upload speed determine whether your high‑res stream actually looks high‑res.

A practical rule of thumb:

• For 1080p live with StreamYard, we recommend at least 5 Mbps upload to maintain consistent quality. (StreamYard Help Center)
• For 4K live to YouTube using an encoder, industry guidance points to bitrates in the tens of Mbps range, which many home connections in the US simply don’t sustain reliably. (Streamlabs Bitrate Guide)

On top of that, platforms like Twitch limit incoming bitrates, which effectively caps the resolution and quality you can deliver, regardless of your encoder. (Restream Best Settings)

So before you chase 4K, it’s worth testing your real‑world upload speeds and checking what your primary destination actually supports.

How should you decide which software to use?

Here’s a quick scenario to make this concrete.

You’re a US‑based creator hosting a weekly live show with remote guests. You care about:

• Sharp video and clear audio for YouTube replays.
• Reliable guest experience (no installs, no tech headaches).
• Going live to YouTube and LinkedIn at the same time.
• Light editing and repurposing for shorts.

In that situation, StreamYard checks every box: 1080p live, 4K multi‑track local recording, browser‑based guest links, multistreaming to major platforms, and AI tools to generate clips from your recordings.

If instead you’re running a high‑end gaming channel and want animated overlays, advanced scene logic, and occasional 4K live events, it can make sense to:

• Use OBS or Streamlabs Desktop for those specific shows.
• For interviews, collabs, or branded live podcasts, come back to StreamYard for the simpler, higher‑confidence workflow.

What we recommend

• Default choice: Use StreamYard for 1080p live streaming plus 4K local recordings; it covers what most creators and teams truly need.
• Advanced path: Add OBS (optionally with Restream) if you have a proven use case for 4K live and are comfortable managing encoder settings.
• Start simple, then specialize: Launch your show with StreamYard, validate your format and audience, and only introduce heavier tools when a clear requirement—not just curiosity—demands it.
• Optimize for outcomes, not specs: Your viewers will remember clarity, audio, and consistency far more than whether your live stream was 1080p or 4K on paper.