Is there no green screen? Not a problem.
OBS Studio, a popular open-source streaming software, has received some new features, including AI-powered virtual backgrounds from Nvidia Broadcast, which allow you to change your virtual environment without using a green screen.
The feature is far from perfect and will never replace the quality of a physical green screen, but it does a good job. When you move, there’s some flickering and feathering, but for streamers who scale down their webcams to a small corner of their broadcast, these issues won’t be too noticeable. Strong lighting and a clean background environment can also help to improve the quality.
Streamers frequently use the OBS broadcasting software on platforms such as Twitch or YouTube. Previously, a virtual green screen could be used in OBS via plugins, but Nvidia Broadcast will make the feature much more accessible. Those who own an Nvidia RTX graphics card are likely to have the software already installed, and Nvidia Broadcast integrates with a wide range of popular streaming hardware and applications.
Corsair, for example, integrated Nvidia Broadcast tools into its iCue and Elgato software in July 2022, allowing those who use Corsair or Elgato hardware to take advantage of features like its impressive background noise suppression. At the same time, the Elgato Camera Hub gained access to Virtual Backgrounds, allowing streamers to access Nvidia Broadcast tools without having to open the app.
Virtual Backgrounds is the only Nvidia-specific feature added to the latest version of OBS (version 28.0), but the service will also get support for high-efficiency video coding (HEVC or H.265) and high-dynamic range (HDR). According to OBS, this should improve video compression by around 15% and allow for higher quality streaming to supported services. Undoubtedly, third-party testing will be conducted to determine how beneficial this feature is in terms of real-world performance.
Room echo removal is also being added to OBS to help reduce unwanted echoes during streaming sessions, though it should be noted that this isn’t listed as Nvidia Broadcast background noise suppression, and as such will most likely be an OBS feature rather than a third-party integration.
The app’s version 28.0 has been in beta since early August, but it will be available for public download sometime today.