Technical

Encoder

The software or hardware that compresses your video to send it online. 'x264' uses your CPU; 'NVENC' uses an NVIDIA GPU.

Related terms

Bitrate
How much data your stream sends per second. Higher bitrate = better image quality but needs more upload speed. Twitch caps it around 6,000–8,500 kbps.
Dropped frames
Frames your stream failed to send, usually from a weak or unstable internet connection. Causes stutter for viewers.