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To investigate a YouTube stream that ended unexpectedly while using Castr, open Stream Session History, select the session, and inspect its Bitrate or Analytics health charts around the time it stopped. Castr documents these historical charts—not a raw event-log viewer that identifies YouTube’s exact termination reason—so use them to locate clues, then compare the same time with YouTube Live Control Room.
Find the ended stream in Castr
- Sign in to the Castr dashboard and open Stream Session History.
- Select a date range that includes the session, then click Show Details for the past stream.
- Open Bitrate or Analytics to view the session’s health charts.
- Use Show Metrics Between to narrow the charts to the minutes around the interruption.
Castr says the charts include video bitrate, audio bitrate, and frame rate. Its health-chart guidance states that data is retained for 10 days; after that, the session information is no longer available in this view. Castr Help Center, “Understanding Health Charts of your Stream”.
Read the charts as clues, not a verdict
Video bitrate
Look for a sudden drop or instability near the end. Castr identifies abrupt video-bitrate drops as a possible sign of connection trouble. A chart pattern alone does not prove whether the cause was the encoder, the route to Castr, Castr’s destination connection, or YouTube.
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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteAudio bitrate
Check whether audio bitrate changed at the same time as video. A concurrent change can help establish that the incoming feed degraded, but it does not by itself name the cause of the stream ending.
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Frame rate
Look for dropped frames or a sharp change in frame rate. Castr says dropped frames can indicate encoder or connection strain. Treat this as a diagnostic lead rather than proof of why YouTube stopped the broadcast.
Work out which part of the stream path failed
Compare the Castr chart window with Castr’s input-health view and the status or messages in YouTube Live Control Room at the same time. If input health deteriorates first, investigate the source, encoder, and network. If the feed reaching Castr appears healthy but the YouTube destination reports a problem, check the destination configuration and YouTube’s own status information. This comparison helps localize the problem; Castr’s published guidance does not provide a validated scoring method or a guaranteed diagnosis.
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Check encoder settings
Castr’s March 2026 troubleshooting article recommends H.264 video, AAC audio, constant bitrate (CBR), and a 2-second keyframe interval. It suggests 3,500–6,500 Kbps video for 1080p, 2,500–4,000 Kbps for 720p, and 128 Kbps stereo audio. These are Castr’s recommendations, not universal guarantees. Compare your actual output with the encoder settings and the target stream configuration. Castr’s stream-disconnection troubleshooting guide.
Check upload capacity and connection stability
Castr recommends upload speed of at least 1.5 times the stream bitrate. For example, its guidance says a 5,000 Kbps stream calls for at least 7,500 Kbps (7.5 Mbps) upload. This is a recommended margin, not proof that a connection will remain stable. Castr also recommends wired Ethernet because Wi-Fi can introduce packet loss and latency spikes. If practical, test with a wired connection and check that other devices or uploads are not consuming the available upstream bandwidth.
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Check the YouTube destination and stream key
If the destination may have disconnected or its key is no longer valid, review the URL and stream key in YouTube Live Control Room and Castr’s YouTube destination settings. Castr’s YouTube connection guide describes deleting and reconnecting the destination and generating a fresh key when the existing one does not work. Confirm whether YouTube requires a destination-side go-live action for your setup. That guide dates to 2022, so dashboard and YouTube interface labels may have changed. Castr’s YouTube connection guide.
Run a controlled test before the next important stream
- Create a private or unlisted test stream on YouTube so you can check the route without making a public broadcast.
- Send the test feed through Castr and open Analytics > Input Health.
- Watch the incoming feed and note the time if its health changes; compare that time with the encoder and network behavior.
- Check YouTube Live Control Room at the same time for destination status or messages.
Castr describes this test workflow in its test live-stream guide. Input Health can help assess the feed arriving at Castr, but the guide does not provide a complete diagnostic decision tree.
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Set an alert for future interruptions
Castr’s July 2026 alert article says SMS stream-down alerts are available on Premium or higher plans, with a maximum of 20 alerts per month and one configured phone number per account. Check the current plan details in your account before relying on alert availability or limits. Alerts can tell you that a stream went down; they do not replace checking the health charts and YouTube status. Castr’s SMS alert guidance.
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- Note the stream session’s date and time, including the time zone.
- Save screenshots of the relevant Castr health-chart window and Input Health view, if available.
- Compare that period with YouTube Live Control Room status and messages.
- Contact Castr support with the session time and screenshots if the destination or incoming-feed issue remains unclear.
Castr’s documented health-chart guidance does not establish a raw event log that names YouTube’s exact reason for ending a broadcast, nor a direct mapping from a chart pattern to that reason. YouTube Live Control Room may provide destination-side information that is not present in Castr’s charts.
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