Using REFEREE
Everything you need to get REFEREE installed, connected, and streaming — no technical background required.
Quick Start
Get REFEREE installed and ready in a few minutes.
Download & install
Grab the latest installer from the Downloads page. Run the installer and follow the prompts — no configuration needed. REFEREE supports Windows 10/11 and Linux.
First launch — automatic setup
When you open REFEREE for the first time, a setup screen walks through three phases automatically. You don't need to do anything — just let it run.
Checking Hardware
Detects your GPU model and vendor. If no supported GPU is found, you'll see an “Unknown Hardware” message — check that your drivers are installed and your GPU meets the requirements above.
Getting Ready
Downloads the GPU acceleration libraries for your hardware (NVENC for NVIDIA, AMF for AMD) and the AI upscaling engine. This is a one-time download of around 1–2 GB — it won't happen on future launches.
Setup Complete
REFEREE is ready. The main window opens showing the stream status and settings.
The first-run download can take a few minutes depending on your internet speed. If it stalls or shows “Setup Paused”, check your connection and click Retry.
Open a stream
Visit any REFEREE-compatible website or player with REFEREE running in the background. The player will detect the app automatically and ask for your permission (see Connecting a Player below). Once connected, your stream will be enhanced in real time.
Connecting a Player
REFEREE works with any compatible website or video player. Here's what to expect when a player tries to connect.
The consent prompt
The first time a website asks to use REFEREE, a consent dialog pops up in the app showing the site's name and address. You have two choices:
Allow
Grants access for this session only. The next time you visit the site it will prompt again.
Always Allow
Saves the site permanently. Future visits connect instantly without prompting. You can revoke access at any time under Settings → Approved Origins.
Auto-launching a media player
REFEREE can automatically open your preferred media player (VLC, MPV, PotPlayer, or a custom app) whenever a stream starts. To enable this:
- 1.Open Settings in the REFEREE window.
- 2.Find the Player card and toggle Auto-Launch Player on.
- 3.Select your preferred player from the dropdown. Installed players are detected automatically. If yours isn't listed, choose Custom and browse to its executable.
You can also open the stream manually in any HLS-compatible player by copying the URL shown in the REFEREE status view and pasting it into your player.
Managing approved sites
To see which sites have permanent access, open Settings → Approved Origins. From there you can remove any site — it will have to ask for permission the next time it connects.
Stream Quality
These settings control the resolution and quality of the enhanced stream. All of them can be changed in the Settings panel and take effect on the next stream session.
Quality settings are locked while a stream is active. Stop the current stream before making changes, or adjust them before starting a new session.
Output Resolution
Sets the resolution REFEREE upscales your stream to. Common options are 1080p, 1440p, and 4K. Your source stream can be lower quality — that's the whole point.
Higher = better picture quality, more GPU work. If your GPU is struggling (high temperatures, choppy output), try dropping to 1080p first.
Upscaling Quality (1–4)
Controls the AI model quality used during upscaling. Think of it as a quality-vs-speed slider.
| Level | Picture quality | GPU load | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Good | Lowest | Older GPUs, low-end hardware |
| 2 | Better | Moderate | Everyday streaming |
| 3 | Great | Higher | Most mid-range GPUs (default) |
| 4 | Best | Highest | High-end GPUs (RTX 40/RX 7000) |
Output Bitrate
Controls how much data the enhanced stream uses. A higher bitrate means sharper details but requires more bandwidth between your PC and your media player.
The typical range is 4–20 Mbps. For most home setups, a value between 8–12 Mbps is a good balance. If you see blocking artefacts, try increasing the bitrate; if the stream stutters, lower it.
Frame Generation & TrueHDR
Two optional GPU-accelerated enhancements that go beyond upscaling — both toggled in the Settings panel.
Frame Generation and TrueHDR are NVIDIA RTX only. These options are automatically greyed out on AMD GPUs and will not appear if your system doesn't support them.
Frame Generation
NVIDIA RTX onlyFrame generation uses AI to synthesise additional frames between the real ones, effectively doubling the frame rate of your stream. If your source is 30 fps, the output becomes ~60 fps; a 60 fps source becomes ~120 fps.
The result is noticeably smoother motion — especially helpful for sports, action scenes, or any content with fast movement. It roughly doubles the GPU workload, so enable it only if your GPU can comfortably handle the chosen resolution and quality level first.
When to enable: high-end NVIDIA RTX GPU (RTX 30 series or newer recommended), source content at 30 fps or less, smooth motion is a priority.
TrueHDR
NVIDIA RTX onlyTrueHDR uses an AI tone-mapping model to convert a standard dynamic range (SDR) stream into HDR output in real time. Bright highlights gain more headroom and shadows retain more detail, giving the picture more depth and vibrancy on an HDR display.
Requirements: an HDR-capable display connected and HDR enabled in your operating system display settings. Without those, enabling TrueHDR will not make a visible difference.
When to enable: you have an HDR TV or monitor, HDR is active in Windows HDR settings, and you want richer colours and contrast on your stream.
Background & Tray Mode
REFEREE is designed to run quietly in the background. These settings control when and how the app shows itself — all found under Settings → Application.
Start on Boot
Launches REFEREE silently when Windows starts. The window stays hidden — the app is ready to accept streams as soon as you log in, without you needing to open it manually.
Minimize to Tray
When you click the minimize button, the window hides to the system tray instead of showing on the taskbar. Click the tray icon to bring it back.
Close to Tray
When you click the close (✕) button, REFEREE keeps running in the background instead of quitting. This is recommended — it means the app is always ready to handle streams. To actually quit, right-click the tray icon and choose Exit.
Show on Stream Start
Automatically pops the REFEREE window to the front whenever a new stream begins. Useful if you want to monitor GPU usage or adjust settings quickly after a stream starts.
Stream Notifications
Sends a desktop notification when a stream starts or stops. Helpful when REFEREE is minimised and you want a quick heads-up without checking the window.
Recommended setup for everyday use: enable Start on Boot, Close to Tray, and Stream Notifications. REFEREE then starts with Windows, stays out of your way, and lets you know when something is happening.
REFEREE Relay
Relay lets you offload stream processing to another REFEREE device on your local network. If the computer you're watching on doesn't have a supported GPU — or you want to keep the processing workload on a separate, more powerful machine — Relay is the solution.
Both devices must be on the same local network and both must have REFEREE installed and running.
Linking a peer device
- 1.Open Settings → Relay on the device you want to watch from (your viewing device — this can be any PC on the network, even without a dedicated GPU).
- 2.Scroll down to Network Peers and click the Scan (refresh) button. Any other REFEREE instances found on your network will appear in the list.
- 3.Click Link next to the device you want to use for processing. The peer list shows the device's name, IP address, and GPU readiness — look for Ready for relay.
- 4.Once linked, the Relay route selection will appear at the top of the Relay card, giving you two options (see below).
Choosing the route
After linking a peer, two route options appear at the top of the Relay card:
This REFEREE (Local)
Streams are processed on this device. The linked peer is saved but not used — you can switch to it at any time. Stream quality settings remain editable.
Linked peer (Relay)
Streams are handed off to the linked device for processing. A status pill shows whether the peer is Online or Offline. Stream settings on this device become read-only; they're managed by the relay device.
Managing trusted devices
Linked devices appear under the Trusted for Relay section. To remove a link, expand that section and click Unlink next to the device. The peer will need to be linked again to use Relay in the future.
Performance Reference
Typical values for reference. Actual results vary by GPU model, output resolution, and enabled features.
| What you're measuring | Typical value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Delay between source and playback | 3–6 s | Built-in to the HLS streaming format — not something REFEREE adds. Live streams have this regardless. |
| Time until stream appears | < 5 s warm · up to 3 min cold | Cold start only happens on the very first run while libraries download. Every launch after that is fast. |
| GPU memory used | 300 MB – 1 GB | Scales with output resolution. 1080p uses roughly 400 MB; 4K uses roughly 900 MB. |
| Stream data rate | 4–20 Mbps | Configurable in settings. Higher means sharper output but requires more bandwidth between your PC and your player. |
Troubleshooting
Common problems and how to fix them.