First find out where the bars enter the picture. If they appear in the source or encoder preview, fix the source canvas or composition. If they appear only in Livepush’s output preview, check its transcoder orientation and scaling choice. If the video frame is clean but space appears around it in YouTube’s player, the player may be adapting to the video’s shape and the viewer’s device.
Identify which kind of bars you are seeing
Compare the image at each point in the path: the source or encoder preview, Livepush’s incoming preview, Livepush’s output preview if you use its transcoder, and YouTube’s Live Control Room preview. The first point where the bars appear usually identifies what to adjust.
- Bars embedded in the image: Black pixels are part of the video frame. Correct the source layout, canvas, or upstream composition; changing YouTube’s player settings will not remove them.
- Bars from a fit or scaling choice: A transcoder is fitting a source of one shape into an output of another. Livepush’s padded mode preserves the whole source and leaves unused space; its cropped mode fills the output by cutting off edges.
- Space around the image in the YouTube player: YouTube adapts the player to the video’s aspect ratio and the viewer’s device. Its help page notes that some formats, including vertical 9:16 video in desktop browsers, can have padding around them. That padding is white by default and dark gray in Dark theme, so black bars are not necessarily being added by YouTube.
YouTube advises: “For best results, avoid adding padding or black bars directly to your video.” Padding inside the video can interfere with its ability to adapt the player to the video and device. YouTube’s aspect-ratio guidance explains player behavior and recommended dimensions.
Set a conventional horizontal YouTube frame
For a standard horizontal broadcast, make the outgoing video and source composition the same 16:9 shape. YouTube identifies 16:9 as its standard computer-player aspect ratio and lists 1920Ă—1080 for 1080p and 1280Ă—720 for 720p. Use the resolution appropriate to your source and workflow; changing resolution alone will not remove bars that are already part of the image.
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- Read Before You Buy — No Video Output: These adapters support charging and USB 2.0 data transfer, but cannot transmit video signals. Except for standard USB webcams (which use USB data only), they are not compatible with HDMI/DisplayPort cables, video-capable USB-C hubs, or docking stations with video output.
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- Set the source or scene canvas to 16:9 if the intended broadcast is horizontal.
- Fit or reposition the source so the picture fills that canvas without black padding baked into its edges.
- Keep the image’s proportions. Do not stretch a mismatched source to fill the frame, since that distorts it.
- Check the encoder’s outgoing preview before sending the feed to Livepush.
Livepush’s 2025 live-stream settings guidance accepts any aspect ratio and resolution up to a maximum height of 2,160 pixels; that flexibility does not mean every source will fill every destination frame without bars. Livepush’s recommended live-stream settings also lists a recommended bitrate of 4.5 Mbps, a maximum of 16 Mbps, a recommended two-second keyframe interval, and a four-second maximum. These are stream-encoding settings, not aspect-ratio fixes. YouTube also recommends a two-second keyframe interval and says not to exceed four seconds in its live encoder settings.
Choose the right Livepush scaling behavior
Check this section only if Livepush transcoding is in your stream path. Livepush says its transcoder modifies the stream before distribution, so its output—not just its input—is an important checkpoint. The available feature documentation describes orientation choices and scaling behaviors, but exact controls can vary by account or workflow. If the labels or controls differ, consult Livepush support rather than assuming a particular menu path.
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| Choice | What it does | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Original/Default (padded) | Preserves the complete source inside the output frame; unused space may remain. | Keeping every edge of the image matters more than filling the frame. |
| Cropped | Fills the output frame by cutting off parts of the source at the edges. | Filling the frame matters more and the cropped edges are acceptable. |
| Rotated | Changes the presentation orientation. | The desired output orientation differs from the source orientation. |
For a typical horizontal YouTube broadcast, choose landscape output if that is the presentation you intend. Compare Livepush’s incoming and output previews after changing orientation or scaling: if bars appear only in the output preview, the transcoder’s fit choice is likely responsible.
Preview the result before going live
- Inspect the source or encoder preview. If bars are already visible there, correct the canvas or source composition first.
- If using Livepush transcoding, inspect both its incoming and output previews. Choose padding or cropping based on whether preserving the whole image or filling the frame matters more.
- Run a test stream and check the preview in YouTube’s Live Control Room before starting a public broadcast.
- Monitor the video during the event. If the Live Control Room feed is clean but one viewer sees space around it, compare the display on another device before changing the encoded frame.
YouTube recommends testing before going live, checking the Live Control Room preview, and monitoring video quality during the event. Its live-streaming tips cover those checks.
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Troubleshoot the common causes
- Bars remain after changing the YouTube destination: Check the source frame. If the black pixels are baked in, fix the scene or composition upstream.
- The input looks right but Livepush output has bars: Review the transcoder’s orientation and fit behavior. Padded fitting preserves the full image; cropping removes edges to fill the output.
- The image fills the preview but looks different on a phone or desktop: YouTube’s player can adapt to the video and device. Judge the encoded frame in the preview rather than relying only on the player border.
- The picture looks stretched after a change: Restore the source’s proportions. Use crop only if losing edge content is acceptable, or padding if retaining the whole picture is more important.
- You cannot find the documented Livepush control: The help documentation does not establish identical click-by-click controls for every account and workflow. Ask Livepush support for navigation specific to your setup.
Or let it run in the cloud
For a prerecorded YouTube stream that needs to stay live around the clock, StreamNeo is a separate cloud service: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. It loops uploaded videos from the cloud, so no computer, OBS, or home connection has to stay on. It is not a fix for bars already embedded in a video; prepare the source frame first.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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See StreamNeo for details, or start your free day.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
