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In OBS, select the video source and choose Transform → Fit to Screen (Ctrl+F). Avoid Stretch to Screen (Ctrl+S) when the source and canvas have different aspect ratios: stretching fills the frame by changing the picture’s proportions. To keep the full image undistorted, fit it proportionally and use bars or a background to fill unused space.
Fit the source without changing its proportions
- Select the video source. In the Sources list, click the source that appears stretched. Check its red bounding box in the preview.
- Fit it proportionally. Right-click the source and choose Transform → Fit to Screen, or use Ctrl+F. OBS lists Ctrl+R to reset a source’s size and position and Ctrl+D to center it; these can help if the source has an unintended transform.
- Check the preview. Look for distorted faces, circles or other familiar shapes. If the entire image is visible but there is unused space, that may be the correct result of preserving the video’s shape.
OBS’s overview guide documents these transform shortcuts and distinguishes the canvas from the output resolution: OBS overview.
Set the canvas and output for the intended stream
In OBS, open Settings → Video. Base (Canvas) Resolution is the working area where you arrange sources; Output (Scaled) Resolution is the resolution sent to the stream or recording. Choose dimensions and an aspect ratio that match your intended composition. OBS gives 1920×1080 and 1280×720 as examples of 16:9 resolutions used for broad streaming-platform compatibility; they are examples, not mandatory settings for every channel.
Changing the canvas can require sources to be repositioned or resized. Changing the output resolution does not have that effect according to OBS’s overview guide. Keep canvas and output shapes consistent unless you have a specific reason not to.
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Choose how to handle a source that does not match the canvas
A 16:9 canvas cannot show a differently shaped video both undistorted, edge-to-edge, and in full. Choose which trade-off suits the clip:
| Approach | Shape preserved? | Whole source visible? | Canvas filled? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit proportionally, with bars or scene padding | Yes | Yes | Not necessarily; other scene elements can fill the unused area |
| Enlarge and crop (pan and scan) | Yes | No; edges are lost | Yes |
| Stretch to screen | No, when aspect ratios differ | Usually | Yes |
For a documentary stream, fitting the whole image and filling the remaining canvas with a background or other scene elements is often preferable to cutting off subtitles, archival footage or subjects near the edge. Cropping may suit footage where the lost edges do not matter. Stretching fills the canvas but visibly warps the image. OBS explains these aspect-ratio trade-offs in its Aspect Ratio Guide.
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Check filters carefully
OBS includes a Scaling/Aspect Ratio filter in a source’s Filters panel. Its documentation describes scale filtering and a Resolution property that sets a source’s new resolution or aspect ratio: Scaling/Aspect Ratio Filter. This is an option for shaping an individual source, not a documented guarantee that every item in a playlist will be normalized automatically. Verify its effect with the source type and OBS version you use.
Test the full 24/7 lineup before leaving it unattended
- Preview representative clips, including the widest, tallest and most unusual aspect ratios in the lineup.
- Check framing after transitions, not just on the first video. Confirm that each source is fitted, cropped or padded as intended.
- Watch for cut-off subtitles, faces or important details, as well as black bars that may be intentional rather than evidence of distortion.
- Test the scene and settings before starting the live stream. OBS recommends testing scenes and settings before going live; checking clips across a 24/7 sequence applies that guidance to a lineup with changing footage.
Troubleshoot stretching, bars and missing edges
- Every video looks stretched: inspect the source transform for Stretch to Screen and compare the canvas and output shapes with the intended stream. Try Fit to Screen or reset the source transform.
- Only some clips look stretched: the lineup may contain videos with different aspect ratios, or the source may handle playlist items in a particular way. Inspect each clip and its source configuration; one transform on a container source is not confirmed to fit every incoming item identically.
- Bars appear after fitting: bars can be the result of preserving a video whose aspect ratio differs from the canvas. They do not, by themselves, mean the video is distorted. Add a background or other scene elements if you want to use the remaining space.
- The frame is full, but faces or shapes look wide or narrow: stretching is a likely cause. Fit the source proportionally instead.
- Edges disappear: the source may be enlarged beyond the canvas or cropped. This can preserve proportions while sacrificing image content.
OBS’s official guidance describes the general transform and aspect-ratio remedies, but the exact source type, OBS version and playlist setup can affect how a particular 24/7 scene behaves. The linked OBS guides were published in 2021–2022; check labels and behavior in your installed version.
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