The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →To keep OBS playlist clips centered and proportionally scaled, select the playlist’s VLC Video source, open Transform → Edit Transform, and set its bounding box and horizontal and vertical alignment for the scene. Fit to Screen is the quick proportional fit. Different-shaped clips may still show bars; filling every edge requires cropping or distortion.
Set up the playlist source
For a playlist, use OBS’s VLC Video source rather than treating each clip as a separately positioned source. The VLC Video source supports playlists and relies on VLC libraries. VLC must be installed; if you use 64-bit OBS, OBS specifies 64-bit VLC. See the OBS Media Sources guide.
Center and fit clips consistently
- In Sources, select the VLC playlist source.
- Right-click it and choose Transform → Edit Transform. OBS also documents Ctrl+E on Windows and Cmd+E on macOS for Edit Transform.
- Set the bounding-box mode to scale the source inside the intended scene bounds. Choose centered horizontal and vertical position alignment. The exact result can depend on the source configuration and OBS version.
- If the source has no suitable bounds yet, first choose Transform → Fit to Screen, then inspect the bounding-box and alignment settings in Edit Transform.
- Advance through the playlist and check clips with different shapes. If a clip appears offset or changes size unexpectedly, revisit its bounding-box mode and both alignment controls.
OBS’s Sources Guide documents Fit to Screen (Ctrl+F on Windows, Cmd+F on macOS), Center to Screen (Ctrl+D/Cmd+D), Stretch to Screen (Ctrl+S/Cmd+S), and Edit Transform. A 2018 OBS forum thread describes a playlist whose videos had differing aspect ratios and resolutions; the user’s reported fix involved bounding-box and alignment controls. Treat that as a relevant user example, not a guarantee that one setting behaves identically in every setup.
Choose between bars, cropping, and stretching
The canvas is the fixed frame; each clip has its own shape. A proportional fit preserves the full picture, so clips whose aspect ratio differs from the canvas can leave empty bars. Fit to Screen does not promise edge-to-edge coverage for every clip.
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| Choice | Proportions | Is all image content visible? | Does it fill the canvas? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit to Screen | Preserved | Yes | Not necessarily; bars may remain |
| Crop or scale beyond the frame | Preserved | No; edges are hidden | Can fill more or all of the canvas, depending on the crop |
| Stretch to Screen | Changed; image is distorted | Generally yes, though the image shape is altered | Yes |
For documentaries or other footage where the whole frame matters, keep the proportional fit and accept bars. If edge-to-edge coverage matters more, deliberately crop or enlarge the source beyond the frame; this preserves geometry but cuts off edge content. OBS documents cropping by holding Alt on Windows or Option on macOS while dragging a source edge. Stretch to Screen fills the canvas by changing the image proportions, so avoid it as a cosmetic fix unless distortion is acceptable. The OBS Aspect Ratio Guide explains these trade-offs.
Check the scene and output resolutions
If the frame itself seems unexpectedly shaped, check Settings → Video. Base (Canvas) Resolution defines the scene space in which sources are arranged; Output (Scaled) Resolution sets the stream or recording output size. They serve different purposes. Changing the base canvas can require sources to be resized or realigned. See the OBS Studio Overview Guide.
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Troubleshoot clips that still shift
- Clips jump or appear differently sized as the playlist advances: select the VLC Video source, then check Edit Transform’s bounding-box mode and horizontal and vertical alignment.
- The whole scene frame looks wrong: verify Base (Canvas) Resolution in Settings → Video; do not confuse it with Output (Scaled) Resolution.
- The clip has bars after fitting: that is expected when the clip and canvas aspect ratios differ and the full image is preserved. Choose deliberate cropping if losing edge content is acceptable.
- The picture looks unnaturally wide or tall: undo Stretch to Screen and use Fit to Screen or deliberate cropping instead.
- VLC Video is unavailable or the playlist source does not work: install VLC and check that its architecture matches OBS; OBS specifies 64-bit VLC for 64-bit OBS.
Or let it run in the cloud
If your goal is to keep a YouTube channel live with uploaded videos, StreamNeo is a separate option from arranging a playlist in OBS: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. StreamNeo loops uploaded videos from the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. It streams to YouTube only.
- Any uploaded quality up to 4K 60fps at one flat price per slot, with no re-encode or quality tiers.
- Automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream.
- The first day is free with no card, one free day per account.
The monthly plan is $9.99 per month. See StreamNeo for details, or start your free day.
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