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Start by checking OBS’s preview at the moment the screen goes black. If the preview also goes black, troubleshoot the local media source, playlist, or source visibility. If the preview remains normal and only the YouTube stream is black, investigate OBS’s output and logs instead. This comparison helps locate the problem; it does not identify every cause.
First, identify when and where the screen goes black
Note whether the black interval happens between playlist files, after the final file, when a source becomes hidden, or only in the delivered YouTube stream. Also note whether audio continues and whether the OBS preview is affected. These details help distinguish a file-boundary or visibility issue from a problem in the stream-output path.
Check the OBS preview at the file boundary
- Preview goes black too: investigate the source’s playback and visibility settings, the playlist, and the media files.
- Preview looks correct, but YouTube is black: inspect OBS output and its log rather than changing media-source settings at random.
This is a practical way to narrow down where the fault may be; it is not a guaranteed diagnosis.
Choose the right OBS source for your files
| Use case | OBS source | Relevant control |
|---|---|---|
| One local video file | Media Source | Enable Loop to repeat the file after playback completes. |
| Several local video files | VLC Video | Add the files to its playlist. Enable Loop Playlist to restart the list after it runs out. |
OBS describes these controls as repeating a file or restarting a playlist. It does not promise that separate playlist items will hand off without a gap. See the OBS Media Sources documentation for the source options and their behavior.
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For one file: check Media Source playback
- In OBS, select the scene containing the video and select its Media Source.
- Confirm that the source points to the intended local file.
- Enable Loop if the file should repeat.
- Check Show nothing when playback ends. OBS documents that this option hides the source after playback completes, so it matters if the black screen appears at the end of the file.
- Check Close file when inactive if the symptom coincides with the source being hidden or inactive.
For several files: check VLC Video and playlist settings
- In OBS, select the scene’s VLC Video source and confirm the intended files are in its playlist.
- Enable Loop Playlist if playback should restart after the last item. This setting restarts the list; it is not documented as a gapless-transition setting for every file boundary.
- Check Shuffle Playlist if the files play in an unexpected order.
- Confirm VLC is installed. OBS specifies that a 64-bit OBS installation requires 64-bit VLC.
OBS’s VLC Video Visibility Behaviour controls whether playback continues, pauses, or stops while the source is not visible. Check whether the source becomes hidden at the moment of the blackout, and inspect the Sources list to see whether another source is layered above the video.
If the black gap occurs between separate files
OBS documents playlist restart and playback controls, but the available documentation does not establish a universal cause or a guaranteed setting that makes transitions between distinct clips gapless. Treat a single continuous file as a workaround to test, not a verified fix:
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- Prepare the clips as one continuous file using a workflow you trust.
- Load that file as a Media Source and enable Loop.
- Watch the relevant transition in the OBS preview, then check a test recording or private stream before relying on it for a live broadcast.
This approach removes separate playlist-item boundaries in principle, but whether it solves your particular blackout depends on the files and setup. A secondary troubleshooting guide also discusses black gaps in OBS playlists: Itechguides: How to Remove Black Gaps Between Videos in an OBS YouTube Playlist.
If only the YouTube stream is black
When the OBS preview stays correct, keep the local source distinction in mind and inspect OBS’s output and log as a separate troubleshooting path. Avoid changing encoder or network settings at random when the preview itself already shows the source going black: that points first toward the local scene or source path.
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YouTube’s HLS setup guidance concerns HLS ingestion requirements, including segment duration and rolling-playlist configuration. It does not connect those requirements to local OBS playlist transitions, so HLS settings should not be presented as a fix for a blackout at an OBS file boundary.
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