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Usually, leave “Use hardware decoding when available” off at first. In OBS, that optional Media Source setting may use a GPU’s built-in decoder for certain file types, but the official guide does not promise lower CPU use or publish a performance benchmark for looping video. To make a local video repeat, use the separate Loop property.
What the setting does—and what it does not do
OBS describes hardware decoding as using the GPU for certain file types when the GPU has the appropriate built-in hardware decoder. In the documented Media Source properties, “Use hardware decoding when available” is off by default. An extension by itself does not confirm that a particular encoded file can use the GPU decoder; OBS’s guide does not provide a detailed codec, GPU, and driver compatibility matrix. OBS Project’s Media Sources guide (dated January 11, 2022) describes the setting this way: “Sets the GPU to perform hardware decoding on certain file types if your GPU has the appropriate hardware decoder built-in”.
Decoding is not looping
Decoding is the playback work of processing a video file. Looping is the instruction to play it again when it ends. The Media Source property called Loop controls repetition and is also off by default in the documented settings. OBS’s table describes it as: “Specifies whether the file play again once playback has completed”. Turning hardware decoding on does not itself make a file repeat.
Decoding is not stream encoding
Media Source hardware decoding applies to an input file. The encoder setting applies to the outgoing stream or recording. They may both mention hardware, but they perform different jobs. OBS’s separate Hardware Encoding guide discusses specialized GPU components for encoding; that is not evidence of a particular benefit from hardware-decoding a looping source.
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YouTube transcoding is separate
YouTube transcodes streams for delivery, including the source feed, according to OBS’s Transcodes / Transcoding article. That platform processing does not determine whether OBS should hardware-decode a local Media Source file.
Check that you are using a local Media Source
This advice applies when OBS plays a video file added as a Media Source. OBS’s guide lists video extensions including .mp4, .ts, .mov, .flv, .mkv, .avi, .gif, and .webm, as well as audio extensions such as .mp3, .aac, .ogg, and .wav. Listed support does not establish that every encoding of those files can use hardware decoding.
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If by “YouTube loop” you mean capturing or embedding a YouTube webpage rather than playing a local file, that is a different OBS source path. Media Source hardware-decoding guidance does not answer how a browser or capture source will behave. OBS’s Sources Guide distinguishes media files added to a scene from other source types.
Set up a local video loop in OBS
- Add the file: In the scene’s Sources box, click + and choose Media Source. Create a new source or select an existing one, then browse to the local video file in its properties.
- Enable repetition: In the Media Source properties, check Loop. This is the control that makes the file restart after playback completes.
- Choose decoding only if needed: Leave Use hardware decoding when available unchecked initially. If playback is choppy or resource use is concerning, compare the same source with the option checked.
- Verify the output separately: Check that the live output is configured with the intended stream encoder. The Media Source decoder setting is not the outgoing encoder choice.
OBS documents Media Source and VLC Video as separate source types. VLC Video requires VLC to be installed, supports playlists, and has its own Loop Playlist option, documented as on by default. You do not need to install VLC merely to loop one local file in a regular Media Source.
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How to compare the setting fairly
There is no published OBS benchmark in the cited guides for hardware-decoding a Media Source during a YouTube loop. Treat this as a machine-specific troubleshooting comparison, not a guaranteed optimization.
- Use the same video file, scene, and output conditions for both runs.
- First confirm that the file repeats correctly with Loop enabled.
- Observe playback smoothness, CPU load, GPU load or decoder activity if your system exposes it, and stability across repeated loop boundaries.
- Change only the hardware-decoding checkbox, then compare the results. Keep the state that plays reliably on your setup.
If both versions loop smoothly and resource use is acceptable, there is no source-based reason in OBS’s guide to change the default. OBS also notes that meeting system requirements does not guarantee streaming or recording capability; CPU needs vary with encoder, resolution, frame rate, and scene complexity. Its System Requirements page is dated August 25, 2021, so check the requirements and labels relevant to your installed OBS version.
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Troubleshoot common loop problems
| Symptom | What to check | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| The video stops at the end | The Media Source’s Loop property is off. | Open its properties and enable Loop. Hardware decoding does not control repetition. |
| The video stutters or playback seems demanding | The file and system may not behave better with GPU decoding; support depends on the file and available GPU decoder. | Compare the same file and scene with the decoding option off and on. Keep the reliable result; do not assume a lower CPU load. |
| The checkbox makes no observable difference | The file may not be among those that can use the GPU’s built-in decoder, or the change may not affect this workload. | Leave it off if playback is already satisfactory. The OBS guide does not give a per-codec compatibility matrix. |
| The live stream has output problems | Source decoding and outgoing stream encoding are separate stages. | Check the output encoder and broader OBS workload separately rather than treating this checkbox as an encoder setting. |
| You are looping a webpage, not a file | A browser or capture source is not the local Media Source workflow covered here. | Troubleshoot the source type actually used; do not apply the local-file decoding recommendation automatically. |
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