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For most 16:9 prerecorded loops, start with a 1920×1080 OBS canvas and 1920×1080 output at 30 fps if the source contains that much useful detail and your computer and connection can sustain it. The canvas is the workspace where you arrange video and other sources; the output resolution is what OBS sends to YouTube. Match output to the source and to tested, reliable capacity rather than choosing the largest number available.

Choose canvas, output resolution, and frame rate

Base (Canvas) Resolution: your layout workspace

OBS uses the Base (Canvas) Resolution to arrange sources. For a loop, choose a canvas that suits the intended composition and preserves the video’s aspect ratio. Changing it can require repositioning or resizing sources. See the OBS Studio Overview Guide.

Output (Scaled) Resolution: the size sent to YouTube

Output (Scaled) Resolution is the stream resolution after OBS applies its downscale filter. If the canvas is 1920×1080 and output is 1280×720, OBS scales the composition down. Sending a lower-resolution source at a higher output size does not restore detail that is not in the file.

Use 30 fps unless the loop benefits from 60

For static imagery or slow movement, 30 fps is a sensible starting point. Use 60 fps when the source has motion that visibly looks better at that rate and your system can encode it reliably; OBS cautions that 60-fps streaming can be substantially more demanding than 30 fps. The 30-fps starting point is a practical recommendation, not a YouTube requirement. Test sustained performance before leaving the broadcast unattended.

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Set resolution to match the source and viewing format

  1. Check the source file. Note its native resolution, aspect ratio, and whether it contains still images, slow movement, or fast motion.
  2. Preserve the composition. For ordinary landscape content, use a 16:9 canvas and output. YouTube identifies 16:9 as the standard computer-player aspect ratio. Fit the source without stretching, or crop deliberately if that is the intended framing.
  3. Start at the source’s useful detail. If the source is 1080p or better and the computer and connection are dependable, try a 1920×1080 output at 30 fps. If the source is lower-resolution, use a matching or lower output rather than upscaling simply to select a larger number.
  4. Reduce load if tests fail. If OBS reports encoding overload or YouTube stream health deteriorates, lower output resolution and/or frame rate, then test again. Lower canvas or output choices can reduce performance demands; choose a stream quality your connection can sustain.
  5. Test the real loop. Preview representative motion and audio before the long broadcast, check YouTube stream health while live, and confirm any local recording is intact and growing. YouTube recommends testing before a live stream and monitoring quality; see its live streaming tips.

Do not select 1440p just because it is available. Consider source detail, sustained encoder load, stable upload bandwidth with headroom, and whether the intended presentation is landscape, vertical, or square. The available guidance does not establish a single best 1440p setting for every loop.

Set YouTube encoder settings and bitrate

YouTube’s live encoder guidance recommends constant bitrate (CBR) and a 2-second keyframe interval, not exceeding 4 seconds. It supports H.264, H.265/HEVC, and AV1 over RTMP/RTMPS, recommends RTMPS, and supports frame rates up to 60 fps. For SDR, use Rec. 709, square pixels, and progressive scan. These are ingest recommendations, not a guarantee that a particular home connection will remain stable. Check YouTube’s current encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions when configuring a broadcast.

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The following are YouTube’s published live-ingest bitrate figures, checked October 3, 2026. “Minimum” and “recommended” are platform guidance; leave upload headroom and test sustained performance rather than treating the recommended bitrate as a guarantee.

Output H.264 minimum H.264 recommended AV1 or H.265 minimum AV1 or H.265 recommended
1080p30 5 Mbps 14 Mbps 4 Mbps 10 Mbps
1080p60 6 Mbps 17 Mbps 4 Mbps 12 Mbps
720p30 3 Mbps 8 Mbps 2 Mbps 6 Mbps
720p60 3 Mbps 8 Mbps 2 Mbps 6 Mbps

YouTube transcodes live feeds into different formats for viewers. The bitrate you set controls the feed you send to YouTube, not every viewer’s playback resolution.

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Plan for a 24/7 broadcast and its archive

A continuous 24-hour broadcast is not guaranteed to become a complete YouTube replay. YouTube says it can automatically archive a live stream if it is less than 12 hours long and warns that streams exceeding 12 hours may not be captured at all. If a replay matters, keep a local recording and plan an archive strategy around that limit; YouTube does not state that a particular restart cadence is required to keep a live feed online. Read its archive live streams guidance.

YouTube’s published livestream tips also require a verified channel with no live-stream restriction in the past 90 days. Test the preview, monitor audio and video quality, and verify that local archive files are intact and growing. For a loop using material you did not create, confirm you have the rights to stream it; sustained streaming does not exempt a channel from copyright rules.

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Troubleshoot common resolution and stability problems

  • The loop looks stretched or cropped incorrectly: check source and canvas aspect ratios. Fit or crop intentionally; do not distort the image to fill the frame.
  • The stream looks soft despite a high output setting: compare output with the source’s native resolution. Upscaling cannot create missing source detail; use a suitable output and check YouTube’s stream health.
  • OBS encoding overloads or frames are missed: lower output resolution and/or frame rate, then test a representative section again. Consider 30 rather than 60 fps if the motion does not need the higher rate.
  • YouTube stream health degrades: check sustained upload capacity, leave bandwidth headroom, and select a lower bitrate or output setting that remains reliable. Re-test instead of relying on a brief speed test.
  • The replay is missing or incomplete: a broadcast longer than 12 hours may not be captured automatically. Keep a local recording if the archive is important and verify that the file is being written.
  • The channel cannot start a live broadcast: confirm channel verification and check for a live-stream restriction in the previous 90 days.
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