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To keep OBS playlist clips centered and proportionally scaled, select the playlist’s VLC Video source, open Transform → Edit Transform, and set centered horizontal and vertical alignment with a bounding box that fits the source inside the scene. Fit to Screen is the quick proportional option, but clips with different aspect ratios may show empty bars. To fill the frame instead, crop deliberately; stretching fills it by distorting the image.
Set up the playlist source
For a playlist of prerecorded clips, use OBS’s VLC Video source. It supports playlists and relies on VLC libraries, so VLC must be installed. OBS specifies that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. See the OBS Media Sources guide.
- In OBS, add or select the VLC Video source in the Sources list.
- If you are adding it, open the source properties and configure the playlist there. The source’s transform controls apply to the source in the scene as the playlist advances.
- Right-click the VLC Video source in Sources, then choose Transform → Fit to Screen. The documented shortcuts are Ctrl+F on Windows and Cmd+F on macOS.
Fit to Screen scales the source proportionally so it fits within the canvas. It does not make clips with different shapes all fill the frame: a taller or narrower clip can leave bars at the sides or top and bottom.
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- Select the VLC Video source, right-click it, and choose Transform → Edit Transform. OBS also lists Ctrl+E on Windows and Cmd+E on macOS as shortcuts for Edit Transform.
- In the transform controls, choose a bounding-box mode that scales the source inside the intended scene bounds, rather than stretching it to those bounds.
- Set horizontal and vertical position alignment to the center. If the source has no suitable bounds yet, apply Fit to Screen first and then inspect Edit Transform.
- Advance through the playlist and check clips with noticeably different shapes. If a clip appears to shift or change size, recheck the bounding-box type and both alignment settings.
These controls address a common playlist complaint: clips have differing aspect ratios and resolutions, yet should remain centered and scaled to touch the frame borders where possible while keeping their correct proportions. A directly relevant OBS forum thread reports that adjusting bounding-box and alignment controls resolved that kind of issue. The exact result can depend on the OBS version and source configuration.
#1 Best Overall
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Choose between bars, cropping, and stretching
The canvas is the fixed frame; each clip has its own shape. When their aspect ratios differ, there is no way to preserve the whole image, keep its proportions, and fill every pixel of the canvas at the same time.
| Approach | Proportions | All image content visible? | Canvas completely filled? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit to Screen | Preserved | Yes | Not always; bars may remain |
| Crop or enlarge beyond the frame | Preserved | No; edges are cut off | Can fill more or all of the canvas |
| Stretch to Screen | Not preserved; the image is distorted | The image is resized rather than cropped | Yes |
Choose Fit to Screen when the entire clip matters. If edge-to-edge coverage is more important, crop or enlarge the source while keeping its geometry. OBS documents cropping by holding Alt on Windows or Option on macOS while dragging a source edge. Stretch to Screen is also available (Ctrl+S on Windows; Cmd+S on macOS), but it changes the shape of people and objects. Use it only if that distortion is acceptable. OBS explains these trade-offs in its Aspect Ratio Guide and Sources Guide.
Rank #2
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Check the scene resolution if the frame itself looks wrong
A source can be positioned correctly within a canvas that has the wrong dimensions for the intended output. In Settings → Video, distinguish Base (Canvas) Resolution, which defines the scene space, from Output (Scaled) Resolution, which defines the stream or recording output size. Changing the base canvas can mean sources need to be realigned or resized. See the OBS Studio Overview Guide.
Troubleshoot playlist sizing and position
- A clip has bars even after Fit to Screen: This is expected when its aspect ratio does not match the canvas. Keep the bars to show the full, undistorted clip, or choose cropping if edge-to-edge coverage matters more.
- Clips appear to jump or change alignment: Open Transform → Edit Transform for the VLC Video source and check the bounding-box mode plus horizontal and vertical alignment. Set both alignments to center.
- The source fills the canvas but people or objects look too wide or tall: The source may be stretched. Apply Fit to Screen to restore proportional scaling, or crop/enlarge if you still need more coverage.
- The whole scene frame has unexpected dimensions: Check Base (Canvas) Resolution and Output (Scaled) Resolution separately in Settings → Video. If you change the base canvas, recheck source alignment and size.
- The VLC Video source or playlist is unavailable: Install VLC. If OBS is 64-bit, use 64-bit VLC, as required by OBS’s Media Sources guidance.
Or let it run in the cloud
If the goal is a YouTube channel that stays live with prerecorded videos, StreamNeo is a separate cloud option: upload a recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key once, and go live. It loops uploaded videos from the cloud, so your computer and home connection do not have to stay on. Each slot streams what you upload, up to 4K 60fps, at one flat price per slot; there are no quality tiers or re-encoding. StreamNeo can automatically recover if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo streams to YouTube only and plays uploaded videos; it does not go live from a camera. Learn more at StreamNeo, or start your free day.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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Rank #4
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Rank #3
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