To make videos in an OBS playlist appear at a consistent size, set the size of the playlist source—not just the currently playing video. Use the VLC Video source for a playlist, then apply a consistent transform or test a Scaling/Aspect Ratio Filter on that source. Choose whether to preserve the entire image with bars, crop its edges to fill the frame, or stretch it; each option handles mixed aspect ratios differently.
Use a VLC Video source for the playlist
OBS’s built-in Media Source is for an individual media file. For playlist playback, OBS documents the VLC Video source, which requires VLC to be installed. Its controls include playlist playback options such as loop and shuffle.
If your videos are separate Media Sources, changing one source’s size will not automatically make the others match. Select the VLC Video playlist source when setting a consistent display area.
Set a consistent size for the playlist source
- Select the VLC Video source in the Sources list so the playlist—not another scene element—is selected.
- Set its display area. Resize or position it in the preview, or open the source context menu and use its transform controls. OBS’s source and transform guide explains these controls: OBS source transforms.
- If resizing the active item does not carry over when the playlist advances, test a Scaling/Aspect Ratio Filter on the VLC Video source. A community report describes setting the filter’s target to 1920×1080 to address different apparent sizes in a playlist. Treat that as a workaround to test—not a guaranteed fix for every OBS, VLC, or filter version. See the reported playlist-sizing case.
- Advance through the playlist and check each item. Confirm the image remains within the intended area and that the selected fit, crop, or stretch treatment is acceptable.
The 1920×1080 value is the community poster’s example, not a universal setting. Choose a target that matches your intended scene composition and output.
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Choose how different aspect ratios should look
Equal display dimensions do not mean every video has the same aspect ratio. A wide video and a more square video cannot both fill the same rectangular area without either empty space, cropping, or distortion.
| Choice | What happens | Use it when |
|---|---|---|
| Fit | The whole image stays visible, but bars or empty space may remain. | You must preserve every edge of the video. |
| Crop or scale larger | The image fills more of the area, but some edges may be cut off. | Filling the frame matters more than retaining the full image. |
| Stretch | The image fills the area but its proportions change. | Distortion is acceptable for your content. |
OBS warns against stretching when image proportions matter. Its guide describes 16:9 as a common display aspect ratio and gives 1920×1080, 1280×720, and 3840×2160 as examples; these are examples, not a requirement that every playlist use 16:9. See OBS’s resolution guide.
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Check canvas and output settings separately
In OBS, open Settings → Video. Base (Canvas) Resolution is the workspace where you arrange sources. Output (Scaled) Resolution sets the resolution sent to the stream or recording. The OBS Overview Guide says Output (Scaled) Resolution should be the stream output resolution, such as 720p or 480p: OBS Studio Overview Guide.
- Set the Base (Canvas) Resolution for the composition you want to arrange.
- Set the Output (Scaled) Resolution for the stream or recording destination.
- Do not change the canvas merely to fix one playlist source. Changing canvas size can require sources to be repositioned or resized; changing output resolution does not change their layout.
Troubleshoot inconsistent playlist sizing
- Only the current video is sized correctly: apply the transform or scaling filter to the VLC Video playlist source, not only to an individual playing item. Test what happens when the playlist advances.
- A video has bars: it may be fitting the full image into a differently shaped display area. Use crop or scale larger if filling the area is more important than preserving the full frame.
- Image edges disappear: the source may be cropped or enlarged to fill. Choose Fit to preserve the whole frame.
- The picture looks distorted: avoid Stretch unless changing proportions is acceptable.
- The filter does not affect every item: test the playlist items and filter behavior with your installed OBS and VLC versions. The specific playlist-filter fix is reported by a community user; OBS’s official documentation describes source sizing and aspect-ratio controls but does not promise automatic normalization for every playlist.
- Performance is the concern: lower output resolution can reduce encoder load. OBS also advises against using unnecessarily high-resolution media when it will be displayed smaller. Reducing Base (Canvas) Resolution can make source layout and asset management more involved because sources may need repositioning and resizing. The OBS performance guide does not give a universal performance penalty for scaling a mixed-resolution playlist: OBS performance guidance.
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