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For one nature clip, add it as an OBS Media Source and enable Loop. OBS supports common video file types including MP4, MOV, MKV and WebM, but its documentation does not name one universally best format or guarantee every codec profile will work on every system. Start with a supported file that plays correctly in your OBS preview; MP4 is a reasonable common starting point, not a compatibility guarantee.
Which video format should you use?
OBS lists these supported video file types for Media Sources: .mp4, .ts, .mov, .flv, .mkv, .avi, .gif and .webm. The list is about file extensions, not a complete compatibility matrix for codecs, operating systems, OBS builds or hardware. A file’s extension alone therefore cannot guarantee smooth playback.
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If you already have nature footage in one of these formats, try it before converting. If you need a starting choice, MP4 is common, but check the actual file on the computer and OBS setup you plan to use. Add it to a scene and confirm that it plays as expected in the preview before going live. OBS Project’s Media Sources documentation describes supported source types and their settings.
Loop one nature clip with Media Source
- In OBS, select the scene where the footage should appear.
- In the Sources box, select + and choose Media Source. Create a new source or select an existing one.
- In the source properties, select Browse and choose the video file.
- Enable Loop so the file plays again after playback completes.
- Check the preview. If you want playback to start over whenever the source becomes visible, review Restart playback when source becomes active. This is separate from Loop: Loop repeats while the source plays; restarting on activation controls what happens when it becomes active again.
- Select OK and verify the scene behaves as intended.
Use a playlist for several clips
For a sequence of nature videos, use OBS’s VLC Video Source rather than adding a separate Media Source for each clip. It supports playlists, and Loop Playlist is enabled by default. This route requires VLC to be installed. Match the VLC architecture to OBS: OBS documents that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. The single-file Media Source does not require VLC.
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MP4 versus MKV: input playback is not recording output
Choosing a file to play in a scene is different from choosing a format in which OBS records your stream or local recording. OBS’s Audio/Video Formats Guide discusses recording containers and recommends MKV for many recording situations, with remuxing available for compatibility. That recording guidance does not mean you should convert a looping source clip to MKV, or that MKV is always the best input format.
For an existing clip, decide based on whether OBS plays that file reliably on the intended machine, whether the format is practical for your editing workflow, and any separate recording requirements. The documentation’s extension list does not establish a universal codec-level winner.
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If playback stutters or fails
- The source will not play: Confirm that the selected path points to the file you intend to use, then test another supported file. A supported extension does not guarantee every file encoded with it will work in every environment.
- The clip plays once and stops: Reopen the Media Source properties and enable Loop.
- The clip should restart after switching scenes: Check Restart playback when source becomes active; it is a distinct option from Loop.
- A VLC playlist is unavailable: Install VLC and check that its architecture matches OBS. OBS specifically documents the 64-bit OBS/64-bit VLC requirement.
- Playback is still choppy: Check the file and local system configuration first. OBS offers a Hardware Decoding option for certain file types when the GPU has an appropriate decoder; the setting is off by default. You can test it when supported, but the documentation does not promise it will fix a particular playback problem.
Hardware encoding is a separate subject: it concerns encoding the outgoing stream or recording, and does not establish which source-video format will decode or loop best. See the OBS Project hardware encoding guide for that distinction.
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