The Tool Desk
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What you need
- An OBS scene containing your loop video.
- A clock page: either a local HTML file or a webpage URL. If you use a community file, inspect it and get it from a source you trust.
- A planned display format and timezone. Some clock pages offer settings for these; OBS does not guarantee the same controls for every page.
OBS Browser Source can render either a local web page or a URL. Its default viewport is 800 × 600 pixels, but that is only a default; set dimensions that fit the clock page and your scene.
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Add the clock as a Browser Source
- Open the OBS scene that contains the loop video.
- In the Sources dock, click + and choose Browser or Browser Source (the precise label can vary by OBS version).
- Give the source a recognizable name, such as “Clock,” and confirm.
- For a downloaded clock page, enable Local File and browse to the HTML file. For a hosted clock, enter its URL instead.
- Set the Browser Source width and height to suit the page layout and your stream. These values set the browser page’s viewport; they are not automatically the output resolution of your stream.
- Confirm the source, then move it above the video source in the Sources list. Higher sources render over lower ones.
- In the preview, drag the clock into place and resize it. Check that it is legible and not cropped at the edges.
Check the clock’s format and timezone in its own page or settings, if available. If it displays seconds, verify that they change in the OBS preview. Review the final OBS output or stream preview before going live.
Make sure the video loops underneath
If the loop is a local file added with OBS Media Source, open that source’s properties and enable Loop. Keep the clock as its own source above the video so the video can repeat without interrupting the overlay.
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If you use an OBS VLC Video source for a playlist, its Loop Playlist property can repeat the playlist. OBS requires VLC to be installed for this source type to appear. You do not need VLC just to loop one local Media Source file.
Choose a clock page that fits your stream
Local HTML clock
A local page keeps the clock file on your computer rather than relying on a third-party clock webpage remaining available. A community OBS forum example can be customized by editing its HTML and CSS; its default display uses day/month/year and 24-hour time with seconds. Those defaults are specific to that example, not OBS-wide settings.
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Hosted clock webpage
Enter the page URL in Browser Source. This is straightforward, but the page and its assets depend on the host staying reachable during your stream. OBS support for URL pages does not guarantee the availability or suitability of any particular clock service.
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Some community projects provide options such as 12- or 24-hour time, seconds, timezone, and styling. These are project-specific features, not built-in controls guaranteed by OBS. One GitHub project’s README says it was tested on OBS 30+; that is the project author’s statement, not independent compatibility testing.
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OBS Text Source is useful for customizable static text. A live-updating time needs a mechanism to refresh the displayed value, so do not assume a Text Source by itself is a live clock.
Clock overlay troubleshooting
The clock is missing
- Check that the source is visible (its eye icon is enabled) and that the Browser Source viewport has nonzero width and height.
- Confirm the local file path or URL is correct and that the page loads.
- Move the clock above sources that might cover it.
The clock is behind the video
Move the clock higher in the Sources list. Source order determines which elements appear on top.
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The clock is clipped or too small
Adjust the Browser Source viewport dimensions, then reposition or resize the source in the preview. Check the whole layout at the output size you intend to stream.
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Browser Source has a Shutdown source when not visible property. When enabled, it unloads the page while the source is hidden. Turn it off if the page needs to keep running while hidden; alternatively, OBS documents a refresh-on-scene-activation option if you want the page to reload when the scene returns.
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The video does not repeat
Open the local Media Source properties and check that Loop is enabled. For an OBS VLC playlist, check Loop Playlist.
The displayed time is confusing
Choose an explicit timezone if the selected clock page offers one. If viewers need to interpret the time across regions, include the timezone label in the overlay.
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For the OBS do-it-yourself route, your computer must keep OBS running and connected while it sends the scene to YouTube. If you want an uploaded video or playlist to run continuously without leaving a computer on, StreamNeo is a separate cloud option for YouTube: upload your video, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. It loops the uploaded video from the cloud; it does not stream from a camera. Your OBS clock scene is not transferred by those steps.
StreamNeo can be useful when the priority is keeping a YouTube video or playlist live rather than maintaining an OBS scene overlay. Nothing has to stay on at home; uploaded video streams as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot. The service includes automatic recovery if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, one free day per account. Monthly pricing is $9.99 per month. Start the free day with StreamNeo.
Keep the clock readable and the stream appropriate
- Use a clock page you trust, especially when loading a community HTML file into OBS.
- Preview the complete output for readability, placement, date format, and timezone before going live.
- Use video and audio that you have the right to stream. A clock overlay does not change YouTube’s copyright rules, and it does not by itself make reused content original or suitable for monetization.
YouTube’s Live Control Room also offers a Browser Source URL for its Take a Break away overlay. That is a YouTube-specific break slate, not the normal way to add a clock; for an ordinary clock, add the Browser Source to your OBS scene.
Quick Recap
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