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How to Fix a Black Screen Between Files in a 4K 60fps YouTube Live Loop

Use OBS Media Source for one looping video or VLC Video for a playlist. Then check preview, source end behavior, visibility, and YouTube’s separate 4K/60 encoder settings.

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For one repeating video in OBS, use a Media Source and turn on Loop. For a sequence of videos, use VLC Video, add the files to its playlist, and enable Loop Playlist. These settings repeat playback, but OBS’s documentation does not guarantee a gapless transition between files. Start by checking whether the black screen also appears in the OBS preview.

Choose the playback source for your loop

One file: OBS Media Source

  1. In OBS, add a Media Source to the scene and select the video file.
  2. Enable Loop in the source properties. OBS repeats the file after playback completes.
  3. Check Show nothing when playback ends. If the source is set to show nothing at the end, that behavior may contribute to a black image at the boundary.

Several files: VLC Video

  1. Install VLC if it is not already installed. OBS requires 64-bit VLC when using 64-bit OBS.
  2. In OBS, add a VLC Video source and add the files to its playlist.
  3. Enable Loop Playlist. OBS defines this option as whether the source should restart when it has run out of media files.
  4. Review Visibility Behaviour. This controls whether playback continues, pauses, or stops when the source is not visible in the OBS scene. “Stop when not visible, restart when visible” refers to scene visibility, not whether the OBS application window is on screen.

Media Source’s Loop repeats one file; VLC Video’s Loop Playlist restarts a sequence. Neither documented option promises a gapless handoff between different files.

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Find where the black screen is introduced

  1. Look at the OBS preview during the transition. If the preview goes black too, investigate the playback source and scene before changing encoder settings.
  2. Check source end behavior and visibility. For Media Source, inspect whether “Show nothing when playback ends” is enabled. For VLC Video, confirm the visibility behavior is appropriate for how the scene is used.
  3. Check source order and visibility. OBS displays higher sources in the Sources list above lower ones. An upper source can cover the video; check its eye icon and move or hide sources as needed.
  4. If the preview is fine but the YouTube stream goes black, inspect the encoder/output path and OBS log. That preview-versus-stream distinction helps narrow the investigation, but it does not identify a universal cause.

The cited OBS documentation does not identify every cause of a black interval between heterogeneous files or guarantee gapless playlist transitions. If these checks do not resolve it, note whether the gap is in preview or only on YouTube, which source is in use, its loop and visibility settings, and what the OBS log reports. File-format differences or encoder overload are possibilities to investigate only when the files or log give a reason to do so.

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Keep 4K/60 encoding settings separate from playlist settings

YouTube’s current live encoder settings page, accessed in 2026, recommends these bitrates for 2160p at 60 fps:

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YouTube also recommends constant bitrate (CBR) and a 2-second keyframe frequency, not exceeding 4 seconds. These are encoder recommendations; they do not determine how OBS advances from one playlist item to another and are not a guarantee against a black frame at a file boundary. See YouTube’s live encoder settings and YouTube’s live encoder setup guidance.

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Run the loop from the cloud instead

If your goal is to keep uploaded videos playing on a YouTube channel without leaving a local playback setup running, StreamNeo runs the loop in the cloud. Upload your recording or build a playlist, add your YouTube stream key, and go live. Nothing has to stay on at home; the uploaded video streams as made, up to 4K 60fps, at one price per slot. StreamNeo can automatically recover if YouTube drops the stream. The first day is free with no card, and the monthly option is $9.99 per month. StreamNeo is for uploaded videos streamed to YouTube, not live camera feeds. Learn about StreamNeo, or start the free first day.

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