To remove black bars from an OBS YouTube loop stream, first check whether they are already part of the video file. Then make OBS’s Base (Canvas) and Output (Scaled) resolutions the same aspect ratio as the presentation you want—usually 16:9—and choose a proportional fit or crop for the video source. If the OBS preview looks correct but YouTube playback does not, compare the stream output and player separately before changing the source.
1. Find where the black bars are coming from
Bars can be embedded in the video, introduced by a mismatch between the source and OBS frame, or appear in the YouTube player’s presentation. Identify which case applies before changing settings.
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Check the original file
- Open the video outside OBS and look at its edges. If the same bars are visible there, they are part of the picture; changing the OBS scene alone cannot remove them without cropping or editing.
- Check the file’s pixel dimensions and compare its shape with the intended stream frame. A 16:9 frame can be 1920×1080 or 1280×720, for example. The dimensions matter together: matching one number does not guarantee matching aspect ratios.
OBS’s Aspect Ratio Guide explains the trade-offs between fitting, cropping and stretching. YouTube’s Video resolution & aspect ratios guidance says the player adapts to the video and device, and advises against adding black padding directly to the video.
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Check the OBS preview and output frame
In OBS, open Settings → Video and inspect Base (Canvas) Resolution and Output (Scaled) Resolution. Choose dimensions with the same aspect ratio for the intended presentation. For a standard 16:9 stream, common choices include 1920×1080 and 1280×720.
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A historical 2017 OBS forum thread described a 1920×1080 canvas paired with an output described as 1080×720; the response pointed to 1280×720 as the 16:9 alternative. Treat that as an example of a dimension mismatch, not a universal diagnosis. See the OBS forum thread.
2. Choose how the video should fit
Select the video or media source in the OBS preview. Right-click it and use Transform options to fit or fill the canvas; labels can vary by OBS version. If using mouse gestures, OBS documents holding Alt while dragging an edge to crop. Avoid holding Shift to stretch unless deliberate distortion is acceptable.
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| Method | Retains the whole image | Fills the frame | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit proportionally | Yes | Not always | Preserves geometry; mismatched aspect ratios can leave unused space. |
| Crop or enlarge to fill | No | Yes | Preserves geometry but cuts off edges. Check that important text or subjects remain visible. |
| Stretch | Yes | Yes | Changes the picture’s geometry and can make people or objects look unnaturally wide or tall. |
| Use a designed background | Yes | Yes, with a background | Fills unused space without distorting or cropping the original image. |
If the bars are embedded in the file, crop the source in OBS or edit the video itself. Cropping removes some image content; there is no setting that preserves every pixel, fills every part of a differently shaped frame and avoids distortion all at once.
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3. Verify what viewers actually receive
- Check the OBS preview after changing the source transform. Confirm that the source is positioned within the canvas as intended.
- If available, make a local recording and inspect it. This helps separate a source or scene issue from the way YouTube presents the stream.
- Check the YouTube playback on the affected device. YouTube detects encoder resolution and frame rate automatically by default and transcodes live streams for playback across devices; the player’s framing is distinct from black pixels encoded into the picture. See Choose live encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions and Manage live stream settings.
If the OBS preview and recording are clean but YouTube playback still shows bars, check whether the bars appear on other devices and whether they are part of the encoded image. YouTube adapts the player to the video’s dimensions and viewer device, so bars visible in a particular playback context do not by themselves prove that the OBS source is wrong.
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4. Troubleshoot common symptoms
- Bars are visible in the original video: They are in the source image. Crop them in OBS or edit the file; either approach sacrifices some picture area.
- Bars appear after changing output resolution: Recheck Settings → Video. The canvas and scaled output should have the intended matching aspect ratio, such as 16:9 for a 16:9 presentation.
- The source fits, but unused space remains: The source and canvas shapes differ. Keep the proportional fit to preserve the full picture, crop or enlarge it to fill, or add a designed background.
- The image fills the frame but looks distorted: Undo the stretch and use a proportional fit or crop instead.
- OBS looks fine, but YouTube shows bars: Inspect a recording or the actual encoded output, then compare playback on another device. Distinguish bars encoded in the video from the player’s adaptive framing.
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