OBS Replay Buffer and playlist looping do different jobs: Replay Buffer saves recent footage locally when you trigger its save hotkey, while a Media Source or VLC Video source repeats uploaded media into your live broadcast. For one video, use Media Source with Loop; for a list, use VLC Video with Loop Playlist. YouTube DVR is a separate viewer rewind feature, and it may be limited or unavailable on streams longer than 12 hours.
Choose the setting that matches what you mean by “replay”
| What you want | Use this | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Keep recent footage so you can save a clip | OBS Replay Buffer | Captures recent footage locally; you save it with a hotkey. |
| Repeat one uploaded video in the broadcast | OBS Media Source with Loop enabled | Plays the file again when playback completes. |
| Cycle through multiple uploaded videos | OBS VLC Video with Loop Playlist enabled | Restarts the list when it reaches the end; shuffle is a separate option. |
| Let viewers pause or rewind the live broadcast | YouTube DVR | Viewer-side playback control, separate from OBS media looping. |
OBS source settings control what OBS sends out. YouTube’s video and playlist repeat controls affect a viewer’s playback, not the outgoing OBS broadcast. OBS Media Sources and YouTube’s playlist repeat guidance describe those as separate functions.
Save recent footage with OBS Replay Buffer
Replay Buffer is for capturing a recent segment on the computer running OBS. It is not a playlist feature and does not enable YouTube viewer rewind. OBS’s recording output overview recommends enabling Replay Buffer and setting a save hotkey separately.
- In OBS, open Settings and go to the recording output settings. Enable Replay Buffer.
- Open Settings > Hotkeys and assign a hotkey to save the replay buffer. OBS lists Start/Stop/Save Replay Buffer among the available hotkey actions.
- Start the buffer, then press the save hotkey when you want to preserve the recent footage.
Enabling the buffer alone does not save clips automatically. The OBS overview does not prescribe a universal buffer duration, memory limit, or storage formula; choose settings appropriate to your installed OBS version and available computer resources, and confirm where your recording output is saved.
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Loop a single video with Media Source
- In the OBS Sources panel, add a Media Source and select the local video file.
- Enable Loop in the source properties.
- Confirm the source is visible in the scene you are streaming and preview that it restarts after reaching the end.
OBS documents Media Source’s Loop control as repeating a file after playback finishes. This is the simpler choice when the broadcast consists of one video.
Loop a list of videos with VLC Video
- Install VLC before adding the source. The VLC Video source requires VLC, and 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- In OBS, add a VLC Video source and add the media files to its playlist in the order you want.
- Leave Loop Playlist enabled to restart the list after the final item. Enable Shuffle Playlist only if you want playback order randomized; OBS documents it as a separate control and off by default.
- Check the source’s visibility behavior. OBS lists Stop when not visible, restart when visible as the default behavior. If your scene hides the source, adjust this behavior as needed and test that playback continues as intended.
OBS’s Media Sources guide covers Media Source, VLC Video, playlist looping, shuffle, and visibility behavior. Test the full playlist before relying on it for a long broadcast: verify each file plays, the playlist restarts, and scene changes do not stop playback unexpectedly.
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Start OBS with streaming or Replay Buffer enabled
OBS documents startup parameters --startreplaybuffer and --startstreaming. These can request that OBS start the buffer or begin streaming when launched, including from a scheduled or automated launch.
- Use the applicable OBS launch parameter:
--startreplaybufferto start Replay Buffer, or--startstreamingto start streaming. - For a scheduled or automated launch, set the working directory to the folder containing OBS. On Windows, OBS calls this the Start in directory; point it to the directory containing
obs64.exe. - Test the launch manually and check OBS’s status and the broadcast before depending on the schedule.
These launch options simplify startup; they do not guarantee uninterrupted operation, restart OBS after a crash, or recover every YouTube event failure. See OBS’s launch parameters guidance.
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What YouTube DVR does on a long live stream
YouTube DVR lets viewers pause and rewind during a live stream. YouTube warns that DVR capabilities may be limited or unavailable when a live stream is longer than 12 hours, so do not assume viewers will have a complete rewind window for a continuous broadcast. This is separate from OBS Replay Buffer, which saves footage on the operator’s computer. See YouTube Help: Turn on DVR on live streams.
Common problems and fixes
- Pressing the Replay Buffer hotkey saves nothing: confirm Replay Buffer is enabled and running, and that a save hotkey is assigned under Settings > Hotkeys.
- A single video stops at the end: open the Media Source properties and enable Loop.
- A VLC playlist stops after its last file: enable Loop Playlist on the VLC Video source.
- VLC Video is unavailable or fails to play media: install VLC and match its architecture to OBS; 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- Playlist playback stops when switching scenes: inspect the VLC Video source’s visibility behavior. Its documented default stops when not visible and restarts when visible.
- Viewers cannot rewind far back: YouTube DVR may be limited or unavailable for streams longer than 12 hours.
- OBS opens but does not start streaming as scheduled: verify the launch parameter and working directory, then test the scheduled launch. The parameter is not a crash-recovery mechanism.
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Quick Recap
Best Value
- 5-in-1 Connectivity: Equipped with a 4K HDMI port, a 5 Gbps USB-C data port, two 5 Gbps USB-A ports, and a USB C 100W PD-IN port. Note: The USB C 100W PD-IN port supports only charging and does not support data transfer devices such as headphones or speakers.
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