OBS Studio allows you to open and play videos from your computer. The video will automatically begin playing once opened. OBS is compatible with most file formats and can preserve transparency in the video.
1. Press the plus icon in the Sources panel, then choose “Media Source”.
2. Name the source, then press “Ok”.
3. Press the browse button, then locate and open the video file you want.
4. Check the “Loop” box, this will replay the video once it has finished.
5. Change any settings that you want, then press “Ok”.
How to Loop Multiple Videos in OBS
You can also import multiple videos at once in a playlist. Opening a playlist can only be done using the VLC video source option. The VLC source will only be available if you have VLC media player installed.
As with OBS, there are two versions of VLC media player, 32bit and 64bit. The version of both programs will need to match in order for the source to work.
1. Press the plus icon in the Sources panel, and choose to add a VLC video source.
2. Name the source for future reference.
3. Click the plus icon next to the playlist box, then choose to add files.
4. Locate and find a video you want to add to the playlist. You can select and open multiple files at once if they’re in the same folder. More videos can be added to your playlist at any time.
5. Check the boxes to choose whether you want the playlist to loop, or shuffle.
6. Set the visibility behavior using the drop menu.
7. Press “Ok” to confirm your settings, the selected videos will automatically begin to play. Once one of the videos ends, the next video in the playlist will automatically begin.
Under the OBS preview, you can find the typical media controls. These allow you to pause, stop and skip to the next video. Next to the media controls is the video timeline, which can be used to slip to a specific part of the video.
Using Animated Overlays in OBS
Animated graphic overlays work differently from the typical static image variant. The overlay needs to be a video or animated file. Most animations, including camera overlays, will require transparency to be preserved. Not all media files retain transparency when saved.
1. Choose a scene, then create a new media source via the plus icon. You will be prompted to name the source.
2. Check the Loop box to enable it. This will allow the overlay to replay when the animation finishes.
3. Press “Browse”, then locate and open the overlay. If the video isn’t appearing, then switch the drop menu in the bottom right to “All Media files”.
4. Change any settings you’d like, then press “Ok” to confirm. Moving the speed slider allows you to speed up, or slow down the animation.
5. Adjust the size if needed, then move the overlay into position. Click and drag one of the sides, or corners, to resize the overlay. The overlay should maintain its scaling as its size is adjusted. If you’d like to adjust the corresponding width or height, then you can hold down Shift while scaling.
Best File Types for Animated Videos and Overlays
When you’re streaming or recording it’s best to keep as much stress off your computer hardware as possible. While OBS Studio is capable of loading and playing most media files, there are some that perform better.
Videos tend to perform best in common, smaller formats. A standard MP4 or H.264 video should perform fine. It is best to stay away from larger file formats like AVI.
Animated overlays are often saved as a MOV file. MOV is a common choice as it allows for transparency. While not the best, if optimized correctly the file size can be rather small and play without major strain on the computer.
The best option for animated graphics is the WebM file type. WebM files maintain a small file size, even when transparency is enabled. When opening a WebM video in a standard media player, the graphics and animation may look glitched or corrupted. However, when opened in OBS, the overlay will look normal and high quality.
Final Thoughts
Looping videos and overlays help extend the length of the media infinitely. Ensuring that the media won’t just end and cut away at a random point. When working with graphics it is best to use video or overlay files that will seamlessly loop. This will prevent a jump cut when the video restarts.
