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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11For an OBS playlist made from local video files, create lower-resolution copies with FFmpeg, then load those copies into OBS’s VLC Video Source. This can reduce the size and decoding load of the media OBS plays, but the conversion is lossy, so keep your originals. If you only want your stream or recording output to be smaller, change OBS’s Output (Scaled) Resolution instead; that does not create smaller playlist files.
This guide assumes your playlist contains local files. The OBS documentation covered here does not establish a native OBS proxy-generation feature or direct playback of a YouTube playlist URL.
Choose between smaller playlist files and smaller output
| What you want to change | Use | What it affects |
|---|---|---|
| Every source’s final stream or recording resolution | OBS Settings → Video → Output (Scaled) Resolution | The resolution OBS sends to the stream or recording. OBS uses the selected downscale filter. |
| The files OBS decodes in a playlist | Make lower-resolution copies and use those files in the playlist | The selected media files. This requires transcoding and can reduce their quality. |
OBS notes that changing Base (Canvas) Resolution can require sources to be realigned or resized. Changing Output (Scaled) Resolution does not have that effect. OBS also recommends lower-resolution media files where appropriate, such as when displaying 4K media in a lower-resolution output. It does not publish a guaranteed performance improvement or percentage for either approach. OBS encoding performance troubleshooting and its overview of OBS settings explain these settings.
Create a lower-resolution copy with FFmpeg
FFmpeg’s scale filter can fit video within a target width and height while preserving the original aspect ratio. This example makes a 720p-or-smaller H.264 copy, keeps the original audio stream without re-encoding it, and writes the result to a separate file:
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ffmpeg -i "original.mp4" -vf "scale=1280:720:force_original_aspect_ratio=decrease" -c:v libx264 -crf 23 -preset medium -c:a copy "proxy_720p.mp4"- Install FFmpeg using a distribution appropriate for your operating system, then open a terminal or command prompt in the folder containing the video, or use full paths in the command.
- Replace the input and output names. Change
original.mp4to the source file andproxy_720p.mp4to a new filename. Do not use the same path for both. - Run the command. FFmpeg decodes and re-encodes the video because resizing requires a video filter. With the example settings, output dimensions fit within 1280 × 720 while maintaining aspect ratio; the result may be smaller than 1280 × 720 if the source has a different aspect ratio.
- Check the new file. Play it to confirm that the picture looks acceptable and that audio is present before substituting it into the playlist.
-crf 23 and -preset medium are illustrative choices, not universally optimal settings. A lower CRF generally targets higher quality and a larger file; a faster preset trades encoding efficiency for speed. Adjust them to suit your quality and encoding-time needs. Re-encoding is lossy: preserve the original and treat the new file as a playback copy, not a replacement master. See FFmpeg’s documentation for the scale filter and its transcoding and filtering behavior.
What this copy is—and is not
The result is an ordinary transcoded video file, not a special OBS proxy format. OBS’s reviewed documentation does not describe OBS as generating proxy files. If you mean editing proxies managed and relinked by a separate video editor, follow that editor’s own proxy workflow.
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Add the copies to an OBS playlist
- Install VLC with a matching architecture. OBS’s VLC Video Source uses VLC libraries; VLC must be installed. If you use 64-bit OBS, install 64-bit VLC.
- Add the playlist source. In OBS, use the Sources dock to add a VLC Video Source. Add your lower-resolution files to its playlist and configure its available playlist controls, such as looping or shuffling, as needed.
- Keep the media paths stable. Store the copies in a folder that will remain available to OBS, and use those copies consistently in the playlist. Moving or renaming files can break their paths.
- Test playback and audio. Play through the playlist before streaming or recording. Confirm that the intended items appear in the right order and that sound is audible.
The OBS Project Knowledge Base describes VLC Video Source as using “the VLC libraries for extended media support over the built-in Media Source.” Its Media Sources guide covers VLC Video Source and Media Source. For individual files rather than a playlist, Media Source supports common video formats and has a hardware-decoding option when available. The OBS Quick Start Guide recommends testing settings before streaming or recording, and the Sources Guide explains adding, positioning, and sizing sources in a scene.
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