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To stream recorded lessons continuously from a Windows mini PC, run OBS Studio on the PC, add your lesson video as a looping Media Source (or use a VLC Video playlist for multiple files), and send OBS’s output to a YouTube livestream using the stream URL and key from YouTube Studio. The PC, OBS, lesson files, and internet connection must remain available while the broadcast runs. Test the setup before relying on it: a compatible mini PC is not necessarily powerful enough for your chosen stream settings, and YouTube’s archive guidance covers streams under 12 hours—not an indefinite 24/7 archive.
What you need before setting up the stream
- A Windows mini PC that can sustain OBS with your chosen video, resolution, and frame rate. OBS lists Windows 10 or 11 and a DirectX 10.1-compatible GPU as baseline requirements, but meeting them does not guarantee performance for a particular workload. See OBS system requirements.
- OBS Studio, your lesson recording or recordings stored locally, and a stable internet connection with enough sustained upload capacity for the selected bitrate. A wired Ethernet connection is an optional way to connect the PC; it does not remove the need to test the actual stream.
- A YouTube channel with live streaming enabled. First-time enablement may take up to 24 hours, so do this ahead of your planned start. YouTube’s steps are in Create a YouTube live stream with an encoder.
- Permission to use every part of the lesson stream, including video, images, music, and other audio. Encoder setup does not establish content rights; check the rights you hold and the policies that apply to your channel and content.
Enable YouTube live streaming and create the broadcast
- In YouTube Studio, select Create → Go live. If this is your first time enabling live streaming, allow up to 24 hours for activation.
- Create or schedule the stream in Live Control Room. Choose its title, visibility, and schedule as appropriate for your channel. Keep the stream’s intended audience and content rights in mind when configuring it.
- Open the stream’s encoder settings and copy the stream URL and stream key. Treat the key like a password: anyone who has it may be able to send video to your broadcast. Use YouTube’s recommended RTMPS endpoint when available; RTMPS is the secure extension of RTMP.
Configure OBS to loop one lesson or a playlist
Loop one local video
- Open OBS and select the scene that will carry the lesson.
- Under Sources, select + and add a Media Source. Give it a recognizable name, then browse to the lesson video on the mini PC.
- Enable Loop in the Media Source properties. This repeats that file when it reaches the end. OBS documents this and other source options in its Media Sources guide.
- Check the preview: confirm the video fits the canvas, plays, and has the intended audio. Let it run through its ending once to confirm that it starts again as expected.
Rotate through multiple lessons
- Install VLC if it is not already installed. OBS requires VLC for the VLC Video source to appear; OBS documents that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC.
- In OBS, add a VLC Video source and add the lesson files to its playlist in the order you want them played.
- Enable Loop Playlist so the source restarts after it reaches the end of the media list. Check the preview and let the playlist reach its end during testing.
Keep the video files in a stable local folder and avoid moving or renaming them after configuring the source. If OBS cannot find a file after a change, edit the source and select its new location.
Connect OBS to YouTube and start the stream
- In OBS, open Settings → Stream. Select YouTube as the service, then enter the stream URL and key from the YouTube Live Control Room. If OBS offers a direct account connection, the encoder workflow using the copied URL and key is the method covered here.
- Open Settings → Output and select the streaming encoder and bitrate you intend to test. Choose a configuration the mini PC and connection can sustain continuously; do not assume a computer that meets OBS’s baseline requirements can handle every resolution, frame rate, encoder, or scene.
- Open Settings → Video and set the output resolution and frame rate to match the stream you plan to send. Start with a modest target if you are unsure, then test representative lesson material, including the busiest visual sections.
- Use YouTube’s H.264 bitrate recommendations as a reference: 5 Mbps video bitrate for 1080p at 30 fps, or 6 Mbps for 1080p at 60 fps. These are YouTube ingest recommendations for those specific H.264 modes, not a guarantee that your mini PC or upload connection can sustain them. Check YouTube’s current encoder settings, bitrates, and resolutions before configuring a stream.
- In OBS, select Start Streaming. Return to YouTube Live Control Room and confirm that the incoming preview appears and stream health is acceptable before you rely on the broadcast.
Settings such as bitrate, resolution, and frame rate work together: raising the workload can increase encoder demand and required upload capacity. OBS notes that CPU demand varies with encoder, resolution, frame rate, and scene complexity. Test your actual scene and connection rather than treating any single bitrate as a universal setting. The cited YouTube figures are specifically for H.264 1080p30 and 1080p60.
Make the mini PC suitable for continuous operation
- Prevent avoidable interruptions. Keep the mini PC connected to power, stop it from sleeping during the planned broadcast, and ensure OBS and the lesson files remain available. Menu names for sleep and power settings can vary across Windows versions and device manufacturers.
- Test the full workflow. Run a representative stream long enough to check video playback, audio, stream health, and whether the selected output settings remain stable. Confirm that the file or playlist loops correctly.
- Plan for local failures. A power cut, PC restart, OBS crash, lost network, unavailable media file, or YouTube-side interruption can stop or disrupt a locally encoded stream. An optional UPS for the mini PC and network equipment may help with some brief power interruptions, but it does not guarantee uptime.
- Protect the stream key. Do not publish it or share it with people who should not control the broadcast. If it is exposed, replace it through YouTube’s stream settings and update OBS.
- Check the broadcast and archive separately. YouTube says streams under 12 hours are automatically archived. Do not assume a single continuous stream longer than 12 hours will have a complete archive. If you need lesson recordings as durable archives, retain the original files separately.
Do-it-yourself costs and trade-offs
A local setup uses the mini PC, power, and internet connection you provide; the research here does not establish a universal hardware cost or a suitable mini PC model. The practical advantages are direct control over the local files and playlist. The trade-off is that the PC, OBS, media, power, and connection all need to keep working for the stream to continue. A wired network connection or optional UPS may suit some setups, but neither guarantees uninterrupted service.
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