A brief black screen between videos in OBS can come from an end-of-file setting, a playlist boundary, or a source becoming hidden or reloading. Start by identifying whether the video is a Media Source or a VLC Video source, then check the playback and visibility settings that apply to it. The cause cannot be identified for an unspecified setup without details such as the OBS version, operating system, source type, and whether audio continues during the blank interval.
First identify when the screen goes black
Note whether the blank appears between every clip, only after the final playlist item, during a scene change, or after hiding and showing a source. Also check whether audio continues and whether OBS holds the last frame or shows black. These details help distinguish a playback boundary from a visibility or reload issue; they do not establish a cause on their own.
- Only after the final item: check the source’s loop or playlist-loop behavior.
- When a scene changes or a source is hidden: check what the source does while inactive and whether it unloads.
- Between playlist items: verify that the list advances and that each file plays; the documented controls do not guarantee gapless playback.
- Audio continues during black: note that timing when checking playback and scene visibility separately.
Fix a local Media Source
In OBS, select the scene containing the video, right-click the Media Source in the Sources list, and choose Properties. OBS documents the following controls on its Media Sources page (page dated January 11, 2022):
- Loop: controls whether the file plays again after playback completes. Enable it if this single file should repeat.
- Show nothing when playback ends: hides the source when the file completes. Check this if the source disappears at the end rather than remaining visible.
- Restart playback when source becomes active: controls whether playback restarts when the source becomes visible in the current scene. Choose it only if restarting on activation is the intended behavior.
- Close file when inactive: unloads the file when the source is hidden or off the current scene. OBS notes that showing it again may involve a short reload period.
Change only the setting that matches the behavior you want, then reproduce the same end-of-file or hide-and-show sequence. These controls address replay, end display, activation, and unloading; they are not a universal fix for every black interval.
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Fix a VLC Video playlist
For a multi-file playlist, right-click the VLC Video source and choose Properties. OBS describes VLC Video as similar to Media Source but able to play a playlist. Check these options:
- Loop Playlist: determines whether playback restarts after the list runs out. OBS documents the default as On.
- Shuffle Playlist: controls whether playlist items are randomized.
- Visibility Behaviour: determines whether playback continues, pauses, or stops while the source is not visible.
Confirm that the intended files are in the playlist and that playback advances through them. VLC Video relies on VLC libraries: VLC must be installed, and a 64-bit OBS installation requires 64-bit VLC. OBS’s documentation describes playlist controls but does not promise gapless decoding or a setting that removes every interval between clips.
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Check whether playback ended or visibility changed
If you use scripts or automation, OBS developer documentation lists source lifecycle signals such as media_started, media_ended, media_play, media_restart, media_stopped, and media_next in its source reference. Compare the time of the black interval with the signals your setup records. A media-end or next event points toward a playback transition to investigate; no corresponding transition makes scene visibility, transitions, or rendering worth checking. The signal list itself is not a step-by-step diagnosis.
Use old reports only as historical clues
An OBS GitHub issue opened on July 19, 2020, describes a black Media Source on OBS 25.0.8 and Windows 10 with Loop, Restart playback when source becomes active, and Close file when inactive enabled after the source had remained unused since OBS launched. It records one historical configuration and a reporter’s experience, not a verified fix for current OBS versions. See OBS issue #3192; do not assume it explains a present-day symptom.
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Troubleshoot what remains
If the source settings do not resolve the blank, gather enough information to isolate whether it is tied to a file, a source, or a scene change:
- OBS version and operating system.
- Exact source type and the relevant source properties.
- Whether the media is local or networked.
- Whether audio continues and whether the last frame holds during the black interval.
- Whether every playlist file is affected and whether the blank occurs at every item boundary.
- A short recording of the OBS preview and an OBS log covering the incident.
With those details, compare the blank’s timing to playback transitions and source visibility changes before attributing it to a software bug.
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