In OBS, select the video source and choose Transform → Fit to Screen (Ctrl+F). This fits the source to the canvas while preserving its proportions. Avoid Stretch to Screen (Ctrl+S) when the video and canvas have different aspect ratios: it can make faces and other shapes look unnaturally wide or narrow.
For a 24/7 stream, also check the canvas and output shapes, then preview clips with different aspect ratios before leaving the stream unattended. OBS menu labels and behavior can vary by version; the steps below follow its published guidance.
Why videos look stretched in OBS
A source can look distorted when its width and height are forced to fit a canvas with a different aspect ratio. For example, a video recorded in a taller or wider format than the stream canvas cannot fill the whole canvas without a trade-off: preserve the full image and leave space, crop off some edges, or distort the picture by stretching it.
OBS’s Aspect Ratio Guide, published November 27, 2021, describes black bars as a possible result when content does not fit the preferred aspect ratio, and advises against stretching because it warps and distorts the source.
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Fit the source without changing its proportions
- Select the video source. In the OBS Sources list, click the source that appears stretched.
- Fit it to the canvas. Right-click the source in the preview or Sources list and select Transform → Fit to Screen. The OBS overview guide lists Ctrl+F as the shortcut.
- Check the preview. Look at the red bounding box and at recognizable shapes, such as faces or circles. The whole source should be visible, though there may be unused space around it if its aspect ratio differs from the canvas.
- Do not use Stretch to Screen as a fix. OBS lists Ctrl+S for that transform. It fills the canvas, but when the source and canvas shapes differ, it changes the source proportions.
If a transform has become confusing, OBS’s overview guide lists Ctrl+R to reset source size and position, and Ctrl+D to center it. Then apply Fit to Screen and check the result.
Set the canvas and output to the intended stream shape
Open Settings → Video. Base (Canvas) Resolution defines the workspace where you arrange sources. Output (Scaled) Resolution defines the resolution sent to the stream or recording. Changing the canvas can require sources to be repositioned or resized; changing the output resolution does not have that effect, according to OBS’s overview guide.
Choose a canvas that matches the composition you want, then choose an output resolution with the intended stream shape. OBS’s aspect-ratio guide gives 1920×1080 and 1280×720 as examples of 16:9 resolutions commonly used for broad platform compatibility. They are examples, not mandatory settings; choose the target that suits your stream.
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Choose what to do with mismatched aspect ratios
| Approach | Proportions preserved? | Whole source visible? | Canvas filled? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit proportionally, leaving bars or scene padding | Yes | Yes | Not necessarily; other scene elements can fill the space |
| Enlarge and crop (pan and scan) | Yes | No; edges are lost | Yes |
| Stretch to fill | No, when source and canvas shapes differ | Usually | Yes |
Keep the whole image
Fit the source and accept bars or unused space. If you want a fuller layout, add a background or overlay to the scene rather than distorting the video.
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Scale the source proportionally until it fills the canvas. This preserves shapes but cuts off edges, so check that important on-screen content remains visible.
Stretch only if distortion is acceptable
Stretching may be appropriate for a graphic or background where exact proportions do not matter. It is usually a poor choice for gameplay, faces, or other footage where shape matters.
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Check every clip in a 24/7 lineup
A playlist or sequence may include videos with different aspect ratios. A transform that looks right for one clip may not produce the same framing for another, depending on the source type and how the sequence is configured. The available OBS documentation does not establish that one transform automatically normalizes every incoming playlist item.
- Preview representative clips, including the widest, tallest, and most unusual formats in the lineup.
- Check framing after transitions, not just on the first video.
- For each source that needs adjustment, confirm its transform and decide whether bars, background elements, or cropping best fit the content.
- Test the actual scenes and settings before starting the unattended stream, as OBS recommends in its overview guide.
When a Scaling/Aspect Ratio filter may help
OBS’s Scaling/Aspect Ratio Filter documentation describes options for scale filtering and a Resolution property that sets a source’s new resolution or aspect ratio. Consider it when you need to shape an individual source, but verify the result with your specific source type and installed OBS version. The documentation does not say that applying the filter automatically fixes every clip in a playlist.
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Troubleshoot the symptom you see
Every video looks stretched
Inspect the selected source’s transform and check whether it was set to Stretch to Screen. Compare the Base (Canvas) and Output (Scaled) shapes with the composition you intended. Reset the source transform if necessary, then use Fit to Screen.
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Only some clips look stretched
Check whether those clips have different aspect ratios from the others. Inspect the source and framing for each affected clip; do not assume a transform on a container or playlist source applies identically to every item.
Bars appear after fitting
Bars can be the normal result of preserving a source whose aspect ratio differs from the canvas. They do not, by themselves, indicate distortion. Add scene elements behind or around the source if you want to use the remaining space.
The picture fills the frame, but faces or shapes look wide or narrow
That is consistent with stretching when the source and canvas shapes differ. Use proportional fitting instead, or crop proportionally if filling the frame matters more than keeping the entire image visible.
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Some edges disappear
The source may be enlarged beyond the canvas or cropped. Reduce its size to show the full image, or keep the crop only if losing those edges is acceptable.
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