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For a gaming VOD saved as a local video file, use OBS’s Media Source for one file and VLC Video when you need a playlist. VLC Video is OBS’s documented playlist-capable option, with loop, shuffle and visibility controls. If by “YouTube VOD” you mean a YouTube page or playlist URL, OBS’s documentation does not establish that you can paste it directly into either source.
Media Source or VLC Video: which fits your VOD setup?
| Need | Media Source | VLC Video |
|---|---|---|
| Play one local gaming VOD | OBS documents this built-in source for individual media files. | Can play media using VLC libraries; its playlist controls are more relevant when you have a sequence. |
| Play a sequence of local files | OBS’s documentation distinguishes Media Source from VLC Video’s playlist capability. | Supports a playlist of items, similar to an image slideshow. |
| Loop or shuffle | Has a loop setting for an individual file. | Loop Playlist defaults on; Shuffle Playlist defaults off. |
| Control playback while hidden | Can restart when activated and close the file when inactive. | Visibility Behavior controls whether playback continues, pauses or stops when hidden. |
| Installation requirement | OBS lists no VLC prerequisite for this built-in source. | VLC must be installed for the source to appear. OBS says 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. |
| Play a YouTube URL directly | Direct YouTube URL support is not established by the cited OBS documentation. | Direct YouTube URL support is likewise not established by the cited OBS documentation. |
OBS describes VLC Video as using the VLC libraries for extended media support compared with the built-in Media Source. That does not mean it accepts every online video URL; the source documentation does not specify direct YouTube URL playback. OBS Project: Media Sources
Set up a playlist of local gaming VOD files
1. Install VLC if you plan to use VLC Video
Install VLC before opening OBS, then make sure its architecture matches OBS. OBS documents that 64-bit OBS requires 64-bit VLC. If VLC Video is missing from the source list, check this prerequisite first. OBS Project: Media Sources
2. Add the source to the scene
- In OBS, select the scene where the VOD should appear.
- In the Sources dock, select + and choose VLC Video.
- Give the source a useful name, then add the local video files to its playlist using the source properties.
- Arrange and size the source in the preview as needed. OBS’s Sources Guide covers adding and arranging sources in scenes.
3. Choose playlist behavior
- Loop Playlist: on by default; leave it on if the sequence should start again after its final item.
- Shuffle Playlist: off by default; turn it on only if you want the playlist order randomized.
- Visibility Behavior: select whether playback continues, pauses or stops when the source is hidden. Choose according to whether hiding the source should also halt its playback.
- Other controls: VLC Video also offers network caching, audio-track and subtitle controls. The documented default for network caching is 400 ms; this is a setting value, not a measured performance guarantee.
For one local file rather than a playlist, add Media Source instead. Its loop setting applies to the individual file; its activation and inactive-file options let you control restart and file-closing behavior. OBS Project: Media Sources
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What “YouTube VOD” means matters
If the VOD is a local file
A recording originally published as a YouTube VOD can still be a local file on your computer. If you have the video file and want OBS to play several files in sequence, that is the documented VLC Video playlist use case.
If you mean a YouTube watch-page or playlist URL
Do not assume that pasting a YouTube URL into VLC Video will work. OBS’s official source documentation does not confirm direct YouTube URL support for VLC Video or Media Source. The yt-dlp FAQ documents a separate workflow that pipes a YouTube video through yt-dlp to VLC, but that is not proof that a YouTube URL works when entered in OBS’s VLC Video source. Site URL schemes may also change. yt-dlp FAQ
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Does this keep a YouTube gaming stream live?
OBS sources determine what media appears in a scene; choosing VLC Video does not by itself start or maintain a YouTube live broadcast. For an OBS-based stream, configure and start the broadcast through OBS and YouTube’s live-stream workflow. The sources cited here do not establish that playlist advancement updates YouTube stream metadata such as the game title.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Or let it run in the cloud
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