The Tool Desk
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Canvas resolution and output resolution do different jobs
Base (Canvas) Resolution is the workspace where you arrange sources in OBS. Output (Scaled) Resolution is the resolution OBS sends to the stream or recording. Changing the canvas can affect how sources need to be arranged; changing output resolution does not automatically recompose them. OBS describes 16:9 as the most common device aspect ratio and a common expectation for major platforms such as YouTube, but it is not a requirement for every stream.
For a single horizontal YouTube Live presentation, a 16:9 canvas is a conventional starting point. Choose the output resolution separately, based on the quality you want to deliver and the upload connection you can sustain.
Fit, crop, or fill: choose per source
| Choice | What viewers see | Trade-off | Useful when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fit | The complete source image, proportionally scaled inside the available space | Unused canvas may remain around the image | All of a portrait shot or landscape scene must remain visible |
| Crop or zoom | A larger portion of the canvas is occupied by the source | Some edges and image content are lost | The subject remains clear after cropping and filling is the priority |
| Stretch | The source is forced to the canvas or bounding-box dimensions | People and objects can look unnaturally wide or narrow | Generally avoid this for mismatched aspect ratios |
The OBS Project’s Aspect Ratio Guide warns that stretching mismatched content “will warp and distort the source/image, and is generally not recommended.” Fit-versus-fill is a composition decision, not a quality setting: fitting preserves the whole image, while zooming past the frame is a pan-and-scan crop.
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Portrait clip on a landscape canvas
Fit the portrait source when the entire vertical image matters. This will usually leave space on the left and right. Use those areas intentionally—for example, with a background or companion visual—rather than widening the clip to fill them.
Landscape clip on a portrait canvas
Fitting preserves the whole landscape image but can leave empty space above and below. Crop or enlarge it only if losing the left and right edges is acceptable. Check that faces, text, gameplay UI, and other important details remain inside the visible area.
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Mixed sources in one scene
Transform each source independently. A portrait clip can be fitted while a landscape background fills the canvas; the two sources do not need the same scaling treatment. OBS’s aspect-ratio guide demonstrates using background elements to fill space while retaining the original source proportions.
Set up source scaling in OBS
- Choose the composition. In Settings > Video, set Base (Canvas) Resolution for the layout you intend to build. For a conventional horizontal stream, 16:9 is a common choice. Set Output (Scaled) Resolution separately for the stream’s delivered resolution. If you change the canvas later, review source placement and sizing.
- Add each video as its own source. Select a source in the preview and use its bounding box to position and resize it. Keep its proportions intact. OBS provides a fit shortcut, Ctrl+F; its stretch shortcut is Ctrl+S, but do not use stretch to force portrait and landscape images into the same shape.
- Fit or crop deliberately. Use the source’s context menu and Transform options for fit or precise transform values. To crop visually, hold Alt while dragging a source’s bounding-box edge. Crop only after deciding what content can be removed.
- Arrange the unused space. Add a background or other scene element behind a fitted clip if you do not want blank canvas areas. Keep the media source above that background in the scene’s source order.
- Check scaling quality. Review the scene at the intended output size. If a source looks soft after resizing, OBS’s aspect-ratio guide suggests bicubic filtering as an option for blurry sources; point or area filtering can suit retro or pixel-art images when preserving sharp edges is the priority.
- Preview and test before the event. Check the actual YouTube preview, representative motion, audio, stream health, scene smoothness, and system performance. YouTube recommends testing audio and representative movement before going live, and OBS recommends testing scenes and performance. A private or unlisted preflight stream is a practical way to do this when appropriate; it is a workflow suggestion, not a platform requirement.
One OBS composition or separate YouTube formats?
Fitting portrait and landscape sources into one OBS scene solves source scaling. It does not create a separately composed vertical stream. YouTube describes simultaneous horizontal 16:9 and vertical 9:16 live formats. Its default vertical version is a center crop, which can cut off content near the left and right edges of a horizontal composition.
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Use YouTube’s vertical layout editor
For a scheduled stream, YouTube offers vertical layout choices including center crop, fit to phone width, and stacked. Choose and review the layout before going live: YouTube says the vertical format cannot be added after the stream has started. Confirm that the vertical preview keeps the important subject and on-screen details visible.
Send two formats from a third-party encoder
YouTube documents third-party encoder dual streaming using RTMP(S) and a second stream key for the vertical stream. Configure the encoder to send the appropriate horizontal and vertical compositions to their respective keys, then test both previews before the event. Do not assume one horizontal OBS canvas will automatically produce a well-framed vertical version.
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Choose bitrate for the output you can sustain
YouTube’s encoder recommendations vary by codec and frame rate. The following are recommended bitrates, not guaranteed results; YouTube advises choosing a quality your internet connection can sustain.
| Output | H.264 recommendation | AV1/H.265 recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| 1080p at 30 fps | 6 Mbps | 10 Mbps |
| 1080p at 60 fps | 17 Mbps | 12 Mbps |
These are YouTube Help recommendations accessed in 2026. The higher frame-rate H.264 row calls for more bitrate than its 30 fps counterpart; whichever codec and output you choose, leave enough upload capacity for a stable stream and test under representative conditions. Source scaling itself does not determine the bitrate.
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Common scaling and live-output problems
- The video looks stretched. The source has likely been forced into a box with a different aspect ratio. Reset its transform and fit it, or crop and zoom while preserving proportions.
- Blank bars or empty canvas remain. That is expected when a source is fitted and its proportions do not match the canvas. Keep the full image visible and use the surrounding space deliberately, or crop if losing edges is acceptable.
- The subject disappears in vertical playback. A center crop of a horizontal scene may remove side content. Adjust the vertical layout before starting, or create a separate vertical composition and send it to the vertical stream key.
- The image looks soft after resizing. Review it at the target output size and consider an appropriate scale filter. Bicubic is an option for blurry sources; point or area can preserve a crisp pixel-art look.
- The stream becomes unstable at the selected quality. The bitrate or output may exceed what the connection can sustain. Choose a lower sustainable quality and test the stream rather than relying on a recommendation as a guarantee.
- You cannot add the vertical format after going live. YouTube says it must be set up before the stream starts. End and configure a later stream correctly rather than expecting to add the vertical presentation mid-broadcast.
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