To rerun a prerecorded gaming VOD as the content of an OBS scene, add the file as a Media Source and turn on Loop. OBS Replay Buffer does something else: it saves recent gameplay as a local clip, while YouTube DVR lets viewers pause and rewind the live broadcast.
The word “replay” can describe all three, but they operate at different points in a stream. Decide whether you want to play a file, capture gameplay that just happened, or give viewers control over a live programme; then configure that feature separately.
What “replay” means in this setup
A typical rerun starts with a video file already saved on your computer. OBS reads that file into a scene, combines it with any other visible sources, and sends the resulting programme to YouTube while OBS is streaming. The file is the content being broadcast; it is not a Replay Buffer recording and it is not YouTube DVR.
That distinction matters if you search for “OBS replay buffer versus media source” or “loop a video in OBS”. A Media Source plays media you already have. Replay Buffer temporarily retains recent output so you can save a clip. YouTube DVR changes how a viewer can navigate the live programme that YouTube is receiving. None substitutes for the others.
A useful way to think about the chain is: the file enters OBS through a source; OBS encodes and sends the scene; YouTube distributes the live stream; DVR, when available and enabled, affects the viewer’s playback. If OBS stops sending, a local file set to Loop does not keep the broadcast going by itself. A longer unattended channel needs an operating arrangement that keeps the encoder running, not a different meaning of “replay”.
If you are deciding how a recorded gaming session becomes a live programme, the workflow in this guide to rerunning old gaming livestreams on YouTube is a relevant companion. Keep in mind that each part of the chain has its own failure modes: source playback, OBS output, network delivery and viewer controls should be checked separately.
Use OBS Media Source to loop a VOD
In OBS, open or create the scene that should carry the VOD. Add a Media Source, select the local video file, and enable Loop in that source’s properties. The OBS Media Sources documentation describes Loop as repeating a file when playback finishes; the documented default is off.
Do not confuse Loop with Restart playback when source becomes active. Restart playback when source becomes active starts the file from its beginning when the source becomes visible or active in the scene. Loop repeats the file after it reaches the end. If you want continuous repetition in one scene, enable Loop. If you only want the clip to start from the beginning when you switch to a scene, the restart setting may be useful, but it does not replace Loop during uninterrupted playback.
After adding the source, check its visibility and position in the Sources list. A source can be playing but hidden behind another opaque layer, cropped, or outside the canvas. Check the OBS preview and confirm that the VOD appears in the intended layout. If the scene includes a webcam, game overlay or title card, verify that the ordering matches your intended programme rather than assuming the new source will appear on top.
OBS lists common supported video file extensions including MP4, TS, MOV, FLV, MKV, AVI, GIF and WebM. An extension alone does not guarantee that every codec and container combination will decode correctly on every computer. Load the exact file and watch it in the OBS preview before scheduling a broadcast. If the video appears but the audio does not, inspect the source’s audio behaviour and the OBS audio mixer rather than treating Loop as an audio fix.
For one local VOD, Media Source is the direct choice. For a collection of files that should play as a playlist, OBS also documents a VLC Video source with a Loop Playlist property. That route uses VLC libraries and requires VLC to be installed; OBS notes that a 64-bit OBS installation needs 64-bit VLC. Avoid adding that dependency just to loop a single video. If your objective is a continuous sequence of local material, this article on a YouTube live loop discusses the broader loop idea, though its footage examples are not gaming-specific.
What OBS Replay Buffer actually captures
Replay Buffer is for capturing what has recently passed through OBS, not for selecting an already saved VOD and putting it on air. OBS’s overview guide describes enabling the feature and assigning a hotkey to save a replay. Its hotkey actions include starting, stopping and saving the buffer. In practical terms, you can play a game, trigger a save after a notable moment, and keep the captured segment as a local clip for editing or sharing.
That makes it useful during a live gaming session when you did not know in advance which moment you would want to keep. It is not the way to loop a complete gaming VOD. A replay buffer save creates a clip from recent captured material; it does not select a file as a Media Source, control the end-of-file behaviour of a scene, or turn a clip into a 24/7 YouTube broadcast.
If you are preparing a rerun, the file should already exist and be tested. Add it to the scene as a Media Source and enable Loop. If you instead want to preserve a spontaneous moment from a current session, set up Replay Buffer and its save hotkey before you need it. Those are different preparation tasks, even though both can produce something people casually call a replay.
Replay Buffer also depends on OBS capturing the relevant output while the buffer is active. It is not a viewer-facing control and does not store a YouTube archive on your behalf. For a broader explanation of setting up OBS for an always-running music channel, see the OBS workflow for streaming Indian folk music around the clock; apply the same care in separating source playback from clip capture when the material is gaming footage.
How YouTube DVR differs
YouTube DVR is a viewer-side playback feature for a live stream. When it is available and enabled, a viewer can pause and seek backwards within the current broadcast. It does not load your local file into OBS, create a Replay Buffer clip, or decide what your encoder sends. The YouTube Help page on DVR for live streams explains the setting and its limits.
YouTube says DVR may be limited or unavailable for streams longer than 12 hours. Viewers cannot seek back to a point before the broadcast began. If DVR is disabled, viewers cannot rewind during the live broadcast, although YouTube says a recording of the full stream can still be viewed once it is available. Platform and app conditions can also affect the experience; YouTube notes lower limits for Apple TV, AirPlay and older app versions.
Treat the DVR setting as a separate decision in the YouTube live workflow. If your audience should be able to pause and catch up during a broadcast, check the current setting in YouTube Studio. Do not expect a change there to repair a file that will not play in OBS or to restart an encoder that has stopped sending.
For a gaming VOD rerun, the programme content still comes from the OBS scene. DVR only affects whether a viewer can move backwards through what YouTube has received so far. A viewer may be able to rewind a live rerun, but that does not mean the VOD is being driven by DVR; OBS Media Source is still playing it.
Choose the right feature for your goal
Start with the outcome, rather than the word “replay”. The distinctions are straightforward once the point in the workflow is clear:
| Your goal | Feature to use | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat one existing local VOD in the OBS programme | Media Source with Loop enabled | Plays the selected file in a scene and starts it again at the end. |
| Save recent gameplay for later editing or sharing | OBS Replay Buffer | Saves a clip from recently captured OBS output when triggered. |
| Let viewers pause or rewind the current YouTube live broadcast | YouTube DVR | Provides viewer playback controls, subject to YouTube’s availability and limits. |
| Play several local video files as a playlist | OBS VLC Video source | Plays a playlist using VLC libraries; VLC must be installed. |
If your goal is simply “rerunning a gaming VOD on YouTube”, begin with Media Source and Loop. If you are capturing highlights while playing, configure Replay Buffer. If the question is whether viewers can rewind what is live, check DVR separately. Selecting the wrong feature often creates unnecessary troubleshooting: a missing scene file will not be fixed by a Replay Buffer hotkey, and a viewer unable to rewind is not evidence that OBS has stopped looping.
The local-computer constraint is worth considering before a long run. OBS must remain open and send the stream for the Media Source to reach YouTube. A looped file does not provide unattended broadcasting after the computer or encoder has been switched off. If that is the specific pain point, StreamNeo can take an uploaded video and keep the YouTube broadcast running without your own computer staying on, so you do not have to leave an OBS session open solely to repeat a file.
For broader setup trade-offs, including where the encoding runs, this comparison of cloud choices for a 24/7 YouTube channel is relevant. It does not change the feature distinction: whichever way a stream is operated, the file must be supplied as programme content, a Replay Buffer remains a capture tool, and DVR remains a viewer control.
Check playback and stream output
Before going live, test the exact file in the exact scene. Watch enough of the beginning to confirm that the right video and audio are present, and confirm that playback reaches the end and starts again if Loop is enabled. A test focused only on the opening can miss an end-of-file issue, a silent section or a transition that behaves differently at the boundary.
Check the OBS preview for source visibility, scaling, cropping and layer order. Watch the audio mixer while the file plays. If the file contains game audio and commentary, confirm that both are present at sensible levels and that nothing is unintentionally muted. OBS can show that a source is active without proving that the resulting live programme will look and sound as you expect to viewers.
Then verify the output path: confirm that OBS is configured for the intended YouTube service, server and stream key through YouTube’s live workflow. OBS’s overview guide explains configuring a streaming destination and recommends testing scenes and stream behaviour before a first broadcast. Do not expose your stream key in a screenshot or public post. A key is a credential for sending to your channel, not a label to share with viewers.
A test stream is also the practical way to discover performance problems on your own setup. OBS notes that 60-fps streaming can be substantially more taxing than 30-fps streaming, but there is no universal hardware requirement established for every file, resolution, frame rate and encoder combination. If output stutters, test changes one at a time and note what improves: file decoding, scene complexity, encoder settings and network delivery are different possible causes.
If viewers report that they cannot rewind, inspect YouTube’s DVR setting and current platform limitations rather than altering the OBS source. If OBS shows the VOD frozen or missing, troubleshoot the local file and Media Source instead. When audio and video drift during a file-based programme, this guide to fixing sync problems in an FFmpeg YouTube playlist may help with a related workflow; do not assume its FFmpeg-specific steps apply unchanged to OBS.
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FAQ
Does OBS Replay Buffer loop a gaming VOD?
No. Replay Buffer saves recent captured OBS output as a local clip when you trigger it. To repeat an existing VOD in a scene, add it as a Media Source and enable Loop.
What OBS setting makes a Media Source start over at the end?
Enable Loop in the Media Source properties. “Restart playback when source becomes active” is different: it starts the file again when the source becomes active, not continuously at each end while it remains active.
Does YouTube DVR replay my file for viewers?
No. DVR lets viewers pause or seek backwards within the current live broadcast when the feature is available. OBS still supplies the programme content, whether that is a looped local file or another source.
Will a looped Media Source keep streaming if I close OBS?
No. The Media Source repeats playback while OBS is running, but it does not independently send a broadcast after the encoder stops. If you need the stream to continue with your computer switched off, choose an operating arrangement designed for that requirement.