Compare the source, OBS preview and phone viewer
Inspect the source file’s actual width and height, including whether black bars are already baked into its pixels. Next compare the OBS scene preview, the base canvas and output resolution, and the result on a phone viewer. If the bars exist in OBS, fix source placement or canvas geometry; if they appear only after delivery, confirm the active LIVE route and output orientation.
- Capture the same frame at each stage so the first mismatch is visible.
- Check a moving scene as well as a still frame to catch hidden crops.
Make canvas and output match the intended portrait route
OBS distinguishes Base (Canvas) Resolution, where sources are arranged, from Output (Scaled) Resolution, which is sent or recorded. For a supported portrait LIVE route, use matching 9:16 proportions for both, such as 1080×1920 or a lower 9:16 output your hardware and connection can sustain. After changing the base canvas, realign sources; changing output alone does not fix a landscape arrangement.
- Confirm the current TikTok account and route accept the chosen portrait output.
- Do not stretch a source merely to force it into a 9:16 rectangle.
Choose between full content and full-screen fill
A 16:9 clip cannot show its whole width and fill a 9:16 frame at the same time without distortion. Use OBS Transform and Crop to reframe the important action, or keep the full clip with an intentional background or side layout. If the source already contains bars, crop only after confirming nothing important is inside them.
- Keep faces, product details and captions within the visible mobile area.
- Preview the start, middle and end of the clip because subjects may move out of a crop.
Validate on the actual mobile viewing mode
TikTok LIVE Studio documents a mobile preview for checking how a scene may look, but that preview does not prove the public output. Send a short authorized test through the intended route, then inspect the LIVE on a separate phone in its normal portrait view. Compare the phone with the OBS output; if the bars remain only on the viewer side, record the route, output dimensions and viewer mode for platform support.
- Check text, sound and product or chat overlays after the geometry changes.
- Save a known-good OBS scene and output profile once verified.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Start here for common questions about purchasing, access and system requirements.
Will changing OBS output to 1080×1920 remove every black bar?
No. The source may already contain bars, the OBS canvas may still be landscape, or the current LIVE viewing route may display the output differently. Compare each stage.
Can a landscape video fill a portrait phone without cropping?
Only by stretching or covering it with another layout element, which changes its appearance. To preserve the original proportions, choose a deliberate crop or an intentional framed design.
REFERENCES
References
Content reviewed: October 13, 2026 · TKLive product team