Output OBS Studio to an External Monitor via HDMI

Using an external hardware monitor with OBS Studio is an excellent way to monitor your stream, display program output to presenters, or present content in real-time. This guide provides a straightforward, step-by-step walkthrough on how to physically connect your computer to an external monitor via HDMI and configure OBS Studio’s Projector features to route your video output seamlessly.

Step 1: Connect and Configure Your Hardware

Before launching OBS Studio, you must set up your physical connections and configure your operating system’s display settings.

1. Connect the HDMI cable: Plug one end of the HDMI cable into your computer’s HDMI output port and the other end into the HDMI input port of your external hardware monitor.
2. Power on the monitor: Turn on the external monitor and set its input source to the corresponding HDMI port.
3. Configure OS display settings:
   • Windows: Press Windows Key + P on your keyboard and select Extend. This treats the external monitor as an independent screen rather than duplicating your primary display.
   • macOS: Go to System Settings > Displays and ensure the external monitor is set to Stop Mirroring or configured as an extended display.

Step 2: Configure OBS Studio to Output Video

OBS Studio uses a feature called “Projectors” to send video feeds to secondary displays. You can project your final program mix, a specific scene, or an individual source.

1. Launch OBS Studio on your computer.
2. Locate the Preview area: Find the main virtual screen in the center of OBS Studio (the “Program” window if you are in Studio Mode, or the main preview window if you are not).
3. Open the Projector menu: Right-click anywhere inside the active preview window.
4. Select the output display:
   • Hover your cursor over Fullscreen Projector (Program).
   • A submenu will appear listing your connected displays (e.g., “Display 1”, “Display 2”).
   • Select the name or number corresponding to your external HDMI monitor.
5. Verify the output: Your OBS Studio program feed will now display in full screen on the external hardware monitor.

Step 3: How to Close or Adjust the Output

If you need to change settings or stop sending the video feed to the external monitor, use these quick shortcuts:

• To close the projector: Click on your primary computer monitor, then press the Escape (Esc) key on your keyboard. Alternatively, right-click on the active projector screen on the external monitor and select Close.
• To output a specific scene or source: Right-click any specific Scene in your “Scenes” list or any Source in your “Sources” list, hover over Fullscreen Projector, and choose your external monitor.

Step 4: Route Audio to the HDMI Monitor (Optional)

If your external hardware monitor has built-in speakers or an audio-out port and you want to send your OBS audio to it:

1. Open OBS Studio Settings and click on the Audio tab.
2. Under the Advanced section, find Monitoring Device.
3. Click the dropdown menu and select your external HDMI monitor/audio device.
4. Click Apply and then OK.