Home Resource Virtual Background [OBS] Remove Background without Green Screen – 3 Free Plugins

[OBS] Remove Background without Green Screen – 3 Free Plugins

Do you want to use OBS to remove background without green screen? This article offers 3 free OBS background removal plugins, as well as detailed steps on how to remove and change video backgrounds using this kind of OBS Studio plugin.
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Dereje GetieLast Updated: April 29, 2024
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OBS (Open Broadcaster Studio) is a free and open-source software for video recording and live streaming. It provides real-time capture, encoding, and broadcasting for YouTube and many other providers. It can take real-time video/audio capturing at a high performance. Besides, suppose you have different types of sources i.e. captures, images, text, and webcam, it can create an accurate scene of them.

If you want to take a video streaming using OBS Studio, you don’t need to have a green screen for your webcam since there are some free virtual green screen plugins that you can use to remove your background. These plugins are free and applicable for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

Based on machine learning techniques, a lot of free and easy-to-use desktop programs can help you quickly remove the webcam background without the green screen, and even replace it with webpages, PPTs, YouTube videos, and more file types. The video here will show you how to remove the OBS background without a green screen.

Top 3 OBS Background Removal Plugins

There are 3 OBS plugins that you can use to remove video background, whether for video recording or streaming.

1. OBS Background Removal – Portrait Segmentation

OBS Background Removal - Portrait Segmentation
OBS Background Removal – Portrait Segmentation

Portrait Segmentation is a free plugin that you can use on OBS Studio to turn your webcam background into a virtual green screen on the computer, regardless of Windows or Mac. The advantage is that this plugin doesn’t require a GPU and works in all OSs!

2. OBS Virtual Background Plugin (Windows)

OBS Virtual Background Plugin (Windows)
OBS Virtual Background Plugin (Windows)

Virtual Background plugin is an OBS plugin for Zoom/Meet-like virtual background features. It uses deep learning-based segmentation to change the virtual background from a portrait image or video. And there is no need to use Chroma Key.

3. OBS Virtual Green Backdrop – GreenCam

OBS Virtual Green Backdrop - GreenCam
OBS Virtual Green Backdrop – GreenCam

GreenCam is a free virtual green backdrop powered by machine learning tech – Tensorflow and BodyPix. With GreenCam, you can replace the webcam background with green color so that you can use the OBS Chroma Key filter to remove, blur and change the background.

Detailed Steps: Remove OBS Webcam Background without Green Screen

Below you will have detailed step-by-step procedures on how to use one of the OBS background removal plugins to change your webcam background. Let’s get started!

We’ll take OBS Background Removal – Portrait Segmentation as an example.

Step 1: The first thing that you have to do is download the plugin for obs, the link will take you directly to the downloading webpage. Click on the “Go to Download” button.

Download OBS Background Removal
Download OBS Background Removal

Step 2: Once you press the “Go to download” button, it will take you to a new webpage (GitHub downloading page).

Download OBS Background Removal from GitHub
Download OBS Background Removal from GitHub

Scroll down till you get Assets. Then choose your operating system.

Download OBS Background Removal Zip File for Windows
Download OBS Background Removal Zip File for Windows

Step 3: Download the zip file and save it on your preferred location (mine is on D: drive) as shown below.

Save OBS Background Removal Plugin to Your Computer
Save OBS Background Removal Plugin to Your Computer

Step 4: Extract the zip file and you will get two folders as shown below in the figure. Copy and paste both folders in the obs-studio installation folder.

Extract OBS Background Removal Zip
Extract OBS Background Removal Zip

Find the installation path of your OBS Studio and paste the plugin files to it. My OBS installation folder is located in the C: drive.

find the OBS Studio file
find the OBS Studio file

As you perform pasting the folders, you may need to provide administrators’ permission, click on Continue.

destination folder access denied
destination folder access denied

Now, you are ready to start using plug-ins for background removal on your webcam in obs-studio.

Step 5: If you already have OBS opened, go ahead and close it, then reopen it. If there is no source found, click the “+” sign to add your webcam.

Click + to Add a Source on OBS
Click + to Add a Source on OBS

When you click on the “+”, sign you will get the following pop-up, and choose video capture device.

Choose Video Capture Device
Choose Video Capture Device

Clicking on your “video capture device” will give the following pop-up. Click “ok”, and don’t forget to make your source visible.

Step 6: Now, you will get your camera with your background.

In the drop-down device list, select your camera (mine is an integrated camera).

Select Video Capture Source on OBS Studio
Select Video Capture Source on OBS Studio

Once you add your camera, go to Sources > right-click on your camera > go to Filters.

Right Click Video Capture Device and Choose Filters
Right Click Video Capture Device and Choose Filters

Under Audio/Video filters, click on “+” sign > click on Background Removals > click OK.

Add Background Removal Filter on OBS Studio
Add Background Removal Filter on OBS Studio

Then as you see, your background is removed.

Background Removed on OBS Studio
Background Removed on OBS Studio

Step 7: Now we have some settings that we have to make adjustments to improve the accuracy of that background color removal.

Adjust Background Removal on OBS Studio
Adjust Background Removal on OBS Studio

Here is the deal now, first, you have to add the green screen, and to do that go to background color > click on “select color” > choose green as background color > finally click “ok”.

Select Background Color - OBS Background Removal
Select Background Color – OBS Background Removal

Here, you have to click on the green square in order to make the background of your webcam green. Moreover, you shouldn’t forget to scroll up the pin bar (at the right corner), to increase the density of the color. The density of the color has a direct effect on the precision of the background removal. After doing this you will have a green webcam background.

Select Background Color - OBS Background Removal
Select Background Color – OBS Background Removal

Step 8: Among the setting characteristics, you can leave the first three adjustments (threshold, contour filter, and smooth silhouette) at their default adjustment. You can increase the level for the feather blend silhouette a little bit.

OBS Background Removal Settings
OBS Background Removal Settings

I highly recommend you deal with the segmentation models. You will have five different models (SINet, MODNet, MediaPipe, Selfie Segmentation, and Robust Video Matting). They are the models which perform the removal of the background. It is better to select Robust Video Matting for better accuracy of background removal. If this module is not available, go for MediaPipe or SINet. Finally hit the close button.

After closing, you will have the following window, a webcam with green virtual screen i,e your webcam background removed.

OBS Background Removal Settings
OBS Background Removal Settings

Step 9: Now you need to do is add a background. You can add an image or a video as your background. Let’s take a look at how you are going to add an image and a video one by one. Let’s begin with the image.

To add an image, go under sources > click on the “+” sign > image.

Change OBS Background with an Image
Change OBS Background with an Image

Select “ok”.

create image source
create image source

Under the image file select “browse”.

select an image
select an image

Find the image file that you are interested in to make it your background > open it up.

find the desired image
find the desired image

A window with your selected image will pop up and then click “ok”.

confirm the selected image
confirm the selected image

Then after, you have to make sure that your image is at the bottom of your webcam. To do that, you have two methods.

  • under sources, go to your selected image, double-click on it, drag and put it underneath your webcam.
  • under sources, right-click on the image>order>move down.
 
change image order
change image order

The ordering result will give you the camera at the top and the image at the bottom. At this stage, you will have a green screen still as depicted in the image below. Don’t worry, a single step remains to discard it from your webcam.

the ordering result
the ordering result

Step 10: Add effect filters. To do this, under sources, you need to right-click on your webcam> click on “filters”,

add filter
add filter

Under effect filters, select the “+” sign > Chroma Key.

choose Chroma Key
choose Chroma Key

Click OK.

Apply Chroma Key
Apply Chroma Key
 

Done! Now you have your background removed.

OBS Background Removal with Chroma Key
OBS Background Removal with Chroma Key

Now, let’s run for how video can be added as your background. The procedures you have to follow are simple
under sources, click on the “+” sign, and then click on Media Source.

select Media Source
select Media Source

After clicking the Media Source, the following mini window will pop up and you have to click “ok”.

add media source
add media source

Then, under the local file click on browse and it will let you select the video that you are interested to make as your webcam background.

browse local files
browse local files

All you have to do is select your video> open it up >and click on OK.

select the video
select the video

Like that of the image, make sure your video file is underneath your webcam device. Then check the Loop option.

check the loop option
check the loop option
loop the video background
loop the video background

Bonus: Remove, Blur, or Change Webcam Background in One Click

Although OBS plugins enable you to remove the background, the process could be complex for beginners because OBS has a steep learning curve. Therefore, it’s highly recommended to use professional webcam background removal software to easier modify your webcam background.

FineShare FineCam is an AI-powered virtual camera software that you can use to remove, blur, or change your webcam background with only one click. The video below will show you how to do that. And if you are interested, you can download and use FineCam and have a try right now.

Free Download For Windows 8 or later
Free Download For macOS 11 or later
This article is originally published on May 20, 2022, and updated on April 29, 2024
Author

Dereje Getie

Dereje Derib is a technical content writer at FineShare, as well as an electrical engineer teaching courses at a university. He knows webcam and remote work quite well.

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HomeResource Virtual Background [OBS] Remove Background without Green Screen – 3 Free Plugins

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