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Video aspect ratios influence how we watch content on different platforms. Platforms like YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, and Netflix each have their preferred video dimensions. Why are these ratios important, and how do they affect your viewing experience?
Today, video isn’t just for TVs. Social media and streaming services have made aspect ratios more important for creators. How does a video’s shape affect how it works on different platforms, and what does this mean for creators and viewers?
Aspect ratio is all about how your video or image looks based on its width and height. It helps your content fit on the screen without stretching or cropping. Whether it’s widescreen or square, the aspect ratio decides how people view your content.
Aspect ratio is the width of a screen compared to its height, written like this - width: height. If you’re like me and sometimes get confused by which comes first—remember that width comes before height, like when you switch between landscape and portrait mode while taking a selfie.
A screen’s aspect ratio can be calculated by the formula:
For a screen with a resolution of 1920x1080, the aspect ratio is:
Aspect ratios vary based on content types, such as widescreen for TV shows or vertical for social media. Choosing the appropriate ratio ensures your visuals look great, preventing images and videos from stretching or squishing. Maintaining the correct aspect ratio helps your content fit the screen perfectly, avoiding awkward cropping and those pesky little (and big) black bars.
Resolution refers to the detail an image or video holds, measured by the number of pixels in each dimension. It’s typically expressed as width times height (e.g., 1920x1080), indicating how many pixels create the picture.
Think of it like a painter’s palette: just as more colors create a richer and more detailed painting, more pixels give an image a wide range of colors and finer details.
Understanding aspect ratios is key for creating effective video content, as they determine how visuals are framed and displayed. This guide breaks down the common aspect ratios linked to various resolutions, including 4K, 2K, and Full HD (1920 x 1080), while exploring their relevance in formats like horizontal (landscape) and vertical (portrait) video.
4:3 (Standard) aspect ratio size
The 4:3 aspect ratio was the standard for television and video content for many years, especially before widescreen took over. It was commonly used in traditional cathode-ray tube (CRT) televisions and old-school monitors.
Popular in the early 20th century, 4:3 shaped the way we watched classic TV shows and movies. While it’s less common today, you’ll still find it in older content, educational videos, and presentations. Some producers even use 4:3 for artistic reasons, as it adds a nostalgic feel or draws more attention to the subject.
16:9 (Widescreen) aspect ratio size
The 16:9 aspect ratio was established as a standard in the year 1996. It was recommended by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in a document known as ITU-R BT.809. This recommendation aimed to create a standard for high-definition television (HDTV) that would be compatible with both existing 4:3 television formats and wider cinematic formats.
Today, 16:9 is the standard aspect ratio for most video content. Its wide format matches how we naturally see things, making it great for movies and videos. Streaming services like Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ all favor this aspect ratio for a balanced and immersive experience.
Many modern monitors and laptops use this aspect ratio. Brands like Samsung, LG, and Sony manufacture smart TVs that feature the 16:9 aspect ratio. This ratio supports 4K, Full HD, and UHD resolutions, making it ideal for a wide range of video content.
9:16 (Portrait) aspect ratio size
The 9:16 aspect ratio, also known as portrait mode, is designed for vertical viewing. It is the format that dominates on mobile devices. Most people hold their phones in a tall and narrow position, making this aspect ratio ideal for handheld viewing.
This ratio is perfect for mobile-friendly, vertical videos that dominate platforms like TikTok, Instagram Stories, and YouTube Shorts. It’s tailored for quick, engaging content designed to capture attention.
1:1 (Square) aspect ratio size
The 1:1 aspect ratio, or square format, features equal width and height. The square format has a long history in art and photography, often seen in traditional painting and early photographs.
On social media, Facebook and LinkedIn favor square images and videos, making it a popular choice for posts and advertisements. Photographers appreciate the square format’s symmetrical design, making it great for creative framing. Graphic designers also favor it for logos, icons, and other visual elements that need a compact and versatile layout.
21:9 (Cinematic Widescreen) aspect ratio
21:9, or cinematic widescreen, offers a wider view than the standard 16:9. While 16:9 is ideal for regular television and online videos, 21:9 gives filmmakers a wider frame to capture more detail in their scenes and landscapes. This aspect ratio is especially popular for cinematic storytelling, where the goal is to create an immersive experience for viewers.
Cinematic widescreen ratio supports resolutions like 2560x1080 (Ultra-Wide Full HD) and 3440x1440 (Ultra-Wide Quad HD), making it a great choice for high-definition displays. More people are enjoying 21:9 in their home theatres, as it creates a more immersive experience for watching movies or playing games.
Choosing the right aspect ratio enhances your content’s visibility and interaction rates. Content tailored to specific formats is more likely to resonate with audiences, leading to higher engagement and possible conversions for your brand.
Online tools make it super easy to check and change your video’s aspect ratio without the hassle of downloading extra software. With just a few clicks, you can upload your video, tweak the aspect ratio, and export it—all from your browser. Most of these platforms also show your video’s current dimensions, so you can see the aspect ratio right away before making any changes.
If you’re looking to adjust the aspect ratio, websites like Kapwing, Clideo, and VEED.io let you pick from preset options or input your dimensions. And if you just want to check the ratio, VideoProc online or media players with built-in ratio detectors can quickly show you that info. These tools are perfect for quick, simple tasks and work on any browser.
FFmpeg is an open-source tool that allows users to convert video formats and manipulate various settings, including the aspect ratio. While it requires command-line interaction, FFmpeg provides flexibility for processing videos efficiently. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you change your video’s aspect ratio.
Step-by-step guide to change video aspect ratio using FFmpeg
Step 1. Install FFmpeg:
Step 2. Open command prompt or terminal:
Step 3. Navigate to the Video file location:
Step 4. Change the aspect ratio:
1bash
2ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=WIDTH:HEIGHT:force_original_aspect_ratio=increase,crop=WIDTH:HEIGHT" output.mp4
1bash
2ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "scale=1920:1080:force_original_aspect_ratio=increase,crop=1920:1080" output.mp4
Step 5. Start the encoding process:
Step 6. Check the output:
The aspect ratio is just one piece of the puzzle. To fully maximize your video’s potential, you need the right tools for creation, encoding, and delivery. FastPix brings a powerful set of features to handle every aspect of the video process, from managing multiple input formats with accelerated uploads to transforming videos with clipping and watermarking.
Our platform supports AI-driven features like object detection and conversational search to streamline content classification. Live encoding, CMS integration, and VOD recording ensure smooth streaming with adaptive bitrate support and multi-CDN delivery. Paired with advanced video analytics, FastPix gives you the complete picture, enabling smooth, scalable video workflows tailored to your needs.
The aspect ratio is the ratio of width to height, while resolution measures the detail of the image in pixels.
Choose the aspect ratio based on your platform. For example, use 16:9 for YouTube or 9:16 forTikTok.
Black bars(letterboxing or pillarboxing) appear to maintain the original aspect ratio when the screen size doesn’t match.
You can use tools like HandBrake and FFmpeg to change your video’s aspect ratio.
Use 1:1 (square) for Instagram, 16:9 for YouTube, and 9:16 for TikTok and Instagram Stories.
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