What is Aspect Ratio?
Aspect ratio is the ratio of the image width to image height. Standard TV screens and older laptops are 4:3; HDTV and most DVDs are 16:9; and widescreen computers are 16:10. If you are projecting onto a screen, the size/shape of the screen will influence the aspect ratio you decide to use. If you are projecting onto a blank wall, there are no screen size restrictions. What you plan to project will also help you choose between 4:3, 16:9 or 16:10. Many TV shows are 4:3, while most movies are 16:9.
If you have a 16:9 screen then you should select an aspect ratio of 16:9 for widescreen movies or HDTV, and Native for 4:3 content. If you have a 4:3 screen you should still use 16:9 for widescreen movies or HDTV, but you also have the option of using either 4:3 (to fill the screen) or Native (for direct pixel mapping) for 4:3 content. Force Wide can also be enabled to automatically resize less common aspect ratios to 16:10.
4:3 screen
16:9 screen
4:3 mode
16:9 mode
Native mode (NTSC only)
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