Aspect ratio explorer
The frame adapts to the chosen ratio and the rest of the scene is darkened. Below it you can see what happens when the same picture is shown on a display with a different ratio.
Aspect ratio explorer
How to use the tool
- Choose an aspect ratio. The frame shows what a camera would capture of the same scene.
- In the second part, choose a type of display. The tool works out how big the bars will be and how much of the display the picture uses.
Every control also works from the keyboard: Tab moves between groups, the arrow keys change the choice within a group. If reduced motion is switched on in your system, animations don’t start by themselves.
What it tells you
Letterbox and pillarbox
If the picture is wider than the display, it is scaled to the display’s width and bars appear above and below (letterbox). If it is narrower, it is scaled to the height and the bars are at the sides (pillarbox). The alternative is cropping — the picture fills the display, but part of it is lost.
Cinema: flat and scope
Digital cinema uses a 2048 × 1080 (2K) or 4096 × 2160 (4K) container. Flat 1.85:1 is 1998 × 1080 / 3996 × 2160, scope 2.39:1 is 2048 × 858 / 4096 × 1716 (SMPTE ST 428-1, ISDCF).
| ratio | decimal | example in pixels |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | 1.00 | 1080 × 1080 |
| 4:3 | 1.33 | 1440 × 1080 |
| 16:9 | 1.78 | 1920 × 1080, 3840 × 2160 |
| 1.85:1 | 1.85 | 1998 × 1080 (DCI 2K flat) |
| 2:1 | 2.00 | 3840 × 1920 |
| 2.39:1 | 2.39 | 2048 × 858 (DCI 2K scope) |
More in the articles
Sources
Last checked: . The tool runs entirely in your browser and sends nothing anywhere.