RSS
Join our Newsletter:
Software Categories:
Video Software:
Portable Device Apps:
Audio Software:
Burning Software:Archive for November, 2010
Aspect Ratio: from Theory to Practice
In our previous post we considered what aspect ratio of a video file is, what aspect ratios are most widely used and what problems are connected with aspect ratio. In this post we will try to give clear instructions on converting video with a glance of aspect ratio using Need4 Video Converter.
There are several alternatives possible:
- You want to keep the aspect ratio of the original video unchanged.
- You want to change the aspect ratio of the video you have:
- convert 16:9 video to 4:3;
- convert 4:3 video to 16:9.
Let us review all these cases.
- To make sure that converted video will have the same aspect ratio as the original video, you should:
- add it to Need4 Video Converter;
- right-click on the file and select Information; in the window opened you will find information about your video file, including its aspect ratio;
- select the necessary preset from the Output format drop-down list;
- click Settings under the Output format list.
If the Video same as input checkbox is checked, converted video will have the same resolution and aspect ratio as the original video.
If the Video same as input checkbox is unchecked by default or you need to uncheck it (for example, when you want to resize your video), make sure that the Keep aspect ratio checkbox is checked.
For the presets of the DVD Quality Video group you can select the necessary aspect ratio from the corresponding list; - click OK;
- convert your video.
- Aspect ratio of your video can be changed as follows:
- add your video to Need4 Video Converter and select the necessary output format;
- click Settings under the Output format list; uncheck the Video same as input and Keep aspect ratio checkboxes; specify the width and height for converted video;
- click the Options button in the Video stream area and select from the Aspect ratio list:
- 4:3, if you want to convert 16:9 video to 4:3;
- or 16:9, if you want to convert 4:3 video to 16:9;
- click OK;
- select the necessary resize method from the Resize method list. For more information about resize methods, please check this article;
- click OK;
- convert your video.
If you still have problems with aspect ratio, feel free to contact Need4Video Support Team.
November 11th, 2010
Posted in Informative | 2 Comments »
Simply about Aspect Ratio
What is aspect ratio
According to Wikipedia, aspect ratio of an image is the ratio of the width of the image to its height, expressed as two numbers separated by a colon, e.g. x:y (pronounced “x-to-y”) .
The most widely used aspect ratios
The most common video aspect ratios are 4:3 and 16:9.
- The 4:3 ratio for standard television has been in use since television’s origins and many computer monitors employ the same aspect ratio.
- 16:9 is the international standard format of HDTV, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television.
These aspect ratios can be easily distinguished. 4:3 has more “square” form, while 16:9 is more “rectangular” (See Pic. 1).
It should be mentioned that 16:9 aspect ratio is considered to be more aesthetically pleasing and closer to human eyesight. This aspect ratio approximates to the so-called golden ratio.
Most common problems connected with aspect ratio
- All objects look narrow and prolonged, faces are “long”. This can happen, for example, when you watch a widescreen video (16:9 aspect ratio) on a square TV set that has 4:3 aspect ratio, so that your video is stretched vertically to fit the screen of the TV set (see Pic. 2).
Pic. 2: Video stretched to 4:3 compared to the original video (16:9) - All objects look flattened out. This can happen if you watch an old movie or TV show that was shot in 4:3 aspect ratio on a widescreen TV set, so that your video is stretched horizontally (see Pic. 3).
Pic. 3: Video stretched to 16:9 compared to the original video (4:3)
How to solve aspect ratio problems
Many problems connected with aspect ratio can be solved hardwarily – by setting a DVD player or a TV set to the necessary aspect ratio.
If you want to convert your video, you should remember about aspect ratio. Here you can find some tips on converting video with a glance of aspect ratio.
Why aspect ratio and frame size shouldn’t be mistaken
Probably, you know that a pixel is the smallest unit of an image. In video files square pixels are primarily used. It is evident that the width and height of a square pixel are equal to each other. In this case, the ratio between video dimensions in pixels will correspond to the aspect ratio of the video file. For example, a video file which consists of square pixels has 640*480 resolution, and its aspect ratio is 4:3 (640:480 = 4:3).
However, DVD files often use non-square pixels (they have rectangular shape, and the pixel width slightly differs from its height). In this case, the ratio between video dimensions in pixels will differ from the aspect ratio of the video file. For example, a 4:3 DVD video can have 720*480 resolution (720:480 ≠ 4:3). This difference is conditioned by different dimensions of a non-square pixel.