The video aspect ratio plays an important role in determining how your videos will look and how your viewers’ experience will be. While the video aspect ratio implies the relation between the height and width of a video, its role is bigger in determining the overall streaming experience for your video.
Based on your video type, category, purpose, target platforms and devices, you should come up with the best possible aspect ratio for your videos. For any VOD streaming business, as well as when it comes to stream videos to reach out to your target audience, it is important to maintain the right video aspect ratio to offer optimum streaming experience to your audience.
But how to choose the right aspect ratio? Or, from where to start? In this blog, we will guide you through all that.
What Is Video Aspect Ratio?
The video aspect ratio is the ratio of the width of the video to the height of the video. The aspect ratio of your video indicates how wide it is. The following are some of the most frequent video aspect ratios and what they mean:
1:1 – Square
4:3 – Standard
16:9 – Widescreen
2.4:1 – Ultra widescreen
Etc.
Let’s know a bit more about the different types of aspect ratios, what they mean and their usage.
Different Aspect Ratios for Videos
Let’s have a look at the different video aspect ratios for your knowledge.
1.37:1
For decades, the usual aspect ratio was 1.37:1, commonly known as the academic ratio. With the development of over-the-top (OTT) channels, different VOD platforms, and the commercialization of television sets, a wider range of aspect ratios became available.
2.39:1
The 2.39:1 aspect ratio, sometimes known as anamorphic widescreen, is best for photographing landscape views. This aspect ratio is also frequent in current films, such as feature films.
4:3
Years ago, the most popular and often used aspect ratio among filmmakers was 4:3. It is, nevertheless, better suited to standard definition televisions than widescreen HDTVs.
16:9
This is undoubtedly one of the most often used aspect ratios, whether for filming for television or for streaming web media. 16:9 is a popular aspect ratio among video content creators since it is the typical size for most computer monitors and high definition widescreen TVs.
1.85:1
This aspect ratio is somewhat wider than 16:9 and defines the standard widescreen format. While this is a frequent aspect ratio for films, it is also used for numerous television series and multimedia content that requires a theatrical look.
How to Choose the Right Aspect Ratio
The aspect ratio influences the atmosphere, composition, and overall impact of your video material on the audience. Here are a few pointers to help you determine your aspect ratio:
- Always choose the aspect ratio of your video content before filming it
- Choose an aspect ratio that is appropriate for the medium on which your information will be shown. For example, the normal aspect ratio for YouTube on a PC is 16:9, which is also the optimal aspect ratio for live streaming
- Plan ahead of time which platforms your video material will be shared on, and prepare a list of the optimal aspect ratios for each platform, so your films don’t end up chopped or with black bars at the top or bottom on the key platforms
- 16:9 is compatible with practically all systems and devices, offers excellent quality, and is simple to capture. It is, nevertheless, advised that you have a thorough understanding of various aspect ratios.
There are also unique aspect ratios that work better for different social networking platforms. And you should be aware of this before you stream or share your video material on these platforms.
To Conclude,
Understanding video aspect ratios is one of the fundamentals to master before creating video content and streaming it across several devices. You should choose a video aspect ratio based on the sort of video, the intended audience, and the platforms on which it will be shared afterwards.
Even when live streaming, bear in mind where it will be viewed the most; for example, different aspect ratios work well for different social media platforms. Having a good understanding of video aspect ratio will benefit you in the long term, especially if you’re in the streaming business.
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