What is an aspect ratio?

An aspect ratio, in its simplest terms is a way of describing the shape of a video display.

All common modern video displays are rectangular in shape, but the aspect ratio tells you how wide the screen is relative to its height. The three most common screen aspect ratios are 4×3, 16×9, and 16×10.

Most of the Video Projectors Media & Technology Support Services installs in spaces on campus are in what is called a 16×10 aspect ratio, which means for every 16 units the image it creates is wide, it is 10 units high. This could mean a screen is 8ft wide and 5 feet high, 16ft wide and 10ft heigh, or any other ratio you can think of.

 

How does the projector handle other aspect ratios?

The projector will constantly put out an image that is 16×10. It’s aspect ratio is “fixed”. Our video projectors will display signals in 16×9 or 4×3 aspect ratios within the 16×10 frame. This will give you the best image quality at the maximum size, without distorting the image. In the images below, you will see the blue 16×10 frame with a 4×3 or 16×9 image within it. The video projector senses the image being sent to it, and simply centers the image in the screen, and fills in the unused area with black.