Retaining Correct Video Proportions (Aspect Ratio) in Your Fan Videos
It's close enough—isn't it?
The answer is no. It isn't close enough. Anything more than a few percentage points off in frame dimensions will be noticed by many of us.
The distortion in two of these pictures is not that great, but it's still enough to be unacceptable. Only the middle picture is correct.
Yes, I am the Aspect Ratio Diva! I frighten myself at times by being able to tell if a video's aspect ratio is off by even a small amount. I realize that not everyone has such a keen (i.e. anal-retentive) eye. So, if your eye for proportions isn't that honed, please realize that what looks acceptable to you might not actually be correct. If you don't notice some distortion in the video, it doesn't meant that nobody else will.
Also please be open to the notion that you might not have as keen an eye for proportions as you assume. In my experience it's not uncommon for many people to be able to detect the more extreme examples of image distortion, while being unaware of moderate problems.
The geek's monitor: How to verify that your videos have correct aspect ratio.
If you're a little unsure of how sharp your eye is at identifying proper proportions in video, there's an excellent workaround which you can use to double-check your videos. It's not foolproof, but it will work most of the time.
I learned this trick from webmastering. With removable cellophane tape, I marked the browser dimensions for different computer screen resolutions. (You'll see them as the blue and red marks in the illustration below.) I just taped the edge of the monitor—I didn't put any tape on the actual screen itself! The tape is easily removable and didn't harm the frame of the monitor. (If you put any tape on the frame of your monitor, do so at your own risk and use common sense.)
So, I applied this same concept to video aspect ratio. In Apple's DVD Player (which has been unfailing in playing correct aspect ratio in commercial DVDs), I played a movie (in fullscreen mode) with straight 16:9 aspect ratio. Then, I marked where the top and bottom of the actual movie line up with the edge of the monitor. I did the same thing with a 2:35:1 (widescreen anamorphic) DVD. Now, I can compare the dimensions of my fan video with the "source" video (original DVD) and see if the dimensions match up.
The Geek's Monitor—the outside edges marked with cellophane tape.
Going by the numbers:
Another way to confirm that your videos are adhering to proper dimensions is to blindly go by the numbers. For instance, if you have confirmed that the original DVD had an aspect ratio of 16:9, and you imported the clips into your video editing program with no letterbox (no black bars at the top and bottom) then you know that your finished video must have strict 16:9 dimensions. Keep your finished fan video to these dimensions (and make sure there are no black letterbox bars on any of the sides) and it will have correct aspect ratio.
768 x 432 |
720 x 405 |
640 x 360 |
512 x 288 |
480 x 270 |
320 x 180 |
640 x 480 |
480 x 360 |
384 x 288 |
360 x 270 |
To learn more about saving your finished file with custom frame dimensions, consult the basic Mac Vidding Tutorial.
Checking your video's aspect ratio in different media players:
I find that even when Quicktime plays a video with the correct dimensions, my other favorite media player of choice (VLC Player) might not. It's a good practice to preview your web-ready video in several media players. If you can also view it on a PC, that's even better.
Final Words of Advice:
When vidding on a Mac computer, your risk of getting messed-up aspect ratio is not too high. If you are aware of aspect ratio and take care to identify your video's original dimensions (4:3, 16:9) and follow the basic guidelines in this tutorial (and in the other tutorials on this site) you should rarely encounter problems. I find that most Mac applications used for ripping, converting and editing video are consistent and will properly identify aspect ratio.
However, a particular problem area (for all vidders) would be when editing clips ripped from a "homegrown" DVD (a DVD that someone recorded off of TV, for example). When dealing with such DVDs, your Mac might not be able to identify the aspect ratio correctly. In such instances, you will have to be extra diligent in following this tutorial. You can fix the aspect ratio in even the most whacked "homegrown" video, if you know how.
Video Demo:
This short video has been made, illustrating the horrors of aspect ratio abuse!