Video QA | Letterboxing

It is essential to maintain the intended aspect ratio when displaying content on different screens. Advalidation can help you identify when a video file has Letterboxing, PillarBoxing, or WindowBoxing during the QA process.

What are Letterboxing, PillarBoxing, and WindowBoxing?

Letterboxing

When a widescreen video or film is displayed on a screen with a smaller aspect ratio, black bars are added to the top and bottom of the frame to maintain the original aspect ratio.

This is called Letterboxing.

The most common case is displaying 16:9 content on a 4:3 support:

PillarBoxing

Conversely, when a video or film with a smaller aspect ratio is displayed on a widescreen screen, black bars are added to the left and right of the frame.

This is called PillarBoxing.

The most common case is displaying 4:3 content on a 16:9 support:

WindowBoxing

In some cases, a video or film may have both black bars on the top and bottom as well as on the left and right of the frame. This occurs when the content's aspect ratio is different from the display screen's, and the content is not resized to fit the screen. This is called WindowBoxing.

Advalidation's recommendation

It is recommended to enable this setting in order to ensure the intended aspect ratio is applied to all content.

Happy validating!