Aspect Ratio

Here you can find the French version of this article.

This article will help you to prepare your slide-shows for burning on DVD by using PicturesToExe and Video Builder. Let's try to explain that the difference between DVD aspect ratio and slide-show aspect ratio. DVD aspect ratio sets by Video Builder in Project Options window. Slide-show aspect ratio sets by PicturesToExe in Project Options -> Screen tab.

DVD aspect ratio 4:3

Slide-show aspect ratio 16:9

Encoding
Here is an example that shows what happen if you'll encode presentation with 16:9 (800x450) aspect ratio (slide-show aspect ratio) with 4:3 aspect ratio (DVD aspect ratio).

Source slide-show (16:9 aspect ratio)

1) Slide-show aspect ratio 16:9
2) DVD aspect ratio 4:3

4:3 TV display example
While viewing this DVD on TV set with 4:3 sides, video will looks as like encoded before (picture below).

1) Slide-show aspect ratio 16:9
2) DVD aspect ratio 4:3
3) TV display aspect ratio 4:3

16:9 TV display example
While viewing this video on widescreen TV display, video will looks as like each over with 4:3 aspect ratio. This means that TV display will add black areas at the left and at the right sides of the video to make aspect ratio as own (16:9). Look at the picture below.

1) Slide-show aspect ratio 16:9
2) DVD aspect ratio 4:3
3) TV display aspect ratio 16:9

Slide-show aspect ratio 4:3

Encoding
Here is the source slide-show example (aspect ratio 4:3). Encoding result (DVD aspect ratio 4:3) will looks like original without any black areas.

Source slide-show (4:3 aspect ratio)
Encoding result will looks the same.

This is an example how will looks such DVD with 4:3 aspect ratio dispaly.

1) Slide show aspect ratio 4:3
2) DVD aspect ratio 4:3
3) TV display aspect ratio 4:3

This is an example how will looks such DVD with 16:9 aspect ratio dispaly.

1) Slide show aspect ratio 4:3
2) DVD aspect ratio 4:3
3) TV display aspect ratio 16:9

DVD aspect ratio 16:9

Slide-show aspect ratio 4:3

Encoding
For example your slide-show has 800:600 pixels dimension (4:3).

Source slide-show (4:3 aspect ratio)

1) Slide-show aspect ratio 4:3
2) DVD aspect ratio 16:9

16:9 TV display example
As you can see 16:9 TV display show this video as it looks after encoding.

1) Slide-show aspect ratio 4:3
2) DVD aspect ratio 16:9
3) TV display aspect ratio 16:9

4:3 TV display example
As soon as we try to see this video on the TV display with 4:3 sides we can find black areas at the top and at the bottom of our DVD. These areas were added by TV display to make video aspect ratio as own (4:3).

1) Slide-show aspect ratio 4:3
2) DVD aspect ratio 16:9
3) TV display aspect ratio 4:3

Slide-show aspect ratio 16:9

Encoding
Here is the source slide-show example (aspect ratio 16:9). Encoding result (DVD aspect ratio 16:9) will looks like original without any black areas.

Source slide-show (16:9 aspect ratio)
Encoding result will looks the same.

This is an example how will looks such DVD with 16:9 aspect ratio dispaly.

1) Slide show aspect ratio 16:9
2) DVD aspect ratio 16:9
3) TV display aspect ratio 16:9

This is an example how will looks such DVD with 4:3 aspect ratio dispaly.

1) Slide show aspect ratio 16:9
2) DVD aspect ratio 16:9
3) TV display aspect ratio 4:3

How auto aspect ratio mode works in VideoBuilder

This issue is about how Video Builder auto aspect ratio mode works.

Each of the videos being located on DVD disc may have one of the following aspect ratio 4:3 or 16:9. For now VideoBuilder can't burn DVD with slide-shows use different aspect ratio. If you'll set aspect ratio 4:3 (VideoBuilder options) in options all presentations will be in 4:3, if you'll set 16:9 (VideoBuilder options) all will be 16:9.

Even if one from all presentations has aspect ratio differs from 16:9 (slide-show aspect ratio), all of them will be with 4:3 aspect ratio. Only in case then all slide-shows has 16:9 aspect ratio all slide-shows will be in 16:9. Therefore then you create DVD disc for wide width display there is a reason to set 16:9 aspect ratio for all slide-shows.

For the future we plan to develop feature allows you to add different aspect ratio slide-shows to one DVD disc.

Custom aspect ratio slide-show

In case if slide-show has aspect ratio differs from 4:3 and 16:9 (ex. 5:4) it will be fit to nearest aspect ratio (see picture below).

Custom aspect ratio.

Photos resolution and slide-show aspect ratio

This is a fact that there no any relation between photo dimension and slide-show aspect ratio. As a default value for slide-show aspect ratio set to 4:3 (for new project) and in case if you add some photos with 16:9 aspect ratio the slide-show will not change the aspect ratio automatically. To change slide-show aspect ratio go to the Project options -> Screen tab and set it manually according to dimension your photos.