letterboxingpillarboxing

Letterboxing and pillarboxing are terms used in visual media, particularly in film and video, to describe the black bars that appear on the sides of a widescreen image when it is displayed on a display with a different aspect ratio. This is done to preserve the original intended aspect ratio of the content.

Letterboxing occurs when a widescreen image is displayed on a narrower screen, such as a standard television or computer monitor. The black bars appear at the top and bottom of the screen, framing the wider image within the narrower display. This is common when watching a widescreen movie on a 4:3 aspect ratio television. The original film's aspect ratio is maintained, but a portion of the screen is unused.

Pillarboxing is the inverse of letterboxing. It happens when a narrower image, typically from older television formats or certain video games, is displayed on a wider widescreen display. In this case, black bars appear on the left and right sides of the screen, framing the narrower image. This preserves the original aspect ratio of the content without stretching or distorting it.

Both letterboxing and pillarboxing are methods of aspect ratio conversion that ensure the viewer sees the content as it was originally intended. They are a compromise between displaying content in its original form and filling the entire screen of a display with a different aspect ratio. While some viewers may prefer full-screen, non-letterboxed or pillarboxed content, these techniques are employed to avoid image distortion such as stretching or cropping.