Projector 101 - Projector Aspect Ratio
The projector aspect ratio describes the size relationship between the width and height of the projected image.
Common aspect ratios include:
1.78:1 1.85:1 2.40:1
Why is the Projector Aspect Important?
Even just a few years ago, content came in just a handful of aspects. DCI Scope (2.40) DCI Flat (1.85) and TV (1.78). Now however numerous more content aspects are regularly used, 2.0 from Netflix being a particularly important example. When the content aspect does not match the projector aspect, you will get black bars in the unused area of the projector image if the image is being scaled to fit the native device. It is important to choose a projector aspect that minimises the amount of black bars that will be required to fit the most common content aspects that the client views. This maximises the image's brightness and resolution.
How is the Projector Aspect Calculated?
The projector aspect will be defined in the product data.
Projector Aspect Considerations
The vast majority of home cinema projectors are supplied with an aspect of 1.78:1. A number of high end options exist with a native aspect of 1.9:1 and one manufacturer, Barco, offers a native 2.37 aspect. This means it is inevitable that the system will have to deal with black bars being projected. There are numerous ways to address this but handling aspect ratios is a training session in its own right.
A formal training class can be found at https://cinemaexpert.forento.app/courses/1838 that examines the subject in detail