How to get rid of black bars on projector

black bars on projector

No wonder black bars look super annoying and messy on the projector screen. Lots of ways have been introduced to eliminate them from the screen. Here we have penned the details on how to get rid of black bars on projector. 

The general way is to adjust the image aspect ratio, use a stretch mode, avoid using a flat panel screen, crop the video, or you can zoom in on the image. It is assumed that zooming in on the picture will ultimately fill the screen, and black bars will be removed immediately. The remaining details are written below:

Tips to get rid of black bars on a projector

The presence of black bars makes the viewing experience not so smooth and enjoyable. Almost every individual is looking for ways to get rid of these black bars. You can check out a few of the effective solutions which we have collected for you:

Adjust the aspect ratio

You can remove the black bars by adjusting the aspect ratio. It is seen that not all movies and games are formatted in a 16:9 aspect ratio. A few movies and games remain formatted wider than 16:9. If the aspect ratio is wider, the black bars will appear on the projector screen’s top and bottom.

So, the recommended solution is to adjust the aspect ratio. Just keep it 16:9, and you are all good to go. Below you can check out how this method is preceded:

  1. Access the Start menu and go to the Graphics Command Center.
  2. Choose ‘’Display’’.
  3. After that, you have to navigate to the “General” tab.
  4. Make sure to expand the dropdown menu, which is located next to “Resolution.”
  5. Choose the 16:9 resolutions.
  6. Hit on the confirm button.
  7. The black bars will be gone for sure.

Talking about the old days, the standard aspect ratio used to be 4:3. However, with the advancement of technology, the 16:9 aspect ratio has become the standard.

Remember that black bars will certainly appear when the video is formatted in a 4:3 aspect ratio and you play it in the 16:9 play window. Thus, adjusting the aspect ratio to the standard format, which is 16:9, will help you get rid of black bars!

Another important thing to keep in mind is that changing and re-setting the image aspect ratio resizes the image. Before you change the aspect ratio, finalizing the screen type setting is always recommended in the projector’s Installation menu. 

For those who want to get rid of black bars from the computer screen, what they need to do is to set the resolution setting to ”wide” mode or ”normal” mode. These options are present in the image menu. You can choose the mode which matches and syncs with your computer’s resolution.

Avoid using a flat panel screen

The easiest and simplest way to eliminate black bars is to avoid using a flat panel projector screen. Building a home theatre around an advanced projection system is recommended rather than using a flat panel. In doing so, no black bars will appear on the screen, and the image will look 80% enlarged and super bigger.

Crop the video and remove the black bars

It is believed that cropping the video might help you get rid of black bars from the projector screen. So, what you need to do is simply crop the video and make it get fit into the screen. Crop the black bars, and that is all; you are done!

You can also opt for the Crop to Fit option. Here you have to drag and drop every clip right from the media library to the timeline, and the clip is going to be cropped automatically. Thus, no black bars will be there on choosing the crop-to-fit option.

If this option does not work, you can crop the clip manually. This process is done by following the below-mentioned steps:

  1. The first step is to import the media file. Once you have imported all the media files into the media library, drag and drop them right into the Video Timeline. Hit on the play icon to preview where the black bars are located.
  2. The next step is to remove the black bars! Right-click the video, select “Crop and Zoom”, and manually set the frame size. Or you can choose the “16:9” or “4: 3” option.
  3. You are almost done! Now, the last step is to save the video, which does not have any black bar.

Use a stretch mode

How about using a stretch mode? Yes, this hack helps you get rid of black bars from the projector screen. With this mode, you can stretch the image in an even manner and quickly eliminate the pillar-box black bars. In addition, this mode stretches the edges and also the center of the screen.

Zoom in on the picture

If you zoom in on the picture, this hack will help you remove every black bar from the projector screen. Preferring this setting will fill the screen, and the annoying, dreading-looking bars will disappear.

Conclusion

Thus, these are the basic ways to get rid of dreaded and super annoying black bars from the projector screen. What hack do you follow if your projector screen usually gets surrounded by these problematic black bars? If we still need to include any solution, please let us know.

Reminding you again that black bars can be eliminated from the screen by adjusting the aspect ratio, using a stretch mode, avoiding using a flat panel, cropping the video and zooming in on the picture. Stay tuned and connected with us on this platform, and we will inform you about more ways to remove black bars.

Hi there! My name is Haris Rehman, and I review projectors for homes, movies, and offices. My passion for all things audiovisual has led me to test and review a broad range of projectors for consumers to help them make informed purchasing decisions. The reviews I provide are honest and unbiased based on my understanding of what makes a quality projector. Check out my blog for the latest reviews and insights.

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