What does Pixel aspect ratio mean?
Pixel aspect ratio describes the intended width-to-height shape of one stored image sample. A ratio of one to one means square pixels; other ratios require appropriate display scaling.
Why it matters
This is distinct from the overall display aspect ratio. Some legacy television and anamorphic formats use non-square samples to represent a familiar picture shape with stored dimensions that look unusual to modern square-pixel assumptions. A compatible player combines the stored grid and aspect information before displaying the image. Ignoring that metadata can make faces look squeezed or excessively wide.
A practical example
If the same authorised file looks normal in one player and narrow in another, compare their aspect handling and manual overrides. Do not change the television’s global stretch mode until you know whether the issue is confined to one source or application.
Continue reading
Related terminology: Pillarboxing, Pixel density.
For practical setup and troubleshooting, browse the journal or support guides.