How to Convert a 16:9 Video to 4:3?

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“I have a video of a 1962 TV special. It has been stretched to 16:9… is there a proper way to resize stretched 16:9 to 4:3?”

“I’ve got a bunch of 16:9 footage but I want to crop it and have my project be 4:3. Thank you for any help!”

16:9 and 4:3 are two common types of aspect ratios that determine how the width and height of a video are displayed. If a 4:3 video is turned into 16:9, the width of the video will increase and the video will appear stretched. On the other hand, when a 16:9 video is played on a 4:3 screen, it will usually show letterboxing (black bars) above and below the video, making it difficult for immersive viewing. Therefore, it is necessary to convert 16:9 to 4:3 whenever you encounter such problems.

Below, I will walk you through two simple methods to convert a 16:9 video to 4:3. Just read and follow.

How to Make a 16:9 Video into 4:3?

To change aspect ratio from 16:9 to 4:3, a proper aspect ratio converter is required.

WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro is a powerful yet easy-to-use video software with a handy aspect ratio changer to easily change the aspect ratio of any video.

It offers common aspect ratio presets, including 16:9 and 4:3. So it can help you quickly convert 16:9 video to 4:3 in one click. In addition, it comes with a cropping tool that can resize the video to different dimensions, which means you can crop 16:9 to 4:3 to fit a 4:3 screen without letterboxing. As the cherry on top, batch processing is supported.

Now, just download and install download and install the software to convert your 16:9 to 4:3.

Method 1. Convert 16:9 Aspect Ratio to 4:3 (for stretched videos)

If you have a stretched 16:9 video whose original aspect ratio is 4:3, you can directly convert stretched 16:9 to 4:3 aspect ratio to make it into a normal video. Here’s what to do:

Step 1. Launch WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro and open the Converter program.

Step 2. Next, click Add Files in the upper-left to add your stretched 16:9 video to the program.

Step 3. Click the format image on the right to expand the output format list. Then under the Video tab, choose your preferred video format.

Step 4. Open Parameter settings and find the Aspect ratio option. Unfold the option box and select 4:3.

By the way, it is recommended that you customize the resolution to a 4:3 compatible dimension, such as 640 x 480, 768 x 576, 960 x 720, and 1440 x 1080, to avoid playback errors. Click OK to return to the main interface.

Step 5. Finally, click the ▼ button to set an output path and press Run to convert the 16:9 video to 4:3.

Method 2. Crop Video from 16:9 to 4:3

If you want to play a 16:9 video on a 4:3 screen without black bars, you’ll need to crop the video to 4:3. But keep in mind that in this way, you will lose some video data. Let’s see the instructions below.

Step 1. Run WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro and enter the Converter module.

Step 2. Drag and drop your 16:9 video into the blank interface.

Step 3. Open the output format list on the right and choose a desired video format as the output format in advance.

Step 4. Click the Crop tool to open the video cropper.

Step 5. Select Fixed Aspect Ratio and choose 4:3 from the drop-down box. Then you can resize the frame and change the position to crop the video as you like. Click OK to save the changes.

Step 6. At last, choose an output destination at the bottom of the program and click Run to export the cropped video.

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In Conclusion

Converting video from 16:9 to 4:3 is overall an easy job. With the same program, you can also convert 4:3 to 16:9, 20:9, 24:9, etc. That’s pretty much everything I want to share about how to convert 16:9 to 4:3 aspect ratio. I hope this article was useful to you. Thanks for reading. Have a nice day!

FAQs

1. What is the difference between 16:9 and 4:3 ratio?

The major difference between 16:9 and 4:3 is that 16:9 can record more information horizontally, while 4:3 can record more vertically. Today, 16:9 is often used for videos, and 4:3 for photos.

2. What programs can change aspect ratio?

Many programs can help you change the aspect ratio. On Windows, you can use WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro, HandBrake, FFmpeg, VLC, and MKVTookNix to complete the task.

3. How do I change aspect ratio to 4:3?

With WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro, you have two ways to change video aspect ratio to 4:3:

#Convert video to 4:3.

#Crop video to 4:3.