How to Convert Video to Widescreen 16:9 Resolution on PC?

First, let’s cover the basics. To understand 16:9 resolution, you need to know two simple terms: aspect ratio and resolution.

👉 Aspect Ratio: This is just the relationship between the width and height of a screen or image. Think of it like a fraction. A square has a 1:1 aspect ratio because its width equals its height. For 16:9, the width is 16 units, and the height is 9 units. That makes it wider than it is tall—a perfect fit for widescreen viewing!

👉 Resolution: This is the number of tiny dots (pixels) that make up the picture. It’s written as width x height, like 1920x1080. The more pixels, the sharper the image.

So, 16:9 resolution, just as the name implies, is any resolution where the width is 16/9 times the height (about 1.78 times, if you’re into math). Examples include 1280x720, 1920x1080, or even 3840x2160. As long as the ratio holds, it’s 16:9!

The resolutions divisible by 8 are called true 16x9 resolutions. As you know, 16 x 9 resolutions are favored by most of social media, video sharing sites, video editing tools, portable devices, etc. Now I've compiled a list of common 16 to 9 resolutions and explain how to change the resolution of a video.

💡 It is worth mentioning that, due to different standards for digital television transmission, 720x480, 960x540, 1366x768 are also recognized as 16 by 9 resolutions. If your video resolution is not listed above, to figure out whether it meets 16x9 standard, this Aspect Ratio Calculator will be more helpful: https://calculateaspectratio.com/.

Your choice of 16:9 resolution depends on what you’re trying to achieve. If you’re shooting casual family videos or vlogs that’ll end up on social media, 720p or 1080p might be perfectly sufficient. These resolutions keep file sizes manageable and are easy to upload, edit, and share.

If you’re producing professional content—like a short film, a product demo for a company, or a cinematic travel vlog—consider stepping up to 1440p or 4K. The extra detail can make a world of difference in how viewers perceive your video’s quality.

For future-proofing or cutting-edge productions (think high-end commercials, nature documentaries, or immersive VR experiences), you might even consider 4K, 8K, or even 16K.

💡 Keep in mind, though, that higher resolutions also mean bigger files, longer render times, and the need for more robust editing hardware. So, balance quality with practicality!

Step 1. Likewise, add the non-standard video to the program and select one output format.

Step 2. Press the Crop button on the toolbar to open the cropping window. Here you can crop the video to 16 by 9 standard. Just choose Fixed Aspect Ratio, click and drag each corner of the dashed rectangle to crop the video area, make further fine tuning using the 4 triangular arrows on the right side. Then click OK.

Step 3. Now, click Run to crop video to 16:9 aspect ratio. After done, you’re able to re-import the video to downscale or upscale the video to your desired 16:9 aspect ratio resolutions.