About aspect ratios

Aspect ratio specifies the ratio of width to height. Video frames have an aspect ratio (frame aspect ratio), and so do the pixels that make up the frame (pixel aspect ratio). Some video cameras can record various frame aspect ratios, and different video standards use various pixel aspect ratios.

When imported clips are created using a different pixel or frame aspect ratio than your project, distortions can result. Adobe Premiere Pro automatically attempts to detect and compensate for the pixel aspect ratio of source clips. If a clip appears distorted in Adobe Premiere Pro, you can use Adobe Premiere Pro to manually indicate its pixel aspect ratio. It's important to reconcile pixel aspect ratios before reconciling frame aspect ratios, because an incorrect frame aspect ratio is often caused by misinterpreting a source clip's pixel aspect ratio.

Related Subtopics:

About frame aspect ratio
About pixel aspect ratio
Capturing or importing various aspect ratios
Setting pixel aspect ratio
Common pixel aspect ratios for imported files
Using square-pixel footage for output to DV

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