Projectors are getting more expensive by the day, but they’re a great way to get a premium watching experience in your home or office.
Many high-end projectors can cost as much as high-end televisions, making this an expensive purchase.
The reason most people justify this is because of the variety of projectors like the Epson ones provide.
No matter the aspect ratio you’re looking for, you can adjust it so the image perfectly fits your screen.
Whether you’re sitting back, relaxing, watching a movie, or playing a video game, Epson projectors allow you to make adjustments so that you get the best experience possible.
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However, while this is possible, it’s not always easy.
Not everyone is tech-savvy, and sometimes you simply can’t change the aspect ratio – Epson projectors can make this notoriously hard if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Don’t worry if you’re not exactly sure how to adjust the aspect ratio on your Epson projector.
Dealing with technology may not be your strong suit, but that’s what this article is for.
We’re going to delve into what aspect ratios are, how they affect your viewing experience, and how to change aspect ratios when it comes to Epson projectors.
Can’t change the aspect ratio on your Epson projector?
This can be as easy as pressing the “Aspect” button on the remote control or changing the output resolution of the input signal.
We’re going to explain this in detail further in this article.
What Is Aspect Ratio & Why Is It Important?
Before we delve into adjusting aspect ratios, you must understand what an aspect ratio is.
This describes the shape of an image or screen and is written as x:y, where “x” stands for the width of the image or screen and “y” stands for the height.
Easy enough, right?
This can be further simplified into a standard value of z:1.
So, for the aspect ratio 3:1, there would be 3 inches in width for every inch in height.
If you’ve ever sat down to watch a movie and seen black bars across your screen, you know exactly how important aspect ratios are.
This is called letterboxing, and while it preserves the way the movie was intended to be seen, it can get quite annoying given the reduced size of the screen.
After all, if you have paid for a large and expensive Epson projector, you want to see a movie in all its glory.
Until the turn of the century, televisions were made in 4:3 aspect ratios.
With HDTV becoming popular, a new, wider format was introduced: the current 16:9 aspect ratio.
Aspect Ratio Issues
Most projectors have a “native” aspect ratio, i.e., the aspect ratio with maximized image resolution. This is usually 4:3, 16:9, or 16:10.
Users have the option to switch aspect ratios, but this can result in lower resolution.
This is because changing the aspect ratio removes pixels.
That’s why it’s best to stick as close to the native aspect ratio as possible.
Since most high-quality projectors (including Epson) have a native aspect ratio of 16:9 or 16:10, sticking to something close is the best possible outcome.
Blockbuster movies are shot in widescreen (21.6:9), a screen ratio approximately 33% wider than 16:9.
However, this isn’t true for television or video games, which is why most projectors and television sets stick to the 16:9 aspect ratio.
If you’re using your projector for multiple purposes, you’ll have to change the aspect ratio for different purposes.
For example, while television shows and video games are optimized for 16:9, a business presentation will likely do well in 4:3.
Why Can’t I Change the Aspect Ratio on My Epson Projector?
Epson projectors can display images and videos in different aspect ratios.
Usually, this is determined by the video source and input signal, but there are ways to manually change the aspect ratio to fit your screen.
Users should note that pressing the Aspect button on the remote control doesn’t always work.
One of the times it doesn’t work is when you’re using an HDMI source.
If you’re unable to change the aspect ratio because you’re using HDMI, change the output resolution of the input signal instead of the aspect ratio from the projector.
How Do I Change the Aspect Ratio on My Epson Projector?
Changing the image aspect ratio on an Epson projector is fairly straightforward if you know what to do. Follow these steps for best results.
- Turn on your Epson projector and display the image you want.
- Press the Menu button on your remote control. This should be a button with three horizontal lines and dots on it.
- Select the “Image” menu and press enter.
- In the “Image” menu, there’s an option for “Aspect.” Navigate to this option, select it, and press enter.
- You should get options for different aspect ratios, including Auto, 16:9, Full, and Zoom. Select the relevant aspect ratio, and press enter when you’re done.
- Press the “Menu” button again to exit. Alternatively, you can press the “Back” button to exit the menu.
Here’s a video to check out if you’re more of a visual learner.
You may be thinking that this is easy but only for people who know which option to select. Don’t worry. We have broken down each option for you, so you know which one to select when.
- Auto: Choosing this option sets the aspect ratio according to your input signal.
- 16:9: This is the typical HDTV aspect ratio and works for the majority of television shows and video games. Choosing this option converts the aspect ratio of the image to 16:9.
- Full: Selecting this option will display the image using the full size of the projection area. However, it won’t maintain the aspect ratio when doing so.
- Zoom: While the “Full” option uses the entire size of the projection area, “Zoom” only uses the full width of the projection area. It maintains the height according to the aspect ratio of the image. When you’re projecting computer images from the HDMI or HDBaseT, you can get a few other options, which we have broken down below.
- Normal: This option displays images in the same aspect ratio as the input signal.
- 4:3: Choosing this option displays images at a 4:3 aspect ratio closer to a square than a rectangle like the native aspect ratio.
- Native: In this option, the images are displayed as they are. The aspect ratio and resolution are maintained depending on the projector’s native aspect ratio.
Conclusion
Many people can’t change the aspect ratio in Epson projectors for one reason or another.
Whether it’s because you’re not particularly tech-savvy or because you’re new to Epson projectors, we hope this guide helped you achieve your goal.
Vance is a dad, former software engineer, and tech lover. Knowing how a computer works becomes handy when he builds Pointer Clicker. His quest is to make tech more accessible for non-techie users. When not working with his team, you can find him caring for his son and gaming.