The 16:9 format is the shape of nearly every modern television, YouTube video, streaming service and computer monitor. Its width is 16 units for every 9 units of height, about 1.78 times as wide as it is tall, and it was chosen for HDTV as a compromise between the old 4:3 television picture and wide cinema formats.
Every standard HD and Ultra HD resolution follows it: 1280 × 720 (720p), 1920 × 1080 (Full HD), 2560 × 1440 (QHD) and 3840 × 2160 (4K UHD). If you are exporting video, designing thumbnails or sizing a presentation, you only need one side – the other follows by multiplying by 9/16 or 16/9. Video encoders prefer even numbers, so the calculator also rounds to the nearest even pixel count.
The third mode checks an existing picture. It tells you whether the size really is 16:9, how far off it is, and the largest 16:9 rectangle you can crop from it – useful for turning a 3:2 photo or a vertical phone clip into a widescreen frame.
How to use the 16:9 Aspect Ratio Calculator
- What do you want to do?
- Width — Pixels, or any length unit – the result uses the same unit.
- Height — Pixels, or any length unit.
Results update as you type, every field has its own unit menu, and everything is calculated in your browser.
How it works
Pick a mode and enter one or both sides. Height = width × 9/16 and width = height × 16/9; to check a size, its width ÷ height is compared with 1.7778 and the crop keeps the full side that limits the frame.
Worked example
A slide is 1600 px wide. For 16:9 the height is 1600 × 9 ÷ 16 = 900 px. Checking a 4000 × 3000 phone photo: 4000 ÷ 3000 = 1.333, which is narrower than 1.778, so the largest 16:9 crop keeps the full width and a height of 4000 × 9 ÷ 16 = 2250 px – 75% of the picture.
Common 16:9 sizes
| Name | Resolution | Pixels |
|---|---|---|
| nHD | 640 × 360 | 0.23 MP |
| HD (720p) | 1280 × 720 | 0.92 MP |
| Full HD (1080p) | 1920 × 1080 | 2.07 MP |
| QHD (1440p) | 2560 × 1440 | 3.69 MP |
| 4K UHD | 3840 × 2160 | 8.29 MP |
| 8K UHD | 7680 × 4320 | 33.2 MP |
Inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| What do you want to do? | Choose one: Find the height from a width, Find the width from a height, Check a size and find the largest 16:9 crop |
| Width | A number. Pixels, or any length unit – the result uses the same unit. |
| Height | A number. Pixels, or any length unit. |
What each result means
- Height at 16:9 = [Width]×9÷16
- Nearest even whole-pixel height = 2×round([Width]×9÷16÷2)
- Width at 16:9 = [Height]×16÷9
- Nearest even whole-pixel width = 2×round([Height]×16÷9÷2)
- Width ÷ height = [Width]÷[Height]
- Difference from 16:9 = ([Width]÷[Height]÷(16÷9) – 1)×100
Formula
Height = width × 9 ÷ 16 · Width = height × 16 ÷ 9 · a size is 16:9 when width ÷ height = 1.7778
Worked example
Inputs — What do you want to do?: Find the height from a width; Width: 1,920.
Results — Height at 16:9 = 1,080; Nearest even whole-pixel height = 1,080; Pixel count (if the values are pixels) = 2.074 MP.
Key terms
- 16:9
- Widescreen aspect ratio of 1.78:1 used for HDTV and most video.
- Full HD
- 1920 × 1080 pixels.
- 4K UHD
- 3840 × 2160 pixels, four times Full HD.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate the height for 16:9?
Multiply the width by 9 and divide by 16. A 1920 px width gives 1080 px; 1600 px gives 900 px.
How do I calculate the width for 16:9?
Multiply the height by 16 and divide by 9: 720 px tall gives 1280 px wide.
Is 1366 × 768 16:9?
Not exactly – 1366 × 9/16 = 768.375. It is within 0.05%, so it is treated as 16:9.
What is 16:9 as a decimal?
1.7778 (often written 1.78:1).
What size is a 16:9 YouTube thumbnail?
1280 × 720 px.
How much of a 3:2 photo is kept when cropping to 16:9?
About 84%: a 6000 × 4000 photo becomes 6000 × 3375.