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Opinion
Managing Aspections
9/18/2006
Usually, the user has a decision to make: stretch the image to fill the screen, display the image in true aspect and accept that there are black bars, or (depending on the features of the display), crop the image so that what fills the screen is not distorted but you lose large amounts of your edges. Many users complain long and loud about these choices: “Why do we have 16:9 displays if our computers are set at 4:3?” “We aren’t getting our money’s worth from the display if we don’t fill all the pixels!” “I’m trying to show photographs and maps, and they can’t be distorted!”
To help these people with their choices, we can do a few things:
- Help them understand that mixing aspect ratios is an exercise in compromise. Are they primarily looking to present non-distorted graphics, or are they willing to accept some distortion (text-only slides are generally not a problem when stretched) in order to make the image appear full-screen?
- Provide appropriate simple room controls that allow the user to adjust the aspect ratio of their image. This can include direct display controls that toggle zoom, crop, and other optimization features.
- Provide trans-scaling equipment that converts images with one aspect ratio to another, along with controls for the scaling equipment so that users can toggle these features on/off. This would primarily be for display devices that do not provide the option of resizing, such as desktop LCD monitors.
And before buying any of this, make sure users understand what they are getting to avoid unpleasant reactions afterward. Managing expectations is the name of the game.
Will Craig CTS-D CDT, is a Multimedia Systems Consultant with Elert & Associates, a nationwide multidisciplinary technology consulting firm.
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