How to Remove Black Bars from Videos on Windows [2 Methods]

Why Do Black Bars Appear on Videos

Black bars on the top and bottom are called letterboxing, while those on the left and right are called pillarboxing. They appear when the video’s aspect ratio does not match that of the project timeline or the screen on which it is displayed.

For instance, movies are often filmed in a wide aspect ratio like 2.39:1 or 1.85:1, while most TVs and monitors are 16:9 (1.78:1). Therefore, when playing a 2.39:1 movie on a 16:9 screen, black bars will appear to fill the unused space.

Similarly, when a 16:9 video is placed on a 4:3 timeline, black bars will display at the top and bottom of the video. Videos exported from such a project will also include those black bars. In this case, the black bars can be removed by cropping or zooming the video. Therefore, in the following content, I will demonstrate how to remove black bars from videos using these tips.

How to Remove Black Bars from Videos

Method 1: Use MiniTool MovieMaker

MiniTool MovieMaker is one of the best free video editors for Windows, offering a user-friendly interface and essential editing features. It’s also one of my favorite tools for common video tasks, such as cropping, trimming, adding text and stickers. 

How to remove black bars from videos using MiniTool MovieMaker? Here’s my experience.

Step 1: Download and install

First, download and install the software on the computer.

MiniTool MovieMakerClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Step 2: Import the target video

After installation, launch the software. In the next pop-up window, expand the Aspect Ratio menu, choose the aspect ratio that matches the target video, and click New Project to enter the main interface.

Click the Import Media Files area located at the upper left to open File Explorer. Select the desired video file and add it to the MiniTool MovieMaker media library. Finally, click the + icon on the clip to add the video to the timeline.

Step 3: Remove black bars

Depending on the situation, do one of the following to eliminate black bars from the video:

Option 1: Cropping

Crop the video to the same aspect ratio as the project to remove black bars. For instance, I imported a 4: 3 video with black bars on the top and bottom, and I could crop the video to 4:3 to get rid of them.

With the video highlighted on the timeline, click the Crop icon on the timeline toolbar. On the Crop window, expand the Ratio dropdown and select the aspect ratio that matches the original project. Next, resize the red rectangle on the video and movie it to select the desired video area without black bars. Finally, click OK to confirm.

Option 2: Scaling

Besides, scaling the video is also a quick way to eliminate black bars. Under the Basic tab in the Video Property, drag the Scale slider to the right until the black bars are filled with the video, and drag the preview window to select the portion of the video I want to display.

Step 4: Export the video

Open the Export window by clicking Export in the upper-right corner. By default, the video will be saved in the MP4 format. To change it, open the Format dropdown and select AVI, MOV, WMV, MKV, or WebM. After selecting the save location, click Export again to save the video without black bars.

Personally, the best part of MiniTool MovieMaker is that all of its features are free to use, and it won’t add a watermark to the final video. With its easy-to-use tools and extensive effects, I can easily polish my videos.

Method 2: Use Microsoft Clipchamp

Microsoft Clipchamp is the built-in video editor in Windows 11 and provides all the basic tools, various effects, and some premium AI features. It’s also one of my commonly used tools for quick video creation, because it comes preinstalled on my Windows 11 laptop.

How to remove black bars from videos using Microsoft Clipchamp? Follow me.

Step 1: Open the software

Click the Search box, type “Microsoft Clipchamp”, and open the application. If there’s no matching result, go to the Microsoft Store to install it.

Step 2: Add the target video

Click the Create a new video button at the top to access the main interface. Next, upload the desired video from the computer by clicking the Import media button in the upper left corner, and add it to the timeline. The software will automatically match the video aspect ratio.

Step 3: Remove black bars

Option 1: Crop and fill the video

Click the Crop icon in the floating bar at the top of the video player. Drag the handles at the top, bottom, and sides of the video to choose the desired portion, and click the Done icon to save changes.

Next, click the Fit icon next to the Crop icon, and click the icon in the same location whose name changes to Fill icon.

Option 2: Magnify the video

After adding the video to the timeline, the video in the player window will be highlighted by a purple border, and drag the corner handles in the preview window to enlarge the video until the black bars disappear.

Step 4: Save the video

Click the Export button in the upper right corner, select a video resolution, 1080p or 720p, and click Export again to start processing the video.

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Conclusion

Cropping and zooming can effectively remove black bars from a video, but they also cause loss of content. To complete this task, both MiniTool MovieMaker and Microsoft Clipchamp are reliable tools. The processes are straightforward and don’t need complex settings.

It’s your turn now! Follow the steps above to remove distracting black bars from your videos. If you have problems while using MiniTool MovieMaker, contact the support team via [email protected] for help.