Canal+ on an ultrawide monitor: live TV, sport and films
For many viewers in Poland and France, Canal+ means live channels, football and other sport, and a large library of films and series. On a 21:9 or 32:9 monitor in Chrome most of it arrives as a 16:9 picture, and a film shown on a TV channel often carries its own black bars inside that picture. This guide covers both cases.
Two kinds of black bars on Canal+
Live TV channels are broadcast in 16:9. When a channel shows a film made in a wider cinema format, the film is fitted into that 16:9 signal with black bars painted above and below it. Films and series in the on-demand library are usually handled the same way: a wide title is delivered as a 16:9 video with the letterbox inside.
Your ultrawide adds the second kind. A 3440×1440 screen is about 2.39:1, so the player fits the 16:9 picture to the height of the screen and leaves black on the left and right. A scope film on a 16:9 channel then ends up as a small rectangle in the middle, with black on all four sides. Films in 1.85:1, common in European and older productions, get thin bars above and below and wide ones at the sides.
The numbers for 21:9 and 32:9
| What is on screen | 21:9 (3440×1440) | 32:9 (5120×1440) |
|---|---|---|
| Live channel, news or sport in 16:9 | 25.6% black | 50% black |
| 1.85 film inside a 16:9 picture | 28.5% black | 52% black |
| 2.39 film inside a 16:9 picture | 44.6% black | 62.8% black |
After a crop with the matching format, a 2.39 film fills a 3440×1440 screen with practically nothing lost, and a 1.85 film keeps 77.4% of its height. The black bar calculator gives the numbers for your own monitor.
Filling the screen, step by step
- Install UltraFill in Google Chrome on Windows or macOS and pin its icon to the toolbar.
- Start a channel or a film on Canal+ in Chrome and switch to full screen.
- Open the UltraFill panel with the button at the top of the video, or press Alt + U (Option + U on a Mac).
- In the Screen tab, choose the format of what is playing right now: 2.39 for wide cinema films, 1.85 for many European and older films, 16:9 for live sport, news and studio programmes.
- Press Fill the screen, or Alt + Z.
- Hold Alt + C to see the original for a moment and check the result.
The UltraFill panel is available in Polish and French. If a film has subtitles burned into the black bar under the picture, turn on Keep subtitles from the bottom bar (PRO) before you crop, and the subtitle strip stays on screen.
Live channels change format, so you change with them
The tricky part of live TV is that the picture changes shape during the evening. A 2.39 film is followed by adverts, a 16:9 news programme, then a series. Canal+ protects its video in Chrome with DRM, so UltraFill is not allowed to look at the picture and cannot follow these changes by itself. A crop chosen for a scope film stays on when the news starts and cuts the presenter's head.
When the programme changes, press Alt + U and pick the new format, or hold Alt + C to check whether the crop still makes sense. In the on-demand library one title keeps one format, and with PRO the title profile remembers the format for each film or series, and auto-fill in full screen applies it as soon as you go full screen.
Sport: crop or stretch?
Football and most other sport is produced in 16:9. Crop on 21:9 keeps 74.4% of the height, so about an eighth disappears at the top and at the bottom, often where the score and clock sit. The alternatives:
- Stretch (free): everything stays on screen, and the picture becomes about 34% wider on 21:9. Wide shots hide it, close-ups less so.
- Elastic stretch (PRO): the middle of the picture, where the action usually is, keeps its natural shape, and mostly the edges are stretched. On protected video such as Canal+ it uses a gentler, simpler version.
- Crop with framing (free): if you prefer no distortion, crop and then move the frame with Alt + Shift + arrow keys so the score graphic stays visible.
On 32:9 a 16:9 match leaves half the screen black; a partial zoom with Alt + mouse wheel plus stretch is the usual compromise. See the Disney+ on 32:9 guide for super ultrawide settings.
What protection (DRM) changes
- Automatic bar detection does not work, because Chrome hides the frames of protected video from extensions. You choose the format yourself.
- Effects that read the frames, such as denoise, ambient glow, the split before and after view and frame snapshots, only work on unprotected video.
- Sound tools work after one extra click: the UltraFill icon in the toolbar, or Alt + Shift + U (Option + Shift + U on a Mac). Chrome then shows a small sharing badge on the tab, which is expected.
- Zoom, framing, rotate, flip and the color and light sliders work normally.
For a late match, night mode keeps the crowd under control and clear dialog lifts the commentary.
Questions
Why does Canal+ show black bars on all four sides of my ultrawide?
A wide film is fitted into a 16:9 picture with bars painted above and below it, and a 21:9 or 32:9 monitor is wider than 16:9, so the player adds black at the sides as well.
Which format should I choose for a film on a Canal+ channel?
Most wide cinema films are 2.39, many European and older films are 1.85. If thin bars remain, choose the next wider format; if heads look cut, choose a narrower one.
Why doesn't UltraFill switch the format when the programme changes?
Canal+ protects its video with DRM, so Chrome does not let extensions see the picture. UltraFill cannot notice that a film has ended and the news has started, so you change the format by hand.
What is the best way to fill the screen during football?
Crop cuts the top and bottom of a 16:9 match, where the score often sits. Stretch keeps everything, and elastic stretch with PRO keeps the middle of the pitch natural. You can also crop and move the frame to keep the score visible.
Do the sound tools work on Canal+?
Yes. Click the UltraFill icon in the toolbar or press Alt + Shift + U (Option + Shift + U on a Mac) once on the tab, and clear dialog, night mode and the equalizer start working.
Can I use UltraFill in Polish or French?
Yes. The UltraFill panel is available in Polish and French, as well as English and several other languages.
UltraFill is an independent extension and is not affiliated with Canal+ or any other service mentioned on this page. Service names are used only to describe compatibility.