Hulu on a 21:9 or 32:9 monitor
Hulu, the US streaming service, combines current TV series, a deep library of older shows and plenty of films. On an ultrawide monitor in Chrome each of those leaves black in a different place. Here is how to handle each one, with numbers for 21:9 and 32:9 screens and a closer look at wide films on a super ultrawide.
Three kinds of content, three kinds of black
- Current series are mostly 16:9, the shape of a TV. On an ultrawide they only leave black at the sides.
- Films are often 2.39:1 or 1.85:1. They arrive inside a 16:9 video with bars above and below, and the ultrawide adds its own black at the sides.
- Older shows from the 4:3 era are placed inside a 16:9 video with bars at the sides, so on an ultrawide the picture ends up as a narrow window.
| What you watch | 21:9 (3440×1440) | 32:9 (5120×1440) |
|---|---|---|
| 16:9 current series | 25.6% black | 50% black |
| 2.39 film in a 16:9 stream | 44.6% black | 62.8% black |
| 4:3 older show in a 16:9 stream | 44.2% black | 62.5% black |
The black bar calculator on the home page works out the same for any resolution.
How to fill the screen
- Install UltraFill in Google Chrome on Windows or macOS and pin its icon.
- Play a title on Hulu and switch to full screen.
- Click the UltraFill button at the top of the video, or press Alt + U (Option + U on a Mac).
- Choose the format in the Screen tab: 16:9 for current series, 2.39 or 1.85 for films.
- Choose a fill mode and press Fill the screen, or Alt + Z.
- Hold Alt + C to compare with the original.
On a 21:9 monitor a 2.39 film is the easy win: crop removes all the black and cuts practically nothing. A 16:9 series is the harder case, because crop costs about a quarter of the height. For series, many viewers prefer elastic stretch (PRO), which keeps the center natural, or a plain stretch (free), which makes the picture 34% wider.
Wide films on a super ultrawide
A 32:9 monitor is so wide that even a scope film cannot fill it without a compromise, as the illustration above shows. A full crop removes all the black but keeps only 67.2% of the height, which is too much for many scenes. Three gentler options:
- Crop to fill, then zoom back out a little with Alt + mouse wheel. You get thin bars at the sides and keep more of the height.
- Crop part of the way and stretch the rest, so neither change is strong.
- Use elastic stretch (PRO). On a protected player like Hulu it uses a gentler, simpler version, but it still keeps the center of the frame natural.
The Disney+ on 32:9 guide goes further into super ultrawide settings, and they work the same way here.
Episode after episode
Hulu protects its video in Chrome with DRM, so UltraFill cannot look at the picture to detect the bars, and you set the format yourself. That is quick for a film, but with a series you would repeat it every episode, and a setting made for a 2.39 film would be wrong for the next 16:9 show. With PRO, the title profile stores the format and fill mode separately for each series and film, and auto-fill in full screen applies it as soon as you go full screen. PRO starts with a 7-day trial the first time you use a PRO feature, with no card needed.
Older 4:3 shows
Filling a 21:9 screen with a 4:3 show would cut away almost half of its height, or stretch it to 79% wider than it should be. For classic shows the comfortable choice is to keep their shape and the black at the sides, maybe with a slight zoom. The crop, stretch or elastic guide shows the trade-offs with pictures.
On protected video
- Automatic bar detection does not work, because Chrome does not show the frames of protected video to extensions.
- Denoise, ambient glow, the split before and after view and frame snapshots need the frames too, so they only work on unprotected video.
- Sound tools are available after one click on the UltraFill icon, or Alt + Shift + U (Option + Shift + U on a Mac). A small sharing badge on the tab is normal.
- Zoom, framing, rotate, flip and the color and light sliders work as usual.
Questions
Why do new Hulu series leave black at the sides of my ultrawide?
Most current series are 16:9, and a 21:9 or 32:9 monitor is wider than that. The player keeps the original shape, so the extra width stays black.
How do I fill a 32:9 monitor with a wide film on Hulu?
A full crop keeps 67.2% of the height, which can be too much. Crop and zoom back out a little, combine crop with stretch, or use elastic stretch with PRO.
Do I have to set the format for every episode?
Without PRO, yes, once per viewing. With PRO, the title profile remembers it for each series, and auto-fill applies it when you go full screen.
What should I do with older 4:3 shows?
Usually keep their natural shape. Filling a 21:9 screen would cut almost half the height or make everything 79% wider.
Do the sound tools work on Hulu?
Yes. Click the UltraFill icon or press Alt + Shift + U (Option + Shift + U on a Mac) once on the tab.
What is free and what is PRO?
Crop, stretch, formats, zoom, framing, rotation and color are free. Elastic stretch, title profiles, auto-fill and sound tools are part of PRO.
UltraFill is an independent extension and is not affiliated with Hulu or any other service mentioned on this page. Service names are used only to describe compatibility.