Paramount+ on an ultrawide, from new films to old classics
Paramount+ mixes new films and series with a long back catalogue. That means more picture shapes than on most services: wide scope films, 1.85 films, 16:9 series and older shows made for the square-ish TVs of the past. On a 21:9 or 32:9 monitor each of them needs a slightly different setting, and one of them is better left alone.
One catalogue, four shapes
A recent blockbuster is often 2.39:1, very wide and short. Many dramas, comedies and older films are 1.85:1, only a little wider than a TV. Most series made for television are 16:9. And shows from before widescreen TVs were made in 4:3, which is narrower than 16:9.
The player delivers all of them as a 16:9 video. Wide films get black bars above and below, inside the video. A 4:3 show gets them at the sides instead, so even on an ordinary monitor it plays with a pillarbox. On a 21:9 or 32:9 screen the player then adds its own black at the sides, and the total grows quickly.
| Title on Paramount+ | 21:9 (3440×1440) | 32:9 (5120×1440) |
|---|---|---|
| 2.39 film in a 16:9 stream | 44.6% black | 62.8% black |
| 1.85 film in a 16:9 stream | 28.5% black | 52% black |
| 16:9 series | 25.6% black | 50% black |
| 4:3 show in a 16:9 stream | 44.2% black | 62.5% black |
Try your own monitor in the black bar calculator.
How to fill the screen
- Install UltraFill in Google Chrome on Windows or macOS and pin the icon.
- Play a film or episode on Paramount+ and go full screen.
- Open the UltraFill panel from the button at the top of the video, or with Alt + U (Option + U on a Mac).
- In the Screen tab, match the format to the title: 2.39 for wide films, 1.85 for films with only thin bars, 16:9 for series.
- Click Fill the screen or press Alt + Z.
- Hold Alt + C to compare with the original.
Scope films are the easy case: on a 21:9 monitor a 2.39 crop removes all the black and cuts practically nothing, because the film and the screen have almost the same shape.
1.85 films: the in-between case
A 1.85 film is barely wider than 16:9, so the bars inside the stream are thin and most of the black is at the sides of your monitor. Filling a 21:9 screen with crop therefore costs more than with a scope film: you keep 77.4% of the height, a little over 11% from the top and from the bottom. Wide shots survive that well. Close-ups and title cards may not.
- If a head is cut, move the frame with Alt + Shift + arrow keys or drag it in the panel preview.
- Stretch (free) keeps everything and makes the picture about 29% wider.
- Meet halfway: fill with crop, then zoom back out a little with Alt + mouse wheel. A thin bar at each side is often a better trade than a cut forehead.
- Elastic stretch (PRO) keeps the center natural. On protected players like Paramount+ it uses a gentler, simpler version.
Old 4:3 shows: when not to fill
A 4:3 show on a 21:9 monitor covers just over half the width of the screen. Filling it with crop would keep only 55.8% of the height, which cuts most heads off. Stretching it all the way makes everything 79% wider. Neither is pleasant for long, so the honest advice is to watch classic shows at their natural shape, perhaps with a small zoom, and accept the black at the sides. Stretch can be fine for an episode playing in the background while you work on another screen.
The crop, stretch or elastic guide compares the three modes with more examples.
Remembering the format per title
Paramount+ protects its streams with DRM, so UltraFill cannot see the frames and cannot detect the bars on its own. With such a varied catalogue that matters: a setting for a 2.39 film is wrong for a 16:9 series. With PRO, the title profile stores the format and fill mode for each film or series, so switching between them does not mean setting everything again. Auto-fill in full screen applies the profile as soon as you go full screen.
Limits on protected video
- Auto bars cannot read the picture, so the format is chosen by hand.
- Denoise, ambient glow, the split before and after view and frame snapshots need to read the frames, so they only work on unprotected video. That includes older films with visible grain: denoise cannot help there.
- Sound tools work after one click on the UltraFill icon, or Alt + Shift + U (Option + Shift + U on a Mac). The small sharing badge Chrome shows on the tab is normal.
- Zoom, framing, rotate, flip and color and light work everywhere.
Questions
Why do older Paramount+ shows have bars at the sides even on a normal monitor?
They were made in 4:3 for older TVs. The player places them inside a 16:9 video with black at the sides, and an ultrawide adds even more black around them.
Which format should I choose for a film with only thin bars?
That is usually a 1.85 film. Choose 1.85, fill the screen, and hold Alt + C to compare. If heads look cut, move the frame or zoom back out a little.
Should I stretch 4:3 shows to fill my ultrawide?
Usually not. Filling 21:9 with a 4:3 show cuts almost half the height with crop or makes everything 79% wider with stretch. Watching at the natural shape with a small zoom is the better choice.
Can UltraFill remember the format for each film and series?
Yes, with PRO. The title profile saves the format and fill mode per title, and auto-fill can apply it when you go full screen. PRO has a 7-day trial with no card.
Can I remove grain from older films on Paramount+?
No. Denoise needs to read the frames, and Paramount+ protects its video with DRM. The color and light sliders still work.
Does it work on a 32:9 monitor?
Yes. On 32:9 even a 2.39 film leaves black at the sides, so you combine crop with some zoom or stretch, or use elastic stretch with PRO.
UltraFill is an independent extension and is not affiliated with Paramount+ or any other service mentioned on this page. Service names are used only to describe compatibility.