ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Pixel aspect ratio

Pixels are tiny little squares on a screen that make up all the pictures you see. Just like how Legos come in different shapes and sizes, pixels can come in different shapes too.

Pixel aspect ratio is a way to describe how tall and skinny or short and wide each pixel is. It's like if you drew a rectangle in the shape of a pixel, how tall and skinny or short and wide would that rectangle be?

Different devices and screens can have different pixel aspect ratios. For example, an old tube TV had pixels that were almost square shaped, while a modern widescreen TV has pixels that are longer and skinnier.

This matters because when you make images or videos, you need to make sure they look the right shape on different screens. If you make a video on a computer with one pixel aspect ratio and play it on a TV with a different one, the people on the screen might look squished or stretched out.

So, pixel aspect ratio helps us make sure things look the right shape on different screens.