If you are among 221.64 million Netflix users as of the time of publication, you’d like to watch your favorite shows on a screen that fits well on your device. Let’s say you are trying to watch Netflix on your computer or TV and the image doesn’t fit the screen. This usually means that the aspect ratio of the video you’re watching is different from that of your screen. No matter which browser or device you use, this problem may get you by surprise. The two most common aspect ratios are 4:3 and 16:9.
Most modern TVs have a 16:9 aspect ratio, the standard one for HD video. Thus, if you’re watching an HD video on a 16:9 TV, and it doesn’t fit the screen, it’s probably because the video is in a different aspect ratio. For example, some older movies and TV shows were filmed in 4:3, so they won’t fit a 16:9 screen without black bars on the sides.
If you have watched shows and movies on a smart TV, you can usually change the aspect ratio in your TV’s or computer’s settings to fix this. For example, on a TV, you might find the option under ‘Picture Settings’ or ‘Display Settings.’ On a computer, it may be under ‘Video Settings’ or ‘Display Settings.’ With that said, here are some reasons Netflix is not fitting your device’s screen before we learn to fix them.
- Software glitches
- Browser cookies
- Incorrect visual settings
- Your TV shows your content’s incorrect aspect ratio or resolution
Fix Netflix that is Not in Full Screen Issue on a Smart TV
These may be the solutions to why Netflix is not fitting the full screen:
1. Reboot Your TV
Unplugging your TV will not damage it; you can refresh or power cycle it, which means you’ll have to turn it off for a few seconds before turning it back on.
- Use the remote or the TV’s front panel to turn off the TV.
- Unplug your Smart TV from the wall for at least a minute.
- Press and hold down its power button for five seconds to discharge your television.
- Re-connect it and turn it on.
- If your TV lacks a Power button, disconnect it for the length of time specified.
2. Change Netflix Screen Setting
The next stage is to tinker with Netflix’s settings. To pick the correct aspect ratio in Netflix software, follow these steps:
- To return to the main menu, choose [HOME].
- Select Setup.
- Select TV Aspect Ratio from the drop-down menu.
- Decide between 16:9 Full and 16:9 Original from the drop-down menu.
Make sure the system recognizes any changes you’ve made by applying and saving them.
3. Adjust the Final Settings of your Smart TV
To find how to make Netflix full screen on the TV, check your TV settings:
- If the picture is stretched, your TV will show 4:3 SD material in a 16:9 ratio.
- The 4:3 aspect ratio of SD programming contrasts with the 16:9 aspect ratio of HD programming.
- SD signals can be scaled to 16:9 on an HDTV to make them fit the screen; this fills the entire display. The overall effect, however, appears stretched out and blotchy.
- Your TV’s standard resolution may be 4:3, which isn’t deformed and doesn’t consume all the screen space.
Consider these Things Before Modifying TV Picture Settings
For best results, watch TV with an HDMI input connection. The TV menu and the Home screen should show no stretching or distortion. Also:
- Use different input sources (other HDMI or Blu-ray Disc player) to vary things up a bit.
- Make sure the movie or program you’re watching has the right aspect ratio.
- Check for Extended Data Services (XDS) or Closed Captioning (CC) since both may cause the image to be cut off, deformed, or elongated.
Some TVs will not allow you to change the aspect ratio when receiving 720p or 1080i/p signals. Keep this in mind as well.
4. Try Changing TV Setting Automatically
Fortunately, most TVs have a setting to adjust the aspect ratio based on the source automatically. Every TV, however, is different. Check the visual settings for yours. Also, TV’s aspect ratio changes. Choose Normal or Auto-Adjust instead of Zoom, Stretch, or Full Screen.
5. Alter the Picture Setting Manually
If your TV doesn’t have a Picture Setting on the remote control, use it to change the TV Display Modes. Look for a Wide or Zoom button on the remote; press and hold the button until you reach Wide Mode, displaying the Netflix picture correctly. If your TV doesn’t have “Picture Setting” on the remote control, follow these steps:
- Control the TV’s functionality using the Menu or Home button.
- Use the Display & Sound or Picture & Display before going to Screen, System, or Display settings to change your TV settings.
- Choose Best Screen Mode for watching Netflix, if it exists.
If you are watching Netflix on Android or tablet, a simple restart would solve this issue.
Solve the Netflix Screen Stretching Issue on Blu-ray Player
To start, go to the home screen of Netflix, and:
- Open the main menu.
- Choose Get Help or Settings and select Sign out.
- Note: In case you are on the error screen, you can go to “More Details” and select sign out.
- If you can’t find the “Sign out” option, press the remote buttons in order as mentioned below:
- Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, Up, Up, Up, Up
- Select Sign out, Reset, or Deactivate.
Restart Your Device or Set-top Box
Start by turning your device off.
- Unplug the power cord if your device has one.
- Make sure your device is fully switched off, not just in sleep or standby mode.
- Let your device sit for 15 seconds without using it.
- Turn on your device and give it another go with Netflix.
Fix the Netflix Screen Not Fitting Issue on a Web browser
If you are watching TV shows or movies through a web browser, you may need to follow the steps given below to fix the screen issue.
- Visit the Netflix Clear Cookies page to log out of your Netflix account.
- Sign in again with your Netflix email and password.
- Launch Netflix again.
These steps apply to Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera, and Firefox. After following the steps, you’ll need to restart your browser. In case Netflix is still not fitting the screen, regardless of the way you tried to fix it, you can get in touch with Netflix Customer Service.