How to AUTO-shrink MP4 videos in portrait mode on smaller screens?

[thoste]

Occasionally I record small MP4 videos (with my smartphone) in portrait mode.
That means that the video height (here 1920 pixel) is greater than the width (here 1080 pixel).

After copying these MP4 videos to my Windows notebook with newest VLC player I doubleclick on them.
They are played but with black side panes since the screen height size of my notebook is smaller than the video height size.

See attached snapshot.

How can I tell VLC to AUTOMATICALLY decrease video size/resolution (while keeping aspect ratio) when the screen height is smaller then the video height?

In other words the MP4 video should fit into VLC window without black panes aside.
Thomas

[Hitchhiker]

As far as I'm aware there's no option to automatically shrink the recording which you presumably made using the default 4:3 setting on your phone to eliminate the black bands either side of the output.

Might help if you change the Rear Camera setting from the default 4:3 mode to 16:9 on your phone.

[thoste]

I don't want to auto-shrink the video at recording time in smartphone but at play time in VLC

[Hitchhiker]

You can experiment with the Cropadd filter in the Advanced settings, but any changes you make will be applied to every video.

To access, open preferences and click All at the bottom. Scroll down to Video ---> Filters ---> Cropadd in rhe left hand pane and then experiment with the settings in the right hand menu. After making changes save, exit and restart vlc.

EDIT: here's a tutorial on the subject which might help: https://www.animaker.com/hub/crop-video-in-vlc/

[thoste]

I cannot believe that there is no auto-shrink in VLC.

It should be easy to implement from inside VLC:

Just check the current screen dimensions.
If physical screen height (in pixel) is < video height (in pixel) then
zoom out video until it fits completely onto screen.

[Lotesdelere]

Tools -> Preferences -> Interface
In the Look and Feel section make sure "Resize interface to video size" is ticked.
That said, VLC has a minimum working width which can't be reduced.