Name the source shape
Check whether the video itself is portrait, landscape or another aspect. The tablet's orientation changes the available display area; it does not add content beyond the recorded frame. A player can fit, crop or stretch, each with different consequences.
Use recognisable edges and shapes to see which choice is active. A stretched face is not extra picture information.
Separate orientation from crop
VLC for Android documents orientation controls. Use them to keep the device in the desired held position, then assess the player's supported fit behaviour separately. Rotating the device and changing crop together makes the result hard to interpret.
A landscape lock can be appropriate for comfortable controls even when the source remains portrait with side bars. The intended outcome depends on the viewer's task.
Check text and controls too
If cropping fills the screen, inspect whether subtitles, names or important action disappear. If the whole source is preserved, verify that the resulting text size remains readable from the viewing position.
Do not judge a layout solely from a catalogue poster. The artwork can have a different shape from the video and may be a crop prepared for the interface.
Choose an understandable preference
Keep the mode that preserves the needed information and can be restored easily. Check the next ordinary landscape programme so a remembered crop does not surprise the next viewer. Record the control names actually present in your build.
This article explains source geometry using a versioned Android player example. It does not promise a particular aspect option on every app, change programme framing rights or claim a physical tablet test. The useful result is separating correct unused area from accidental crop or distortion.
Check whether the bars belong to the source
If the image retains the same bars across fit modes or another playback route, the source may contain them as actual pixels. A crop can remove those pixels only by changing the visible frame. Describe that distinction before reporting unused area as a screen failure; a poster thumbnail is not reliable evidence about the encoded frame. Preserve the original fit choice so an unsuccessful crop can be reversed easily.
Sources and scope
Scope notes distinguish published documentation, supplied information and editorial methods. They do not report a hands-on service test.
- VLC for Android video player — Official versioned Android 3.X documentation excerpt: orientation, playback speed, picture-in-picture and repeat controls; no current device test.
- VLC Android 3.5 general settings — Official versioned Android documentation excerpt: background/PiP mode and default orientation; hardware/software requirements apply.
- VLC desktop 3.0 video controls — Official versioned documentation excerpt: aspect, crop and deinterlacing options; exact current build UI may differ.
