What Do These Extensions Do?
Both UltraWideo and Ultrawide Video remove black bars from videos on ultrawide monitors. They adjust the video to fill your screen so you get the immersive viewing experience your monitor was built for.
They tackle the same problem, but with different approaches and very different levels of polish.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Store
| Attribute | UltraWideo | Ultrawide Video |
|---|---|---|
| Active Users | 80,000+ | ~200,000 |
| Average Rating | 4.5 | 4.1 |
| Chrome | ||
| Firefox | ||
| Last Updated (Chrome) | 4 months ago | 9 months ago |
| Pricing | Freemium | Free |
Functionality
| Attribute | UltraWideo | Ultrawide Video |
|---|---|---|
| Fill / Stretch / Custom Modes | ||
| Scale & Pan Controls | Slider only | |
| Works Everywhere | ||
| Works in Fullscreen | ||
| Works Inline | ||
| Per-Host Settings | Pro | |
| Per-Path Settings | Pro | |
| Letterbox Crop (baked-in black bars) | Pro | |
| Ambient Light Effect | Pro | |
| Video Sharpening (Enhance) | Pro | |
| AI Voice Control | Pro | |
| Mode Manager | Pro | |
| Auto-Hide Trigger | Pro | |
| X/Y Mirror Controls | ||
| Cross-Browser Sync | Pro | |
| Keyboard Shortcuts | ||
| Scroll & Pinch Gestures |
Interface
| Attribute | UltraWideo | Ultrawide Video |
|---|---|---|
| Floating In-Page Panel | ||
| Draggable Panel Position | ||
| Clean, Minimal Design | ||
| Dark & Light Mode | ||
| Accent Color Customization | 16 colors | |
| Smooth Animations |
Accessibility
| Attribute | UltraWideo | Ultrawide Video |
|---|---|---|
| Keyboard Navigation | ||
| Screen Reader Support | ||
| Multiple Languages | 40+ languages | 55 languages |
| Instant Language Switching | ||
| Customizable Shortcuts |
The Interface
UltraWideo features a floating in-page panel that you can drag anywhere on screen. It remembers your position, supports dark and light mode, offers 16 accent colors, and is fully accessible with keyboard navigation and screen reader support.
UltraWideo also supports 40+ languages – and you can switch between them instantly, right inside the extension. No need to change your browser language or restart anything. No other ultrawide extension does this.
Ultrawide Video uses a standard browser popup – you click the extension icon to access controls. There's a slider for zoom level and preset buttons for common aspect ratios. It gets the job done, but it's a more basic experience with no in-page controls, no theming, and no accessibility features.
Browser Support
This is a significant difference. UltraWideo works on both Chrome and Firefox. Your settings, shortcuts, and the full experience are available on whichever browser you prefer.
Ultrawide Video is Chrome-only (and Edge). If you use Firefox, this extension simply isn't an option for you.
Reliability
UltraWideo works everywhere – every website, every video. It doesn't matter if the content is protected or not.
Ultrawide Video users report several issues: flickering between original and scaled video, the extension randomly disabling itself, and slow effect application (15-30 seconds) after updates. Some hardware configurations also cause problems with video placement.
What's New in 4.0
The latest UltraWideo release adds features Ultrawide Video doesn't offer:
- Letterbox detection – crops baked-in black bars with a Measure tool that even works on protected streams
- AI Voice Control – speak a setting and the extension applies it
- Mode Manager – hide modes you never use from the cycle
- Auto-hide trigger – fade the floating button during playback
- X/Y Mirror controls – adjust one axis and the other follows
- Adaptive Enhance sharpening that scales with source resolution
What Makes Each One Stand Out
UltraWideo
- Beautiful, accessible interface anyone can use
- Works everywhere – every site, every video
- Chrome and Firefox support
- Gesture controls (scroll wheel, trackpad pinch, touchscreen)
- Floating draggable panel with dark/light mode
- Letterbox detection with Measure tool for protected streams (Pro)
- AI voice control – speak a setting and it applies (Pro)
- Ambient light and adaptive video sharpening (Pro)
- Mode Manager and auto-hide trigger for a cleaner panel (Pro)
- Settings sync across browsers (Pro)
- 40+ languages with instant switching – no browser restart needed
Nothing to report
Ultrawide Video
- Completely free
- Large user base (~200,000)
- Smooth zoom slider with presets
- 55 languages
- Keyboard shortcuts
- Chrome only – no Firefox support
- No floating panel – popup only
- Reports of flickering and instability
- No per-site settings, voice control, or mode manager
- No letterbox detection for baked-in black bars
- No gesture, scroll, or pinch support
- No ambient light or adaptive sharpening
- No settings sync
- No accessibility features
- No dark/light mode
Who Should Pick What?
Pick UltraWideo if you want a reliable, polished experience with a beautiful interface and full browser support. It works on Chrome and Firefox, offers gesture controls, and the free tier covers all core modes. Pro adds ambient light, per-host settings, and cross-browser sync.
Pick Ultrawide Video if you only use Chrome and want a simple, free zoom slider with preset aspect ratios. It has a large user base, but the experience is more basic and you may run into stability issues.
The Verdict
UltraWideo offers a more refined experience with cross-browser support, better reliability, and a modern interface. Try it free and see the difference.