Aspect ratio (image)

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Aspect ratio (image)

The aspect ratio of an image

Image

An image is an artifact, usually two-dimensional , that has a similar appearance to some subject —usually a physical object or a person....
is its width divided by its height.

Aspect ratios are mathematically expressed as x :y (pronounced "x-to-y") and x×y (pronounced "x-by-y"). The most common aspect ratios used today in the presentation of film

Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
s in movie theaters are 1.85:1 and 2.39:1. Two common videographic

Videography

File:Seattle - Pain in the Grass - 1995 - audience 02.jpg.JPGVideography refers to the process of capturing moving s on electronic media . The term includes methods of electronic production and post production....
aspect ratios are 4:3 (1.33:1), universal for standard-definition video formats, and 16:9 (1.78:1), universal to high-definition television

High-definition television

High-definition television is a digital television broadcasting system with higher than traditional television systems . HDTV is digitally broadcast; the earliest implementations used analog broadcasting, but today digital television signals are used, requiring less Bandwidth due to digital video compression....
and European digital television

Digital television

Digital television is the sending and receiving of moving images and sound by Discrete signal signals, in contrast to the Analog television used by analog TV....
.

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The aspect ratio of an image

Image

Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
s in movie theaters are 1.85:1 and 2.39:1. Two common videographic

Videography

High-definition television

Digital television

Digital television is the sending and receiving of moving images and sound by Discrete signal signals, in contrast to the Analog television used by analog TV....
. Other cinema and video aspect ratios exist, but are used infrequently. In still camera

Still camera

A still camera is a type of camera used to take photographs. Traditional cameras capture light onto photographic film. Digital cameras use electronics, usually a charge coupled device to store digital images in random Access Memory inside the camera....
photography, the most common aspect ratios are 4:3, 3:2, and more recently being found in consumer cameras, previously only commonly seen in professional cameras, 16:9. Other aspect ratios, such as 5:4, 6:7, and 1:1 (square format), are used in photography as well.

Converting formats of unequal ratios is done by either cropping the original image to the receiving format's aspect ratio, by adding horizontal mattes (letterbox

Letterbox

Pillar box (film)

The pillar box effect occurs in widescreen video displays when black bars are placed on the sides of the image.It becomes necessary when film or video that was not originally designed for widescreen is shown on a widescreen display, or a narrower widescreen image is displayed within a wider aspect ratio, such as a 1.85:1 image in a 2.35:1...
) to retain the original format's aspect ratio, or by distorting the image to fill the receiving format's ratio. Cinematographic aspect ratios are usually denoted as a decimal fraction width to unit height, while videographic aspect ratios are usually denoted by ratios of whole numbers.

style="margin-left:1em;"| Five common aspect ratios

The evolution of film and television aspect ratios

Why 16:9?

When the 16:9 aspect ratio was proposed by Kerns H. Powers, nobody was creating 16:9 videos. The popular choices in 1980 were 4:3 (based on television standard's ratio at the time), 1.66:1 (the European "flat" ratio), 1.85:1 (the American "flat" ratio), 2.20:1 (the ratio of 70 mm films) and 2.35:1 (the ratio of anamorphic widescreen films). Powers discovered that all of those aspects when normalized to constant area would fit within an outer rectangle and when over-lapped, all shared a common inner rectangle. The aspect ratio of these rectangles is simply the geometric mean of the extremes of 4:3 and 2.35:1, that is, 1.77:1, which is coincidentally close to 16:9, or 1.78:1.

While 1.78:1 was initially selected as a compromise format, the popularity of HDTV broadcast has solidified 1.78:1 as perhaps the most important video aspect ratio for the future. Most 1.33:1 and 2.35:1 video is now recorded such that a 1.78:1 inner rectangle is "protected" for HD broadcast.

(The diagram to the right does not represent Powers's scheme, since the rectangles are normalized to constant diagonal, not area. That results in a compromise aspect ratio of 2.04, not 1.77.)

Practical limitations

In motion picture formats, the physical size of the film area between the sprocket

Sprocket

A sprocket is a profiled wheel with teeth that meshes with a roller chain, Caterpillar track or other perforated or indented material. It is distinguished from a gear in that sprockets are never meshed together directly, and from a pulley by not usually having a flange at each side....
perforations determines the image's size. The universal standard (established by William Dickson

William Dickson (film pioneer)

William Kennedy Laurie Dickson was anEngland-Scottish inventor who devised an early film movie camera under the employ of Thomas Edison ....
and Thomas Edison

Thomas Edison

Thomas Alva Edison was an American inventor and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including the phonograph and the long-lasting, practical electric light bulb....
in 1892) is a frame that is four perforations high. The film itself is 35 mm wide (1.38 in), but the area between the perforations is 24.89 mm×18.67 mm (0.980 in×0.735 in), leaving the de facto ratio of 4:3, or 1.33:1.

With a space designated for the standard optical soundtrack

Sound-on-film

Sound-on-film refers to a class of sound film processes where the sound accompanying picture is physically recorded onto photographic film, usually, but not always, the same strip of film carrying the picture....
, and the frame size reduced to maintain an image that is wider than taller (mimicking human eyesight), this resulted in the Academy

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures....
aperture of 22 mm×16 mm (0.866 in×0.630 in) or 1.37:1 aspect ratio.

Cinema terminology

The motion picture industry convention assigns a value of 1.0 to the image’s height, thus, an anamorphic frame (actually 2.39:1) is described (rounded) as 2.40:1 or 2.40 ("two-four-oh"). In American cinemas, the common projection ratios are 1.85:1 and 2.40:1. Some European countries have 1.66:1 as the wide screen standard. The "Academy ratio" of 1.37:1 was used for all cinema films until 1953. However, when television, which also had a screen ratio of 1.33:1, became a threat to movie audiences, Hollywood gave birth to a large number of wide-screen formats: Cinemascope

CinemaScope

CinemaScope was a widescreen movie format used from 1953 to 1967. Anamorphices allowed the process to project film up to a 2.66:1 Aspect ratio , almost twice as wide as the conventional format of 1.37:1....
, Todd-AO

Todd-AO

Todd-AO is an extremely high definition widescreen film format developed in the mid 1950s. It was co-developed by Mike Todd, a Broadway theatre producer, with American Optical Company in Buffalo, New York....
, and VistaVision

VistaVision

VistaVision is a higher resolution, widescreen variant of the 35 mm film format which was created by Paramount Pictures in 1954 and based on the Glamorama and Superama widescreen systems....
to name just a few. During that period, the "flat" 1.85:1 aspect ratio became one of the most common cinema projection standards in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Movie camera systems

Development of various film camera systems must ultimately cater to the placement of the frame in relation to the lateral constraints of the perforations and the optical soundtrack area. One clever wide screen alternative, VistaVision

VistaVision

VistaVision is a higher resolution, widescreen variant of the 35 mm film format which was created by Paramount Pictures in 1954 and based on the Glamorama and Superama widescreen systems....
, used standard 35 mm film running sideways through the camera gate, so that the sprocket holes were above and below frame, allowing a larger horizontal negative size per frame as only the vertical size was now restricted by the perforations. However, the 1.50:1 ratio of the initial VistaVision image was optically converted to a vertical print (on standard 4-perforation 35 mm film

35 mm film

35 mm film is the basic film gauge most commonly used for both still photography and motion pictures, and remains relatively unchanged since its introduction in 1892 by William Dickson and Thomas Edison, using film stock supplied by George Eastman....
) to show in the projectors available at theaters, and was then masked in the projector to the US standard of 1.85:1. Though the format was briefly revived by Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm

Lucasfilm Limited is an United States film production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, based in San Francisco, California. Lucas is the company's current chairman, and Micheline Chau is the president and Chief operating officer....
in the 1970s for special effects work that required larger negative size (due to image degradation from the optical printing steps necessary to make multi-layer composites), it went into obsolescence largely due to better cameras, lenses, and film stocks available to standard 4-perforation formats, in addition to increased lab costs of making prints in comparison to more standard vertical processes. (The horizontal process was later adapted to 70 mm film by IMAX

IMAX

IMAX is a film film format and projection standard created by Canada's IMAX Corporation. The traditional version of IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and than conventional film display systems....
.)

Super 16 mm film is frequently used for television production due to its lower cost, lack of need for soundtrack space on the film itself (as it is not projected but rather transferred to video), and aspect ratio similar to 16:9 (the native ratio of Super 16 mm 1.66:1 whilst 16:9 is 1.78:1). It also can be blown up to 35 mm for theatrical release and therefore is also used for feature films.

Current video standards

4:3 standard

The 4:3 ratio (generally named as: "Four-Three", "Four-by-Three" , "Four-to-Three", or "Academy Ratio") for standard television has been in use since television's origins and many computer monitors use the same aspect ratio. 4:3 is the aspect ratio defined by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures....
as a standard after the advent of optical sound-on-film

Sound-on-film

Sound-on-film refers to a class of sound film processes where the sound accompanying picture is physically recorded onto photographic film, usually, but not always, the same strip of film carrying the picture....
. By having TV match this aspect ratio, films previously photographed on film could be satisfactorily viewed on TV in the early days of the medium (i.e. the 1940s and the 1950s). When cinema

Movie theater

A movie theater, movie theatre, picture theatre, film theater or cinema is a venue, usually a building, for viewing film ....
attendance dropped, Hollywood created widescreen

Widescreen

A widescreen image is a film, computer or television image with a wider and shorter aspect ratio than the standard Academy frame developed during the classical Hollywood cinema era....
aspect ratios (such as the 1.85:1 ratio mentioned earlier) in order to differentiate their industry from the TV.

16:9 standard

16:9 (generally named as: "Sixteen-Nine", "Sixteen-by-Nine" or "Sixteen-to-Nine") is the international standard format of HDTV

High-definition television

Australia

Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the southern hemisphere comprising the Australia of the world's smallest continent, the major island of Tasmania, and numerous list of islands of Australia in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Oceans....
, Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the List of countries and outlying territories by total area country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the List of countries by population country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world....
, Canada

Canada

Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
, South Korea

South Korea

South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea , ), often referred to as Korea and the "names of Korea#Revival of the names", is a Semi-presidential system republic in East Asia, located in the southern half of the Korean Peninsula....
, and the United States

United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, as well as in Europe

Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
on HDTV

High-definition television

Television

Television is a widely used telecommunication mass-media for transmitting and receiving moving , either monochrome or color, usually accompanied by sound....
and analog widescreen television (EDTV

EdTV

EDtv is a comedy film directed by Ron Howard released in 1999 in film. An adaptation of the List of Quebec movies Louis 19, le roi des ondes , it stars Matthew McConaughey, Jenna Elfman, Woody Harrelson, Ellen DeGeneres, Martin Landau, Rob Reiner, Sally Kirkland, Elizabeth Hurley, Clint Howard and Dennis Hopper....
) PALplus

PALplus

PALplus is an extension of the PAL analogue broadcasting system for transmitting 16:9 programs without sacrificing vertical resolution. A standard PAL receiver will display the image in letterbox format with 432 active lines, while a PALplus receiver can use extra information hidden in the black bars above and below the image to r...
. Japan's Hi-Vision

Multiple sub-nyquist sampling Encoding system

MUSE , was a dot-interlaced digital video compression system that used analog modulation for transmission to deliver 1125-line high definition signals to the home....
originally started with a 5:3 ratio but converted when the international standards group introduced a wider ratio of 5? to 3 (=16:9), invented by Kerns H. Powers in 1984. The 1.78:1 aspect ratio was the compromise between the 35 mm US and UK widescreen standard (1.85:1) and the 35 mm European widescreen standard (1.66:1) . Many digital video

Digital video

Digital video is a type of video recording system that works by using a digital rather than an analog signal video signal.The terms camera, video camera, and camcorder are used interchangeably in this article....
cameras have the capability to record in 16:9. Anamorphic

Anamorphic widescreen

Anamorphic widescreen is a videography technique utilizing rectangular pixels to store a widescreen image to standard 4:3 aspect ratio . In its current definition as a video term, it originally was devised for widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio television sets; however, it has been used in regular film movies for decades....
DVD

DVD

DVD, also known as "Digital Versatile Disc" or "Digital Video Disc,"is a popular optical disc data storage device media format. Its main uses are video and data storage....
transfers store the information vertically stretched in a 4:3 aspect ratio; if the TV can handle an anamorphic image, it will horizontally decompress the signal to 16:9. If not, the DVD player can reduce scan lines and add letterbox

Letterbox

Letterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio....
ing before sending the image to the TV, made easier by the simple 4:3 aspect ratio between 4:3 and 16:9 (16:9 = 4:3 × 4:3). Wider ratios such as 1.85:1 and 2.40:1 are accommodated within the 16:9 DVD frame by additional black bars within the image itself. After the original 16:9 Action Plan of the early 1990s, the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European Union member state, located primarily in Europe. It was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community....
and Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the two Politics of Bosnia and Herzegovina that compose the sovereign country of Bosnia and Herzegovina ....
have instituted the 16:9 Action Plan, just to accelerate the development of the advanced television services in 16:9 aspect ratio, both in PAL

PAL

PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is a color-encoding system used in broadcast television systems in large parts of the world. Other common analog television systems are SECAM and NTSC....
and also in HDTV

High-definition television

Euro

The euro is the official currency of 16 out of 27 European Union member state of the European Union . The states, known collectively as the Eurozone are: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Spain....
228 million.

16:9 in Europe

In Europe 16:9 is being adopted as the standard broadcast format for digital and high definition TV; some countries have even adopted the format for analogue television by means of the PalPlus

PALplus

Country	Channel
Austria Austria Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west....	ORF1 ORF1 ORF1 is an Austrian television channel. It was the first television station in Austria, beginning in 1955.ORF1 is one of the three public TV channels in Austria.... , ORF2 ORF2 ORF2 is an Austrian television channel owned by ORF .ORF2 launched on 11 September 1961 as a technical test programm. Since 1970, ORF2 broadcasts on seven days a week.... , ORF Sport Plus ORF Sport Plus ORF Sport Plus in an Austrian sports channel owned by the public service broadcaster, ORF .The channel is available via Astra 1A, cable television and DVB-T, in Austria and parts of Europe.... and ORF1 HD
Belgium Belgium * A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....	Flanders: all main channels Wallonia: La Une La Une La Une is a Belgium national television channel, owned and operated by RTBF.... , La Deux La Deux La Deux is a Belgium national television channel, owned and operated by RTBF.External links *... , RTL TVI, Club RTL, Plug TV
Bulgaria Bulgaria The state of Bulgaria , Scientific transliteration Balgarija, officially the Republic of Bulgaria has played a significant role in the Balkans in south-eastern Europe for over fourteen centuries....	The Voice TV The Voice TV The Voice TV is a network of music television channels that is owned by ProSiebenSat.1 Media . In 2004 it started broadcasting from Finland with localized feeds for Denmark, Norway and Sweden.... , RE:TV, TV7 TV7 (Bulgarian TV channel) TV7 is a Bulgarian television channel started in 2005. It shows various types of programs and is the first Bulgarian station to broadcast in widescreen PAL .... , Ring TV * Do not set the aspect ratio correctly when broadcasting in 16:9 and the image appears stretched on 4:3 TV sets. Such stations use mostly 4:3 programming.
	TV Nova TV Nova TV Nova is a Czech Republic commercial TV stationIt began broadcasting in 1994 as the first privately held nation-wide Czech TV station. Its first CEO was Vladim?r ?elezn?.... , Ceská televize Ceská televize Cesk? televize is the public television broadcaster in the Czech Republic, broadcasting four channels.... , TV Nova HD TV Nova TV Nova is a Czech Republic commercial TV stationIt began broadcasting in 1994 as the first privately held nation-wide Czech TV station. Its first CEO was Vladim?r ?elezn?....
Denmark Denmark Denmark is a Scandinavian country in northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries....	Almost all main channels
Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland , is a Nordic countries situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland....	All main channels, including but not limited to YLE TV1 YLE TV1 YLE TV1 is a Finland television channel owned and operated by YLE.TVE TV1 launched on 1 January 1958 as Suomen Televisio, programming includes: news, documentaries, series, educative programmes, entertainment and other external productions.... , YLE TV2 YLE TV2 YLE TV2 is a Finland television channel owned and operated by YLE.TVE TV2 launched in 1964, and broadcasts public service programming, children's, youth, sport and music programmes.... , MTV3 MTV3 MTV3 is a Finland Commercial broadcasting television station owned by Bonnier Group. Until recently it had the biggest audience share of all Finnish TV channels when Finnish Broadcasting Company's YLE1 took the lead.... , Nelonen Nelonen Nelonen is a Finland commercial TV channel. It started out as Helsinki's local television channel Paikallistelevisio in 1989 on the HTV cable network, which name was changed first to PTV4 and then to Nelonen....
France France France , officially the French Republic , is a country whose Metropolitan France is located in Western Europe and that also comprises various Overseas departments and territories of France....	TF1 TF1 TF1 is a private France TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's average market share of 25-35% makes it the most popular domestic network.... , France 2 France 2 France 2 is a France public national television network. It is part of the Public broadcasting France T?l?visions group, along with France 3, France 5, France ?, and the digital-only France 4.... , France 3 France 3 France 3 is the second largest France public television channel and part of the France T?l?visions group, which also includes France 2, France 4, France 5, and France ?.... , Canal+ Canal+ Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming and mostly encrypted, but does broadcast some programs without encryption.... (5 channels), France 5 France 5 France 5 is a public Television network in France, part of the France T?l?visions group. Principally featuring educational programming, the channel's motto is la cha?ne de la connaissance et du savoir .... , M6, ARTE Arte Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It describes itself as a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts.... , Direct 8 Direct 8 Direct 8 is a new France television network, owned by Vincent Bollor?. It is available through digital terrestrial television network "T?l?vision Num?rique Terrestre" and the Hot Bird satellite position.... , TMC, NRJ 12 NRJ 12 NRJ 12 is a France television network. It is available through digital terrestrial television "T?l?vision Num?rique Terrestre". It is a French music video station and is connected to NRJ Radio.... , France 4 France 4 France 4 is a France public television network featuring arts, including music. It is part of the France T?l?visions group.It is available through cable television, satellite television, ADSL and the new digital terrestrial television system.... , IDF1 IDF1 IDF1 is a France family oriented, local television channel. Broadcasting on the T?l?vision Num?rique Terrestre service to the ?le-de-France region from the Eiffel Tower.... , NRJ Paris, TPS Star TPS Star TPS Star is a France general entertainment channel broadcasting movies, sports and sitcoms. It started broadcasting in 1996 as the flagship general channel of the newly launched T?l?vision Par Satellite satellite platform, competing with Canal+ of the CanalSat platform.... , LCI La Chaîne Info La Cha?ne Info, or LCI is a France cable TV news channel. The network provides 24-hour national and global news coverage.... , NRJ Hits, Luxe TV
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands....	ARD ARD (broadcaster) ARD , is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters. It was founded in West Germany in 1950 to represent the common interests of the new, decentralized post-war broadcasting services — in particular, the introduction of a joint television network.... (Das Erste Das Erste Das Erste is the principal public broadcasting television channel in German television. It is a joint production of Germany's regional public broadcasters acting through, and coordinated by the ARD consortium.... , EinsExtra EinsExtra EinsExtra is a digital television television channel from the Germany broadcaster ARD , available as part of the ARD digital package of channels.... , EinsFestival EinsFestival EinsFestival is a digital television television channel from the Germany broadcaster ARD , available as part of the ARD digital package of channels.... , EinsPlus EinsPlus EinsPlus is a digital television television channel from the Germany broadcaster ARD , available as part of the ARD digital package of channels.... ; BR and BR-alpha BR-alpha BR-alpha is a Germany television station owned by regional broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk BR-alpha broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with programmes from Bayerischer Rundfunk, as well as from ARD and Austrian broadcaster ORF .... , HR Hessischer Rundfunk Hessischer Rundfunk is the public broadcaster for the States_of_Germany of Hesse. The main offices of HR are in Frankfurt am Main. HR is a member of the Alliance of the Public Broadcasters of Germany.... , WDR Westdeutscher Rundfunk The Westdeutscher Rundfunk is a Germany public broadcasting institution based in the States of Germany of North Rhine-Westphalia with its main office in K?ln.... , SWR Südwestrundfunk The S?dwestrundfunk is a public broadcasting company for the southwest of Germany, specifically the states of Baden-W?rttemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate.... , RBB, RB Radio Bremen Radio Bremen , Germany's smallest Public broadcasting, is the legally mandated broadcaster for the city-state of Bremen . With its headquarters sited in Bremen, Radio Bremen is a member of the consortium of German public broadcasting organizations, ARD .... ), ZDF ZDF Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television television channel based in Mainz. It is run as an independent non-profit agency established by joint contract between the States of Germany .... , 3sat 3sat 3sat is the name of a public, advertising-free, television network in Central Europe. The programming is in German, and is broadcast primarily within Germany, Austria and Switzerland.... , Arte Arte Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It describes itself as a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts.... , DW Deutsche Welle Deutsche Welle or DW, is Germany International broadcasting. It Broadcastings news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio in 29 languages .... , Phoenix Phoenix (German TV station) Phoenix is a publicly-funded television station in Germany which is jointly held by the public broadcasting organizations ARD and ZDF. Its programming consists of documentaries, news broadcasts, special events coverage, and discussion programmes.... ; kabel eins, ProSieben, Sat.1 Sat.1 Sat.1 is a privately owned German television broadcasting station. Sat.1 was the first privately owned television broadcasting station and started one day before RTL Television.... ; RTL RTL Television RTL Television is a German television commercial television station distributed via cable television and satellite television along with DVB-T .... , RTL II RTL II RTL II is a privately owned, commercial, general-interest German television television channel.It was founded as a second-generation commercial broadcaster in 1993.... , Super RTL Super RTL Super RTL is a Cologne-based Germany television network operated by RTL Disney Fernsehen GmbH & Co. KG. It was the second German television channel aimed mostly at children .... , VOX Vox Vox is Latin for Voice, but may refer to:* Vocals, abbreviated... ; … (all main channels)
Greece Greece Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkans. It has borders with Albania, Bulgaria and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia to the north, and Turkey to the east....	Skai TV Skai TV Skai TV is a Greek TV station, based in Athens. It was relaunched in its present form on April 1st, 2006 in Athens and gradually managed to spread its coverage nationwide.... , ERT Digital ERT Digital ERT Digital is a pilot project from Ellinik? Radiofon?a Tile?rasi, the Hellenic Broadcasting Corporation. It is the first legal attempt of DVB-T broadcasting in Greece, featuring 4 all new digital television channels: Cine+, Prisma+ Sport+ and Info+....
Hungary Hungary Hungary , officially in English the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, bordered by Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia....	m1 M1 (TV channel) m1 is a Hungary television channel own and operated by Magyar Telev?zi?. It is also transmitted in High-definition television.... , m2 M2 (TV channel) m2 is a Hungary television channel own and operated by Magyar Telev?zi?. It is also transmitted in High-definition television.... ,
Ireland Ireland Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....	RTÉ ONE RTÉ One RT? One is Republic of Ireland's oldest and most popular television channel, operated by Irish state broadcaster Radio Telef?s ?ireann. RT? One is almost universally available on the Very high frequency and Ultra high frequency bands on the island of Ireland , and is available on the Sky Digital satellite service in both the Republic of Ire... , RTÉ TWO RTÉ Two RT? Two is Republic of Ireland's second-oldest television channel, operated by Irish state broadcaster Radio Telef?s ?ireann. RT? Two is almost universally available throughout the island of Ireland on the Very high frequency and Ultra high frequency bands, and is also available via satellite television to Irish subscribers of Sky Digital .... , TV 3 and TG 4 TG4 TG4 is a television channel in Ireland, aimed at Irish language speakers and established as a wholly owned subsidiary by Radio Telef?s ?ireann on October 31, 1996....
Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia....	All the 11 SKY Cinema Channels; SKY Sport SKY Sport This page is about the SKY Sport channels, nine sports satellite TV channels in Italian language produced and broadcast by SKY Italia.... 16:9; Rai Sport Più Rai Sport Più Rai Sport Pi? is an Italian sports TV channel, launched in 1999 as Rai Sport Satellite by the Italian State Broadcaster RAI.During the 2008 Giro d'Italia the channel become Rai Sport Pi? and started to broadcast in 16:9 Widescreen some events such as the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship and the 2008 Summer Olympics.... ; Rai Uno Rai Uno Rai Uno is the primary television station of RAI, the national public service broadcaster, and the most watched television channel in Italy. It was born as Programma Nazionale and then called Rete 1 until 1982.... ; Rai 4; Luxe TV; All HDTV Channels
Montenegro Montenegro Montenegro , Montenegrin language/Serbian language: ???? ????, Crna Gora , ) is a country located in Balkans. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea to the south and is bordered by Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the northwest, Serbia to the north, Kosovo to the east and Albania to the south....	RTV Panorama RTV Panorama Radio Televizija Panorama is a local broadcasting company based in Pljevlja, Montenegro. The programmes of Radio Panorama and TV Panorama can be heard and seen in the Pljevlja area....
Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a country that is part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is a parliamentary democratic constitutional monarchy. The Netherlands is located in North-West Europe, and bordered by the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east....	Almost all nationwide channels (Netherlands Public Broadcasting, RTL RTL Group RTL Group is Europe's largest TV, radio and production company, and is majority-owned by German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. It has 43 television and 32 radio stations in 10 countries.... , SBS SBS Broadcasting Group SBS Broadcasting Group was a European broadcasting group, operating commercial television, premium pay channels, radio stations and related print businesses in Western and Central and Eastern Europe.... )
Norway Norway Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....	Almost all main channels
Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe. Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian Enclave and exclave, to the north....	Polsat 2, Polsat News Polsat News Polsat News is a Poland news channel, launched on June 7, 2008 at 7:00 AM . Being a part of the Polsat Network, Polsat News is owned by Polsat Group.... , Polsat Sport, Polsat Sport Extra, Canal+ Canal+ Poland Canal+ Poland is Poland's variation of the France television network Canal+. It is similar in many ways, including continuity and presentation. It also shows similar programs to Canal+ France like the tv-series The Simpsons .... , Canal+ Film Canal+ Poland Canal+ Poland is Poland's variation of the France television network Canal+. It is similar in many ways, including continuity and presentation. It also shows similar programs to Canal+ France like the tv-series The Simpsons .... , Canal+ Sport Canal+ Poland Canal+ Poland is Poland's variation of the France television network Canal+. It is similar in many ways, including continuity and presentation. It also shows similar programs to Canal+ France like the tv-series The Simpsons .... , Ale Kino!, TVN Siedem TVN Siedem TVN Siedem is a Poland television channel specialising in Action genre, drama and comedy shows and movies. The channel was launched on March 1 2002, replacing RTL 7 .... , Religia TV, TVN 24 TVN 24 TVN24 is Poland's first 24-hour news channel, launched on 9 August 2001. Being a part of the TVN Network, TVN24 is owned by ITI Group. It gained broader popularity after the September 11, 2001 attacks in the USA, which was the first major incident to be covered by TVN24.... , TVN Meteo TVN Meteo TVN Meteo is the first Polish channel dedicated exclusively to weather forecasts, it launched in May 2003. It is part of the TVN network and is owned by ITI Group.... , TVN CNBC Biznes TVN CNBC Biznes TVN CNBC Biznes is a business and financial news channel broadcast in Poland, launched on September 3, 2007. It is part of TVN network and ITI Group, the biggest Polish media company....
Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic , is a country on the Iberian Peninsula. Located in southwestern Europe, Portugal is the westernmost country of mainland Europe and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the west and south and by Spain to the north and east....	RTP1, RTP2
Serbia Serbia Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a country in Central Europe and Balkans Europe, covering the southern part of the Pannonian Plain and the central part of the Balkans....	Cinemania
Slovakia Slovakia Slovakia . It was amended in September 1998 to allow direct election of the president and again in February 2001 due to EU admission requirements....	TV Markiza, Slovenská Televízia
Slovenia Slovenia Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west, the Adriatic Sea to the southwest, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north....	RTS Tele 59, INFO TV occasionally: POP TV POP TV POP TV is a private television network in Slovenia that began broadcasting on December 15, 1995. The station is known for broadcasting United States TV series, such as Lost , Desperate Housewives, Prison Break, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Monk , Without a Trace, Ugly Betty, Dexter , Brothers & Sisters , House , Califo... , Kanal A Kanal A Kanal A is Slovenia first private television network, commencing broadcasts in November 1991.A third of Kanal A's shares were bought by the SBS Broadcasting Group in 1997.... , TV Pika TV Pika TV Pika is a television service based in Slovenia. TV Pika was founded by Stane Grah, a Slovenian TV manager. It's owned by Central European Media Enterprises and Pro plus.... , SportKlub, TV3 TV3 Slovenia TV3 is a television channel in Slovenia owned by Modern Times Group . The channel was also known as Prva TV from 1 November 2004 to 1 October 2006....
Spain Spain Spain or the Kingdom of Spain , is a country located in Southern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.The Spanish constitution does not establish any official denomination of the country, even though Espa?a , Estado espa?ol and Naci?n espa?ola are used interchangeably....	TV3 TV3 (Catalonia) TV3 is the name of Catalonia's first public broadcasting Television station. It belongs to Televisi? de Catalunya , a subsidiary of the Corporaci? Catalana de R?dio i Televisi?....
Sweden Sweden Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic countries on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden has land borders with Norway to the west and Finland to the northeast, and it is connected to Denmark by the ?resund Bridge in the south....	Almost all main channels
Switzerland Switzerland Switzerland is a landlocked Swiss Alps country of roughly 7.7 million people in Western Europe with an area of 41,285 km?. Switzerland is a federal republic consisting of 26 states called Cantons of Switzerland....	All SRG SSR idée suisse SRG SSR idée suisse SRG SSR id?e suisse is the Switzerland public broadcasting organisation, founded in 1931 as SRG-SSR. It is a non-profit organisation, funded mainly through radio and television licence fees and making the remaining income from advertising and Sponsor .... channels
	All 5 analogue channels (BBC ONE BBC One BBC One is the primary television channel of the BBC . It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular public television service with a high level of .... , BBC TWO BBC Two BBC Two is the second major terrestrial television channel of the BBC, aimed at a wide range of subject matter and interests, and specialising in intelligent yet popular programme genres.... , ITV 1, Channel 4 Channel 4 Channel 4 is a UK Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom television broadcaster which began transmissions on 2 November 1982. Although commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the #Channel Four Television... and FIVE) and their spin-offs Spin-off A spin-off is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one, such as a television series based on a pre-existing one, or a new company formed from a university research group or business incubator.... broadcast in widescreen

Visual comparisons

Comparing two different aspect ratios is arguably difficult. Given the same diagonal, the 4:3 screen offers more area. For CRT-based technology, an aspect ratio that is closer to square is cheaper to manufacture. The same is true for projectors, and other optical devices such as cameras, camcorders, etc. For LCD and Plasma displays, however, the cost is proportional to the area. Therefore, 16:9 screens are cheaper than 4:3 screens with the same diagonal.

Two aspect ratios compared with images using the same diagonal size:

Two aspect ratios compared with images using the same area (number of pixels):

Two aspect ratios compared with images using the same height (vertical size):

Two aspect ratios compared with images using the same width (horizontal size):

Previous and presently used aspect ratios

See List of common resolutions
List of common resolutions

File:standard video res.svgThis is a list of image resolutions sorted by the horizontal pixel dimension in ascending numerical order.It is important to realize that the use of the word "resolution" in this context is misleading and inaccurate....
for a listing of computer resolutions and aspect ratios.

See List of film formats
List of film formats

This list of film formats catalogues formats developed for shooting or viewing motion pictures, ranging from the Chronophotographe format from 1888, to mid-20th century formats such as the 1953 CinemaScope format, to more recent formats such as the 1992 IMAX#IMAX_HD format....
for a full listing of film formats, including their aspect ratios.

Aspect ratio	Description
1.33:1	35 mm original silent film ratio, commonly known in TV and video Video Video is the technology of electronics Videography, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing Scene in motion.... as 4:3. Also standard ratio for MPEG-2 MPEG-2 MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of Lossy compression video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission bandwidth.... video compression. This format is still used in most personal video cameras today. It is also the standard 16 mm ratio.
1.37:1	35 mm full-screen sound film image, nearly universal in movies between 1932 and 1953. Officially adopted as the Academy ratio Academy ratio The Academy ratio of 1.375:1 is an aspect ratio of a frame of 35mm film when used with negative pulldown. It was standardized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences as the standard film aspect ratio in 1932, although it was used as early as 1928.... in 1932 by AMPAS. Rarely used in theatrical context, but occasionally used for other context.
1.43:1	IMAX IMAX IMAX is a film film format and projection standard created by Canada's IMAX Corporation. The traditional version of IMAX has the capacity to record and display images of far greater size and than conventional film display systems.... format. Imax productions use 70 mm wide film (the same as used for 70 mm feature films), but the film runs through the camera and projector sideways. This allows for a physically larger area for each image.
1.50:1	The aspect ratio of 35 mm film used for still photography. Usually called 3:2. Also the native aspect ratio of VistaVision.
1.56:1	Widescreen aspect ratio 14:9. Often used in shooting commercials etc. as a compromise format between 4:3 (12:9) and 16:9, especially when the output will be used in both standard TV and widescreen. When converted to a 16:9 frame, there is slight pillarboxing, while conversion to 4:3 creates slight letterbox Letterbox Letterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio.... ing.
1.66:1	35 mm Originally a flat ratio invented by Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production company and distribution company, located on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California.... , now a standard among several European countries; native Super 16 mm frame ratio. (5:3, sometimes expressed more accurately as "1.67".)
1.75:1	Early 35 mm widescreen ratio, primarily used by MGM and Warner Bros. between 1953 and 1955, and since abandoned.
1.78:1	Video widescreen standard (16:9), used in high-definition television High-definition television High-definition television is a digital television broadcasting system with higher than traditional television systems . HDTV is digitally broadcast; the earliest implementations used analog broadcasting, but today digital television signals are used, requiring less Bandwidth due to digital video compression.... , one of three ratios specified for MPEG-2 MPEG-2 MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of Lossy compression video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission bandwidth.... video compression. Also used in some personal video cameras.
1.85:1	35 mm US and UK widescreen standard for theatrical film. Uses approximately 3 perforations Film perforations Film perforations, also known as perfs, are the holes placed in the film stock during manufacturing and used for transporting and steadying the film.... ("perfs") of image space per 4 perf frame; films can be shot in 3-perf to save cost of film stock.
2.00:1	Original SuperScope Superscope 'Superscope' may refer to:* Superscope, an anamorphic widescreen and full screen process* Superscope, an extension to the Microsoft DHCP* Nintendo Super Scope, a computer pointing and controlling device ... ratio, also used in Univisium Univisium Univisium is a proposed universal film format created by cinematographer Vittorio Storaro, American Society of Cinematographers, AIC and his son, Fabrizio, to unify all future theatrical and television movies into one respective aspect ratio of 2.00:1.... . Used as a flat ratio for some American studios in the 1950s, abandoned in the 1960s.
2.20:1	70 mm standard. Originally developed for Todd-AO Todd-AO Todd-AO is an extremely high definition widescreen film format developed in the mid 1950s. It was co-developed by Mike Todd, a Broadway theatre producer, with American Optical Company in Buffalo, New York.... in the 1950s. 2.21:1 is specified for MPEG-2 MPEG-2 MPEG-2 is a standard for "the generic coding of moving pictures and associated audio information". It describes a combination of Lossy compression video compression and lossy audio data compression methods which permit storage and transmission of movies using currently available storage media and transmission bandwidth.... but not used.
2.35:1	35 mm anamorphic prior to 1970, used by CinemaScope CinemaScope CinemaScope was a widescreen movie format used from 1953 to 1967. Anamorphices allowed the process to project film up to a 2.66:1 Aspect ratio , almost twice as wide as the conventional format of 1.37:1.... ("'Scope") and early Panavision Panavision Panavision is a motion picture equipment company specializing in cameras and photographic lens, based in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.... . The anamorphic standard has subtly changed so that modern anamorphic productions are actually 2.39, but often referred to as 2.35 anyway, due to old convention. (Note that anamorphic refers to the compression of the image on film to maximize an area slightly taller than standard 4-perf Negative pulldown Negative pulldown is a characteristic of motion picture film formats. It refers to the number of film perforations that each film frame occupies, as well as whether they are pulled horizontally or vertically.... Academy Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is a professional honorary organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of motion pictures.... aperture, but presents the widest of aspect ratios.)
2.39:1	35 mm anamorphic from 1970 onwards. Sometimes rounded up to 2.40:1 Often commercially branded as Panavision Panavision Panavision is a motion picture equipment company specializing in cameras and photographic lens, based in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.... format or 'Scope CinemaScope CinemaScope was a widescreen movie format used from 1953 to 1967. Anamorphices allowed the process to project film up to a 2.66:1 Aspect ratio , almost twice as wide as the conventional format of 1.37:1.... .
2.55:1	Original aspect ratio of CinemaScope CinemaScope CinemaScope was a widescreen movie format used from 1953 to 1967. Anamorphices allowed the process to project film up to a 2.66:1 Aspect ratio , almost twice as wide as the conventional format of 1.37:1.... before optical sound was added to the film. This was also the aspect ratio of CinemaScope 55 CinemaScope 55 CinemaScope 55 was a large-format version of CinemaScope introduced in 1955, which used a negative size of 55.625 mm . It was introduced by Twentieth Century Fox as an answer to Paramount Pictures's high-definition VistaVision system.... .
2.59:1	Cinerama Cinerama Cinerama is the trademarked name for a widescreen process which works by simultaneously projecting images from three synchronized 35 mm projectors onto a huge, deeply-curved screen, subtending 146? of arc.... at full height (three specially captured 35 mm images projected side-by-side into one composite widescreen image).
2.66:1	Full frame output from Super 16mm negative when an anamorphic lens system has been used. Effectively, an image that is of the ratio 2.66:1 is squashed onto the native 15:9 aspect ratio of a Super 16mm negative.
2.76:1	MGM Camera 65 Ultra Panavision 70 Ultra Panavision 70 and MGM Camera 65 were the photographic marketing brands ? ca. 1957 to 1966 ? that identified movies photographed with Panavision-brand 65mm and 70mm anamorphic lenses.... (65 mm with 1.25x anamorphic squeeze). Used only on a handful of films between 1956 and 1964, such as Ben-Hur (1959) Ben-Hur (1959 film) *Ben-Hur* is a 1959 in film movie directed by William Wyler, and is the third film version of Lew Wallace's novel Ben-Hur . It premiered at Loews Cineplex Entertainment in New York City on November 18, 1959.... .
4.00:1	Polyvision Polyvision Polyvision was the name given to a specialized widescreen film format devised exclusively for the filming and movie projector of Abel Gance's 1927 film Napoleon .... , three 35 mm 1.33 images projected side by side. Used only on Abel Gance Abel Gance Abel Gance was a France film director, film producer, writer, actor and film editor best remembered for his work in silent film.Napol?on is among his most innovative works.... 's Napoléon (1927).

Aspect ratio releases

Original aspect ratio (OAR)

Original Aspect Ratio (OAR) is a home cinema

Home cinema

Home cinema, also called home theater, are entertainment systems that seek to reproduce movie theater quality video and audio in a private home....
term for the aspect ratio or dimensions in which a film

Film

Film encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the film industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or special effects....
or visual production was produced — as envisioned by the people involved in the creation of the work. As an example, the film Gladiator
Gladiator (2000 film)

Gladiator is a 2000 in film epic film directed by Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, and Richard Harris....
was released to theaters in the 2.39:1 aspect ratio. It was filmed in Super 35 mm film

Super 35 mm film

Super 35 is a motion picture film format that uses exactly the same film stock as standard 35 mm film, but puts a larger image frame on that stock by using the negative space normally reserved for the optical analog sound track....
and, in addition to being presented in cinemas and television in the Original Aspect Ratio of 2.39:1, it was also broadcast without the matte

Matte (filmmaking)

Mattes are used in photography and special effects filmmaking to combine two or more image elements into a single, final image. Usually, mattes are used to combine a foreground image with a background image ....
altering the aspect ratio to the television standard of 1.33:1. Because of the varied ways in which films are shot, IAR (Intended Aspect Ratio) is a more appropriate term, but is rarely used.

Modified aspect ratio (MAR)

Modified Aspect Ratio is a home cinema term for the aspect ratio or dimensions in which a film was modified to fit a specific type of screen, as opposed to original aspect ratio. Modified aspect ratios are usually either 1.33:1 (historically), or (with the advent of widescreen television sets) 1.78:1 aspect ratio. 1.33:1 is the modified aspect ratio used historically in VHS format. A modified aspect ratio transfer is achieved by means of pan and scan

Pan and scan

Pan and scan is one method of adjusting widescreen film images so that they can be shown within the proportions of a standard definition 4:3 Aspect ratio television screen, often cropping off the sides of the original widescreen image to focus on the composition's most important aspects....
or open matte

Open matte

Open matte is a filming technique that involves matting out the top and bottom of the film frame in the movie projector for the widescreen theatrical release and then scanning the film without a matte for a Full screen home video release....
, the latter meaning removing the cinematic matte from a 1.85:1 film to open up the full 1.33:1 frame.

Problems in film and television

Multiple aspect ratios create additional burdens on filmmakers and consumers, and confusion among TV broadcasters. It is common for a widescreen film to be presented in an altered format (cropped, letterboxed

Letterbox

Windowbox (film)

Windowboxing occurs when the aspect ratio of a film is such that the letterbox effect and pillar box effect occur simultaneously. Sometimes, by accident or design, a standard ratio image is presented in the central portion of a letterbox picture, resulting in a black border all around....
to occur (when letterbox and pillarbox happen simultaneously). For instance, a 16:9 broadcast could embed a 4:3 commercial within the 16:9 image area. A viewer watching on a standard 4:3 (non-widescreen) television would see a 4:3 image of the commercial with 2 sets of black stripes, vertical and horizontal (windowboxing

Windowbox (film)

Windowboxing occurs when the aspect ratio of a film is such that the letterbox effect and pillar box effect occur simultaneously. Sometimes, by accident or design, a standard ratio image is presented in the central portion of a letterbox picture, resulting in a black border all around....
or the postage stamp effect). A similar scenario may also occur for a widescreen set owner when viewing 16:9 material embedded in a 4:3 frame, and then watching that in 16:9. It is also common that a 4:3 image is stretched horizontally to fit a 16:9 screen to avoid pillar boxing

Letterbox

Letterboxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio....
.

Both PAL and NTSC have provision for some data pulses contained within the video signal used to signal the aspect ratio (See ITU-R BT.1119-1 - Widescreen signaling

Widescreen signaling

In television technology, widescreen signaling is a digital stream embedded in the TV signal describing qualities of the broadcast, in particular the intended aspect ratio of the image....
for broadcasting). These pulses are detected by television sets that have widescreen displays and cause the television to automatically switch to 16:9 display mode. When 4:3 material is included (such as the aforementioned commercial), the television switches to a 4:3 display mode to correctly display the material. Where a video signal is transmitted via a European SCART

SCART

SCART is a France-originated standard and associated 21-pin connector for connecting audio-visual equipment together. It is also known as P?ritel , 21-pin EuroSCART and Euroconnector....
connection, one of the status lines is used to signal 16:9 material as well.

For many artists, however, aspect ratio is determined not by the constraints of the technology or medium, but by the content or the story. Indeed, as long ago as the early 20th century, film directors such as D. W. Griffith

D. W. Griffith

David Llewelyn Wark "D. W." Griffith was a premier pioneering Academy Award-winning American film director. He is best known as the director of the groundbreaking 1915 film The Birth of a Nation and the subsequent film Intolerance ....
, one of the early giants in film, would sometimes change the picture aspect ratio within the film. In Intolerance
Intolerance (film)

Intolerance: Love's Struggle Through the Ages, a silent film directed by D. W. Griffith in 1916 in film, is considered one of the great masterpieces of the Silent film....
, for example, a single shot where a character falls from a high wall has the sides of the vista greatly cropped to enhance the dramatic height of the fall. More recently, the initial Itchy and Scratchy sketch in The Simpsons Movie
The Simpsons Movie

The Simpsons Movie is a 2007 in film Cinema of the United States animated cartoon comedy film based on the animated television series The Simpsons....
is shown in 16:9 ratio, and during the opening the screen widens to 2.35:1.

Still photography

Common aspect ratios in still photography include 4:3 (1.33) used by most point-and-shoot digital cameras; 3:2 (1.5) used by 35mm film

135 film

The term 135 was introduced by Kodak in 1934 as a designation for Film cartridge film 35 mm wide, specifically for still photography. It quickly grew in popularity, surpassing 120 film by the late 1960s to become the most popular photographic film format....
, APS-C ("classic" mode) and most DSLRs; 1.81:1 (close to 16:9) used by APS

Advanced Photo System

Advanced Photo System is a film format for still photography. It was marketed by Eastman Kodak under the brand name Advantix.The film is 24 mm wide, and has three image formats:...
-H high definition mode; 3:1 used by APS-P panoramic mode; and 1:1 (square) in a variety of cameras.

Common print sizes in the U.S.

United States

Inch

An inch is the name of a Units of measurement of length in a number of different systems, including Imperial units, and United States customary units....
es) include 4x6 (1.5), 5x7 (1.4), 4x5 and 8x10 (1.25), and 11x14 (1.27); large-format cameras typical use one of these aspect ratios. Medium-format cameras typically have format designated by nominal sizes in centimeters (6x6, 6x7, 6x9, 6x4.5), but these numbers should not be interpreted as exact in computing aspect ratios.

External links

(middle of the page)
Aspect Ratios Explained:

Aspect ratio (image)

The evolution of film and television aspect ratios

Why 16:9?

Practical limitations

Cinema terminology

Movie camera systems

Current video standards

4:3 standard

16:9 standard

16:9 in Europe

Visual comparisons

Previous and presently used aspect ratios

Aspect ratio releases

Original aspect ratio (OAR)

Modified aspect ratio (MAR)

Problems in film and television

Still photography

See also

External links