Widescreen aspect ratio refers to the relationship between the width and height of the viewing screen. In other words, it is the fractional relation of the width of a video image compared to its height. The two most common aspect ratios in home video are 4:3 (also known as 4x3, 1.33:1, or standard) and 16:9 (16x9, 1.78:1, or wide-screen). (You may see standard TV referred to as 4:3 or 1.33:1. Widescreen TV has an aspect ratio of 16:9, or 1.76 inches wide for every inch high (referred to as 1.76:1).
All the older TVs and computer monitors you grew up with had the squarish 4:3 shape--only 33 percent wider than it was high. On the other hand, 16:9 is the native aspect ratio of most HDTV programming; it is 78 percent wider than it is tall, or fully one third wider than 4:3.
At comparable screen sizes, the widescreen image is a distinct improvement: it offers a larger image, and the horizontal orientation is more akin to how your eyes--next to each other, not on top of one another--view objects. Both of these formats work perfectly well when they match the TV screen's native aspect ratio--standard programming on a 4:3 screen (any 1950s to 1990s Nick at Nite fare, for instance) and any newer, wide-screen material on a 16:9 set (HDTV programming or
most DVDs). But as soon as you try to watch 4:3 content on a widescreen monitor or 16:9 content on a 4:3 TV, you need to make some choices as to how you'll compromise.
most DVDs). But as soon as you try to watch 4:3 content on a widescreen monitor or 16:9 content on a 4:3 TV, you need to make some choices as to how you'll compromise.
No comments:
Post a Comment