What is the aspect ratio of HDTV?
Compared to the nearly square 4×3 aspect ratio of regular video, HD is a wider 16×9. Thats a 1.78 ratio of width to height, similar to cinema wide screen at 1.85. The 16×9 HD frame provides a wider canvas, more attuned to human field of view. Naturally composition within the frame, and blocking of action, can be somewhat different. For instance, scenes that would require cutting between close-ups in 4×3 might be carried through in a single wide shot in 16×9. This wider aspect ratio is crucial if the production is to be transferred to film for theatrical presentation. For home HDTV, the wider aspect means that movies can be viewed without cropping and pan-and-scan.
Related Questions
- I have a 16:9 aspect ratio HDTV and an Explorer 3100HD set-top box. Can I change the screen sizes so that shows broadcast in 4:3 aspect ratio fill the screen?
- Some widescreen DVDs and HDTV broadcasts still show black bars. Why doesnt the 16:9 aspect ratio on my TV remove this letterboxing?
- What is the aspect ratio of HDTV?
