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The 16:9 aspect ratio (also known as widescreen) is an aspect ratio that is 16/9 or 1.78 times as wide as it is high, i.e. 16 units long per 9 units tall.
16:9 is not the only widescreen format. Anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) and American theatrical standard (1.85:1) have wider aspect ratios, while the European theatrical standard (1.66:1) is just slightly less. (Imax, contrary to some popular perception, is 1.33:1, the traditional television aspect ratio.)
16:9 is a basic feature from Japanese and American HDTV as well as European non-HD widescreen television (EDTV). Many digital video cameras have the capability to record in 16:9 now. Anamorphic DVD transfers store the information in 16:9 vertically squeezed to 4:3; if the TV can handle an anamorphic image the signal will be de-anamorphosed by the TV to 16:9, if not the DVD player will unsqueeze the image and add letterboxing before sending the image to the TV. Wider ratios such as 1.85:1 and 2.35:1 are accommodated within the 16:9 DVD frame by adding some additional masking within the image itself.
16mm film is frequently used for television production due to its lower cost, lack of need for soundtrack space on the film itself, and aspect ratio similar to 16:9.
Aspect ratios compared
| 4:3 (1.33:1) | 16:9 (1.78:1) |
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See also
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