The ratio of width to height of an object. Stating the relationship of one side to the other, it is widely used to describe the shape of a TV or computer screen. For example, the aspect ratio of a standard screen is 4:3, which is a relatively square rectangle. The 4:3 means "4 to 3," or four units wide to three units high. High-definition TV (HDTV) has a 16:9 ratio, which is a wide rectangle closer in width, but still not as wide, as most cinema screens.
Another way of expressing the 4:3 and 16:9 ratios is 1.33:1 and 1.78:1, but these latter designations are used mostly for cinema formats, not TV (see below).
Standard or Wide Screen?
The common measurement of a computer monitor or TV is the screen's diagonal measurement in inches. However, a 20" screen does not disclose whether its layout is 4:3 (square) or 16:9 (wide). See letterbox, HDTV display modes and anamorphic DVD.
Standard and HDTV Aspect Ratios
Fitting the wide screen HDTV image (16:9) on the right into a standard TV (4:3) on the left creates the \"letterbox effect\" (black bars on top and bottom). (Image courtesy of Intergraph Computer Systems.)
Another way of expressing the 4:3 and 16:9 ratios is 1.33:1 and 1.78:1, but these latter designations are used mostly for cinema formats, not TV (see below).
Standard or Wide Screen?
The common measurement of a computer monitor or TV is the screen's diagonal measurement in inches. However, a 20" screen does not disclose whether its layout is 4:3 (square) or 16:9 (wide). See letterbox, HDTV display modes and anamorphic DVD.
Standard and HDTV Aspect Ratios
Fitting the wide screen HDTV image (16:9) on the right into a standard TV (4:3) on the left creates the \"letterbox effect\" (black bars on top and bottom). (Image courtesy of Intergraph Computer Systems.)
 | Reproduced with permission from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia. Copyright (c) 1981-2008 The Computer Language Company Inc. All rights reserved. |
Additional Resources
- The five products Apple must make
- The five products Apple must makeDon't quit your day jobGame console: No. The market isn't big enough.Tablet: No. the market isn't big enough. Unless Apple can make a notebook computer that can also be a tablet. Without a price increase.iPhone Nano: No. The touch screen interface requires a product with...
- Discussion threads 2008-10-09
- Intel X-25M solid-state drive (80GB)
- Intel's X-25M solid-state hard drive represents a major leap forward for the solid-state drive category. While we've heard about the benefits of solid-state hard drives for years--faster access and boot times, improved battery life--Intel's drive raises expectations for the category as a whole. You will most definitely have to...
- Product reviews 2008-10-08
- Toshiba Qosmio G55-Q802
- The 18-inch laptop has truly come into its own, with recent systems from Sony, Acer, HP and now Toshiba threatening to clutter the desks of multimedia enthusiasts everywhere. The Qosmio G55-Q802 is the odd man out among this group in that it does not offer a Blu-ray drive or even...
- Product reviews 2008-10-08
- StrategyExplorer (for Windows Mobile 5.0) (CAB)
- StrategyExplorer is a tool for planning option spreads and stock hedging strategies. It plots intrinsic option values and profit profile vs. underlying stock price for any combination of a stock and up to three options drawn on that stock. Twenty popular strategies are predefined, including synthetics, straddles, strangles, butterflies, covered,...
- Software downloads 2008-10-08
- StrategyExplorer (for Windows Mobile 6.0) (CAB)
- StrategyExplorer is a tool for planning option spreads and stock hedging strategies. It plots intrinsic option values and profit profile vs. underlying stock price for any combination of a stock and up to three options drawn on that stock. Twenty popular strategies are predefined, including synthetics, straddles, strangles, butterflies, covered,...
- Software downloads 2008-10-08
- StrategyExplorer (for Pocket PC 2002) (CAB)
- StrategyExplorer is a tool for planning option spreads and stock hedging strategies. It plots intrinsic option values and profit profile vs. underlying stock price for any combination of a stock and up to three options drawn on that stock. Twenty popular strategies are predefined, including synthetics, straddles, strangles, butterflies, covered,...
- Software downloads 2008-10-08
- Why Agile development matters [podcast]
- Why Agile development matters [podcast]Agile Development beyond ITMichael -- happy to see your talking about this topic the very same day as me: http://tinyurl.com/3shth7. What strikes me is so many people think this is strictly an IT topic when the more sophisticated business users are expecting and wanting exactly the...
- Discussion threads 2008-10-07
- Iomega ScreenPlay TV Link - digital AV player
- There's little doubt that TV is moving more toward an on-demand model powered by content that's pulled from the Internet rather than traditional broadcast sources. But products that pull in video from networked PCs and various online sources--everything from the Roku Netflix Player to Apple TV to the Xbox 360--still...
- Product reviews 2008-10-06
- Linux ready to replace Windows? Not yet…
- Linux ready to replace Windows? Not yet…Actually, all of the biggest web companies all use Linux because it is somuch more flexible and powerful. Of the biggest, MS is the only one using Windows.And, yes, the applications availability on the Desktop is a problem for Desktop Linux, but, the is...
- Discussion threads 2008-10-06
- Forrester: There's really no such thing as "green IT"
- News flash. In a recent report called "Is Green IT Your Emperor With No Clothes?," market research house Forrester is advising IT managers to forget about the notion that there's any such thing as TRULY green technology. Yes, folks, it's part of that green tech backlash that we've all been...
- Blog posts 2008-10-05
- Panasonic Viera TH-58PZ800U
- The big-screen HDTV arena is still owned by rear-projection models, but with every passing year flat-panel versions, especially plasmas, fall in price and become attractive targets for folks seeking massive home theater pictures. But prices haven't fallen far enough yet for most people, so for the foreseeable future big-screen plasmas...
- Product reviews 2008-10-03
- Agree AVI WMV MPEG ASF MOV to Zune Converter (exe)
- Agree AVI WMV MPEG ASF MOV to Zune Converter is video converter software. It can convert almost any video format to play on Microsoft Zune video player, e.g. AVI, WMV, MPEG, MP4, ASF, VOB, 3GP, iPhone, MOV to Zune movie / Zune video format. You can set encoding parameters including...
- Software downloads 2008-10-03
- Agree Free DVD Ripper Platinum (exe)
- Agree Free DVD Ripper Platinum is a DVD ripping software, with the ability of ripping DVD to almost all video and audio formats, such as AVI, MP4, WMV, VCD, SVCD, DVD, 3GP, iPod, iPhone, Zune, Xbox, PMP, PSP, Apple TV, Pocket PC, FLV, SWF, MOV, MP3, AAC, AC3, AMR, M4A,...
- Software downloads 2008-10-03
- iPrez: Obama releases app grassroots organizing app
- Get-out-the-vote campaigns have been cellphone-based for some time now. So what makes more sense than leveraging iPhone cool to put a calling app right on people's phones? That's what the Obama campaign did today, News.com reports,with an iPhone app that "organizes and prioritizes your contacts by key battleground states, making...
- Blog posts 2008-10-02
- PackVol Standard (exe)
- PackVol is an optimization software for Load Planning, designed to plan the best space utilization inside containers, to help you reduce your transportation costs. It is an innovative software, which has some unique features not found in other programs of its category. Thanks to its advanced optimizer, truly tridimensional, the...
- Software downloads 2008-10-02
- MB Health Suite II (exe)
- MB Health Suite II consists of Body Mass Index, Ideal Body Weight Calculator, Body Frame Size & Ideal Waist-Hip Ratio calculators. These tools are indicative of standards that need to be maintained for a healthy loving. This version the first release on CNET Download.com.
- Software downloads 2008-10-02
- Panasonic DMP-BD55
- Blu-ray has almost gotten its act together. After putting the stake in the heart of HD DVD, prospective buyers have had to deal with confusing Blu-ray profiles, varying audio-decoding capabilities, and standalone players with prices above $500. As we head into the 2008 holiday season, however, we're finally starting to...
- Product reviews 2008-10-01
- Job alert: SAP, COBOL, PowerBuilder??
- As enterprise Web 2.0 makes its way into organizations, there is a misconception held among a pocket in the industry that the new technologies will replace the old says Nexaweb's Jeremy Chone. Commentary--Was anybody else not surprised by the recent Foote Partners finding that the...
- News items 2008-10-01
- The 'Social Media' Conundrum
- I'm fascinated by '30's depression era attempts to foster business innovation, not least because of the financial challenges that seem likely to dominate our coming years. Surprisingly I've found The Rotary International Club is in many ways a precursor to the looser social media movement which has been a feature...
- Blog posts 2008-10-01
- Winegard RCDT09A
- Earlier in the spring we published a blog entry titled, "Don't buy a portable TV this year" highlighting the fact that the vast majority of portable TVs use analog tuners that won't pull in TV signals after the analog-to-digital TV transition February 17, 2009. At the time, our advice was...
- Product reviews 2008-09-30
Neighboring Terms
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Printers
- 'Green' Font Cuts Costs and Saves Trees (BNET)
- Three Ways to Save Paper (BNET)
- CNET Reviews printer buying guide (CNET)
- View all printers-tagged content on ZDNet
- Plan B from Brother
- It's the smarter way to work in color Our professional color ink-jet all-in-ones give you more choices, more features, and more value. Make the Smarter Choice. Learn More »
