ASPECT RATIO – TV – Film
The ratio of height to width of a television picture or film frame. Standard TV picture aspect ratio is 4:3 or 1.33:1. The width (4) of the frame is longer than the height (3). Now broadcast TV in the US and UK is shot and shown in a WIDESCREEN format. This has an aspect ratio of 16:9, or 1.77:1. Many productions agree to ‘protect’ the 4:3 area in the frame by ensuring important parts of the action are within that area and makes sense to viewers without widescreen TVs. (some broadcasters use a 14:9 version of widescreen).
