What is the ‘best’ ratio of picture width to height for a television display? There are many factors that influence it. One is the size of the screen. You have to admit that wide aspect ratios do lend themselves well to larger screens. On the other hand, they can also be effective on handhelds – provided the screen is not postage stamp size.
'Golden' aspect ratio?
Movies have been largely in widescreen since the 1950s, and much digital television today is produced and delivered in the moderately wide 16:9 aspect ratio. The story behind different aspect ratios is interesting but never entirely ‘scientific’. The original HDTV aspect ratio – 5:3 - is the ‘golden rectangle’ favoured in the classical world. The 16:9 aspect ratio now used throughout the world for much digital SDTV and HDTV was chosen for several reasons, one related to a transmission system ‘MAC’ which is no longer used.
Cinemascope at home?
Movie production uses even wider screens than 16:9, and one which sits comfortably amid a small range of aspect ratios in 21:9. Since 2008, Hollywood studios have been discussing with display manufacturers the prospects for home displays with a ‘CinemaScope’ type aspect ratio. Summer 2009 has seen the first 21:9 displays on the market from Philips (launched in Europe in June 2009).
In the short term, this may be rather good for showing Blu ray discs. In the longer term, it may be that Hollywood will serve us directly in our homes via broadband or satellite, for a ‘home cinema’ experience with this type of display.
16:9 will not go away soon
Will all television displays ‘migrate’ over time to 21:9 aspect ratio? This is not impossible, particularly if screen sizes continue to grow. But for sure 16:9 has many decades of life left in it.