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Writer's pictureDevon Thompson, CTO

Format & Resolution Quick Math

By now most people are familiar with the term 16x9 or maybe you've seen it as 16:9. You also hear terms like...."Aspect Ratio" "HD format" or "1920 x1080" or simply "1080P" or "1080i".


Let's explore this further..... 9 divided by (/) 16 = .5625


So we've just easily figured out, that if we had a 16' wide image, the height would be .5625 of that width. 16' X .5625' = 9' ....ok and another example 1920 pixels x .5625 = 1080 pixels


Well then there it is.... .5625 is a critical number to determining 16:9 aspect ratio screen sizes...


At a site site survey you measure a stage at 32'.... 32'x.5625' = 18' HD, 16:9 standard proportions....

Try it with any size. Inches or feet it's a great tool.


Well what about 4:3 what it's story?

4:3 ...more commonly known as the "Square Format" standard has been in use since the invention of moving picture cameras and many computer monitors used to employ the same aspect ratio. 4:3 was the aspect ratio used for 35mm films in the silent era. It is also very close to the 1.375:1 Academy Ratio, defined by the Academy of Motion Picture, Arts & Sciences as a standard after the advent of optical sound on film. By having TV match this aspect ratio, movies originally photographed on 35 mm film could be satisfactorily viewed on TV in the early days of the medium (i.e. the 1940s and the 1950s). Since the start of the 21st century broadcasters worldwide are phasing out the 4:3 standard entirely, as manufacturers started to favor the 16:9 aspect ratio of all modern high definition television sets and broadcast cameras.


4:3 is still in use! This aspect is often used in IMAG applications. IMAG-Image Magnification is the use of LED or Projection screens and a camera image to magnify speakers or entertainers in a large venue environment where distance and sight lines are challenging to the audience to see well. Same math applies 3 divided (/) by 4= .75 ....so any width x .75 will give you proper height!


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