ASPECT RATIOS
Active image area
(Actual screen area)
As you can see, our screen in this example is a 1.85:1 ratio. The dashed lines
show the area that we 'blanked'. If you recall, watching a letterbox movie on a 4:3
screen gave us black bars; therefore with letterbox movies, we're not losing any
information!
The 'other' type of widescreen is called 'ANAMORPHIC'. The image is still a
widescreen format, but instead of 'blanking' the top and bottom, we simply reduce
the overall height of the image:
As a result, all objects will be 'short and fat' (like the circle above), right? Well, not if
you're using software that is anamorphic. Most (but not all) DVD movies have an
anamorphic option.
Blanked (cut off)
areas
6-17