Step Three - Choosing an Aspect Ratio

Masking can be added or removed to eliminate the appearance of projected black bars

Standard NTSC televisions and older videos display images in a 4:3 aspect ratio. Computers have a variety of sizes including 4:3, 16:9 and 16:10. High-definition television and Blu-ray discs are shown in widescreen (or 16:9) format. Most films shown in a cinema display in an even wider aspect ratio than that. Our most popular screen aspect ratios, as you might expect, are also the 4:3, 16:9 and 16:10 formats. But which one is best for you? We have created a handy reference for deciding which aspect ratio is best for you »

Common Applications Aspect Ratio Width:Height
NTSC video (US Standard for TV broadcast) 1.33 4:3
PAL video (European Standard for TV broadcast) 1.33 4:3
HDTV Video and Blu-ray discs 1.78 16:9
1280x800 computer displays 1.9 16:10
Cinema displays 2.35 wider than 16:9