Why is HDTV Widescreen?

Written by Clearly Resolved
Sunday, 20 May 2007

[Q] Why is HDTV widescreen? It seems like the picture is smaller.

[ A ] The standards for HDTV require that HD broadcasts appear in the 16x9 aspect ratio, instead of our old TV system's 4x3 aspect ratio. Aspect ratio is a way of describing the shape of the screen in proportional terms of width versus height.

The 16x9 format is very close to the most common Hollywood film formats, though it isn't quite as wide as the widest formats, such as Cinemascope or Panavision.

As far as the 16x9 picture being smaller, it's true, but the overall difference is actually relatively minor. Comparing 16x9 and 4x3 televisions with the same diagonal of 50 inches, the 4x3 screen measures 30 inches tall and just over 40 inches across for a screen area of 1,200 square inches, while the 16x9 screen measures 24.5 inches high and 43.5 inches wide for a screen area of 1,068 square inches. This is a difference of 132 square inches, which means the 16x9 screen area is about 12% smaller than the 4x3 area.

In practical terms, a 16x9 screen provides a more panoramic perspective, especially when watching movies, which are mostly filmed in a widescreen aspect ratio. Sporting events are another area where widescreen provides a major benefit.

Widescreen is better suited to the way our eyes see, as it fills a greater portion of our normal field of vision.

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