Blu-ray and DVD Aspect Ratio...and How They Look on Your TV ScreenBlu-ray and DVD aspect ratio formats can be tricky to figure out. 4 by 3, widescreen HDTV aspect ratio, letterboxing - there are many issues to understand. So why should we care? Well, they can help to explain a common issue for many people - those annoying black bars that sometimes appear on the TV screen when we watch a movie. We have already looked at the basics of aspect ratios in the article understanding TV aspect ratio. This guide took us through what an aspect ratio is, and showed us the two most common aspect ratios for our television screens, 4:3 and 16:9. Now that we understand this, it brings us to another interesting point - how do the aspect ratios of the Blu-rays and DVDs that we buy affect what we see on our screens? Also, if you like to read the manual of your equipment (unlikely), or just like to flick through the setup menus changing every setting as you go (more likely), then you will know that DVD/Blu-ray players and HDTVs often have the ability to alter the aspect ratio that you see on the screen. So we will also mention some changes you can make to get a better (or worse!) picture. Common Aspect Ratios for Blu-ray and DVDIf you look on the back of the box of your Blu-ray or DVD disc, it will tell you the aspect ratio of the movie or show that is on the disc. When a movie or television programme is recorded, a choice is made as to the aspect ratio that it will be recorded in. Although there are many different aspect ratios that have been used over the years, there are four main formats that you will come across regularly. 1.33:1Also known as 4:3, this is the traditional aspect ratio of standard-definition TVs and images. This is becoming less common as modern TV screens switch to widescreen formats. However, many older TV programmes will only be available in this aspect ratio. What Will it Look Like On My TV?
On the 4:3 TV, the image is a perfect match and fills the screen completely. However, on the 16:9 HDTV there are bars at either side to make up for the missing width of the image. This is called pillar boxing or vertical letterboxing. Most HDTVs will have a 'justify' (or similar) option where it will stretch the image to the edges, but this can make the image appear strange. Another alternative is to zoom in and remove the bars, but this will mean losing some of the action at the top and bottom. The picture may also lack sharpness when you zoom or justify the image. 1.78:1Also known as 16:9, or commonly just called widescreen (even though there are other common aspect ratios which are also 'widescreen'). It can be thought of as the HDTV aspect ratio, as this is the standard format for high-definition television - and you will find TV companies recording new HD programmes with this ratio. What Will it Look Like On My TV?
The widescreen image will have bars at the top and bottom on a 4:3 TV. This is called letterboxing. We can zoom in on the TV to get rid of the bars, but this will mean losing some of the action at the edges - and make the picture lose sharpness. The 1.78:1 image on the 16:9 TV is a perfect fit. Doesn't that look great! 1.85:1A common widescreen aspect ratio for many movies. A movie with this aspect ratio will fit quite well on a standard 16:9 high-definition TV screen as it is almost the same shape. What Will it Look Like On My TV?
On the 4:3 television the result is very similar to the one with the 1.78:1 aspect ratio. However the black bars at the top and bottom will be slightly bigger - and therefore the actual image will be smaller. We can zoom in to remove the bars - and some of the action too! A 1.85:1 movie on a 16:9 screen does actually have some letterboxing, but as this shape is a pretty good fit the bars at the top and bottom will be quite small. In fact, with overscan on, you won't actually see them at all. If you turn overscan off you will get small bars at the top and bottom - but you also get a bit more of the image left and right. 2.39:1Also known as Panavision or CinemaScope. A popular aspect ratio for major movie releases. Historically, this aspect ratio was actually 2.35:1, but it switched to 2.39:1 in the 1970's. It is also commonly rounded up to 2.40:1. Therefore you may see any of these three versions recorded on the DVD box - although they are essentially the same thing. What Will it Look Like On My TV?
The 4:3 television will have huge black bars at the top and bottom, and the movie will be that small colourful bit somewhere in the middle! Again, as with the previous aspect ratios, zooming in can reduce the bars but it will also make the image less-defined and cause a loss of the picture at either side. 
Note! Potential plasma TV problems such as screen burn-in could be affected by the use of black bars for letterboxing. In the early stages of using a new plasma TV (the first 100 hours or so), it is often advised to change the colour of the bars from black to a lighter colour such as gray. This can usually be done in the setup menu of the TV or the DVD/Blu-ray player. On the 16:9 TV, this is probably the one that annoys people most. We spend all this money on a huge 60 inch widescreen technological phenomenon, and then when we play a DVD or Blu-ray a third of the screen is covered with black bars at the top and bottom! I guess we should have tried to find a 1.85:1 version of the movie! If we want to keep the aspect ratio in the way the director intended, then we have little choice but to leave it with the letterboxing. Alternatively, we can zoom in the image to remove the bars, but we will then lose some of the action from left and right - and after all, having this extra width is the whole point of shooting the movie in 2.39:1. DVD Aspect Ratio SummaryIt can be quite confusing when we start thinking about the Blu-ray or DVD aspect ratio. As there are a few different variations, it can be difficult to understand why the picture sometimes looks different on our television screens. However, when you understand what is happening with your HDTV aspect ratio, and why, then it isn't so difficult to see what is going on. The main benefit of understanding this issue is that you can look out for the aspect ratio of a Blu-ray or DVD disc before you buy it, and you may make a better choice for your TV equipment. Can't find what you are looking for?Back from DVD Aspect Ratio to Home Cinema & Home Theater Guide Homepage |
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