Image Width and Ratio

How come that on some channels the image seems as it comes from a labyrinth mirror? It’s all a question of ratios. On your old CRT unit the aspect was 4:3, which essentially means that for each 4 horizontal inches your screen would be 3 inches wide. However since images are precise this is translated to lines or pixels. In the case of High Def sets, the aspect is 16:9.

In the case of wide screen monitors, the ratio can even be 16:10. So if say in a standard definition Larry King’s face takes up 40 lines by 30 (as an example) if the same image will be distorted because of simple math. To keep a 4:3 ratio with a width of 16 you have to multiply by 4. So in order to keep the native ratio of 4:3 it would have to be 16:12. Since its 16:9 the image is shrunk on the vertical scale, thus sometimes resulting in a “fattening mirror” effect.

In order to correct this, you have to program your HD receiver to distinguish the native aspect ratio of a program and adjust the image by placing bars of solid color to each side of the image.

If you do not yet own an HD receiver, you can set this in your TV’s view or zoom menu. It is also advised to do this if you have a standard DVD player or previous generation gaming console. For your computer hook up, it’s best to set your video card to your TV’s native resolution in order to obtain best quality.