homeboi808 t1_j6exkrv wrote on January 29, 2023 at 9:34 PM

Reply to comment by philmarcracken in Eli5: Why is the screen ratio 16:9 so common instead of something like 2:1 or even just 1:1? by sansgamer554

Yep, and tv since upgraded to 16x9. Hollywood movie have not, because they are wider, and it’d ruin that cinematic feel.

Well, certain IMAX movies/scenes are cropped to 16x9 from their originally taller former.

jaa101 t1_j6g9fpl wrote on January 30, 2023 at 2:45 AM

Movies now are generally 2.39:1 or 1.85:1 whereas the 16:9 used for TVs is 1.78:1. So TVs are actually very close to one of the common cinema aspect ratios; the movies are only 4% wider.