Datasheet
STANDARD SIZE NOTES
VGA (Video Graphics Array) 640 × 480 Formerly, the standard computing resolution and
still a popular television resolution for tape output.
720 × 486 The standard resolution for broadcast television in
North America.
NTSC DV 720 × 480 Close to the NTSC D1 resolution, this is the typical
resolution of digital video cameras.
PAL (Phase Alternation Line) 720 × 586 The standard broadcast resolution for most Euro-
pean countries.
HDTV (High Definition TV) 1920 × 1080 The emerging television standard, sometimes also
referred to as 1080i.
1024 × 768 Typically, the lowest allowable resolution for film
production at Academy ratio. Because film is an
optical format (whereas TV is a raster format),
there is no real set defined resolution for film. Suf-
fice it to say, the higher the better.
2048 × 1556 Most studios output CG for film at this resolution,
which gives the best size-to-performance ratio.
4094 × 3072 A high resolution for film, used for highly detailed
shots.
Any discussion of resolution must include the matter of aspect ratio. Aspect ratio is
the ratio of the screen’s width to its height. There are a variety of standard aspect ratios
(Table 1.2).
STANDARD SIZE NOTES
Academy Standard 1.33:1 or 4:3 The most common aspect ratio. The width is 1.33
times the length of the height. This is the NTSC
(National Television Standards Committee) televi-
sion aspect ratio as well as the aspect ratio of
16mm films and some 35mm films, especially
classics such as Gone with the Wind.
Widescreen TV 1.78:1 or 16:9 With HD and widescreen TVs gaining popularity,
the 16:9 standard is commonplace now. This
aspect is used in HD programming and is also the
aspect ratio of many widescreen computer moni-
tors and laptops. This aspect is very close to how
most films are displayed (1.85:1, as seen below)
1.85:1 The most often used 35mm film aspect today.
When it’s displayed on a television, horizontal
black bars appear above and below the picture so
that the edges are not cropped off (This is called
letterboxing).
Anamorphic Ratio 2.35:1 Using a special lens (called an anamorphic lens),
an image originally captured on 35mm film is
squeezed. When played back with a projector
with an anamorphic lens, the image is projected
at a width 2.35 times its height. On a standard TV,
the letterboxing would be more severe to avoid
cropping the sides.
Widescreen Film
(aka, Academy Flat)
Table 1.2
Standard Aspect
Ratios
4K Academy (4K is 4000 pixels
across)
2K Academy (2K refers to
2000 pixels across)
1K Academy (1K refers to
1000 pixels across)
NTSC D1 (National Television
System Committee)
Table 1.1
Typical Video
Resolutions
22 ■ chapter 1: Basic Concepts
84943c01.qxd 12/4/07 3:21 PM Page 22