Video resolution is the number of pixels (or individual points of color) contained in each frame of the video. Documentaries can have a mix of footage clips that are in 1:1, 4:3, 16:9, and 9:16 aspect ratios. If a movie has a more “cinematic” feel with black bars at the top and bottom, the film might be at a 1.85:1 or 2.39:1 aspect ratio, which are common widescreen formats for movie theaters. Most people associate anamorphic with a cinematic feel.įilm and Television: When you watch movies and tv shows on a streaming platform, they are formatted to fit your TV screen in a 16:9 aspect ratio. When displayed on a 16:9 screen, you will see black bars (letter boxes) on the top and bottom to accommodate for the wider field of view. Anamorphic can be displayed by a 2.39:1 aspect ratio. What is anamorphic widescreen?Īnamorphic is a widescreen picture on standard 35 mm film with a non-widescreen native aspect ratio. This format is often used in filmmaking to create a super cinematic feel. In filmmaking, it might also be referred to as Panavision, CinemaScope (2.35:1), or Anamorphic (2.39:1), even though each format has a slightly different ratio. 21:9 (Cinematic Widescreen)Ģ1:9 is the aspect ratio for ultra-widescreen or cinematic widescreen, often shown as 2.33:1. Camcorders and video cameras before the 2000s recorded in 4:3 - just a little wider than a square. 4:3 (Fullscreen)Ĥ:3 was the aspect ratio for the standard “fullscreen” format before widescreen TVs became more common for consumers. Making 1:1 videos is great for Instagram, Facebook and other social media video posts. 1:1 (Square)ġ:1 is the aspect ratio for square video. This is the ideal aspect ratio to use for Instagram reels and TikTok. It’s a perfect 90-degree flip of a 16:9 video. 9:16 (Vertical)ĩ:16 is the aspect ratio for vertical videos we view on our phones. What is the aspect ratio of widescreen video? 16:9 is the aspect ratio for standard widescreen video, and it’s the aspect ratio that smartphones and tablets record in, as well as DSLRs and most camcorders.

Square frame video