Why 16 x 9? Why not 18 x 9? (1 Viewer)

[Tom Martin]

Almost every movie i buy is in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio. So, i end up with the black bars on my widescreen HDTV. Albeit thinner, but still there! Why aren't TVs made a bit wider to accomodate these movies?

 

[Vince Maskeeper]

Well, any aspect will be a compromise-- as if it was 2.35:1 then all other content would be boxed on the sides. The 1.78:1 seemed like a decent compromise between the 4:3 TV aspect and the 2.35:1 wide film aspect.

 

[Neil Joseph]

It would take 300 years for the general public to accept 2.35:1 a.r. TV's.

 

[Garrett Lundy]

Most movies are in 2.40:1 anyway..still black bars. Not to worry, as soon as everyone has widescreen TVs, directors will shoot movies in 1.33:1 again, just for their "artistic visions".

 

[Ernest Yee]

Yeah - it seems like the only way to avoid it these days is to use Front Projection.

 

[Brad Grenz]

With some of those automatic curtains that move to match the aspect ratio like in a theater!

 

[Jared Rachwalsk]

That was the standard developed for HDTV.