# Will 16:9 remain the standard aspect ratio for TV's and computers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 30, 2017, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739 "2017-05-30T23:06:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/1 "2017-05-30T23:06:44Z")
Say in the next 20 years, do you think 16:9 will remain the standard aspect ratio for TVs, computers and laptops? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/2 "2017-05-30T23:56:43Z")
Probably not. Not as a strong standard anyway. There’s no great need for a standard aspect ratio in a digital world. 16:9 will still be around in 20 years, but so will competing formats and new devices that won’t be bound to a standard. The standard made mechanical cameras and projectors practical, digital devices can deal with any aspect ratio. ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2017, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/3 "2017-05-30T23:59:19Z")
I just don’t want the classic movies and shows made in 4:3 becoming ever more letterboxed. Or 16:9 being eliminated by the studios totally the way 4:3 was. I guess my old 16:9 and 4:3 films are headed for the dust bin of history. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/4 "2017-05-31T00:06:12Z")
There may be a need to change that to ignite sales of the new standard 16:9.1 standard, not that is needed, but it will spur sales so people don’t have to watch that thin black line. But right now things like 4k and HDR offer enough to play with to get people to upgrade. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/5 "2017-05-31T00:07:52Z")
> [@Reddy\_Mercury](#): > > I just don’t want the classic movies and shows made in 4:3 becoming ever more letterboxed. Or 16:9 being eliminated by the studios totally the way 4:3 was. I guess my old 16:9 and 4:3 films are headed for the dust bin of history. The devices will keep increasing in resolution. Any ‘letterboxing’ will only be the result of having a device with a different aspect ratio than the image, nothing will be cut off or stretched in the image unless you want it to be. If you want to see a Panavision in it’s original format you can, or you can choose to have the sides cut off. It won’t be long before you can program most devices for any aspect ratio you want instead of a few options. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/6 "2017-05-31T00:16:16Z")
It’s going to be 9:16 or 3:4 or whatever the heck vertical iPhones are at that point. ---
**Author:** ![igor\_frankensteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/839c29/32.png) [@igor\_frankensteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/igor_frankensteen)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/7 "2017-05-31T00:21:17Z")
> [@Reddy\_Mercury](#): > > Say in the next 20 years, do you think 16:9 will remain the standard aspect ratio for TVs, computers and laptops? I’d guess it’s unlikely. It isn’t even a standard now. TV’s are still changing unpredictably. Curved screens are trying to become popular. And films are still being made in multiple aspect ratios. I still can’t buy a TV that will show me 2.35 films ( the size of a lot of the best epic films) on a full screen. I hope someday to buy a TV that will. but I bet I’ll never get a chance to see How The West Was Won as originally intended, without letterboxing. ---
**Author:** ![Weisshund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ba8739/32.png) [@Weisshund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weisshund)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/8 "2017-05-31T00:43:31Z")
My monitors are 1.6:1 or in normal speak 16:10 I imagine some semblance of this aspect ratio will be around for the foreseeable future? It works better for playing back 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 than a 4:3 standard TV does. You choice there is tiny crushed letter boxing, or lossy pan and scan madness (lossy meaning you lose pieces of the picture) And 4:3 content plays back fine, are the black bars in the otherwise unused portions of the screen that terrible? I will happily accept a 4.00:1 monitor though 😃 What aspect ration is average human vision? (i know google will say 4:3, but that does not seem correct to what i see with my own eyes?) ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/9 "2017-05-31T01:07:10Z")
> [@igor\_frankensteen](#): > > I still can’t buy a TV that will show me 2.35 films ( the size of a lot of the best epic films) on a full screen. I hope someday to buy a TV that will. but I bet I’ll never get a chance to see How The West Was Won as originally intended, without letterboxing. Just buy a bigger TV. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/10 "2017-05-31T01:45:19Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > The devices will keep increasing in resolution. Any ‘letterboxing’ will only be the result of having a device with a different aspect ratio than the image, nothing will be cut off or stretched in the image unless you want it to be. If you want to see a Panavision in it’s original format you can, or you can choose to have the sides cut off. It won’t be long before you can program most devices for any aspect ratio you want instead of a few options. So basically one day, 4:3 content will be no bigger (in terms of being squished into the middle of a screen) than an old camera slide. Great. All those old movies and tv shows and games made in that format are dead…Hopefully the moguls light the negatives on fire. ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/11 "2017-05-31T01:47:17Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > My monitors are 1.6:1 or in normal speak 16:10 > > I imagine some semblance of this aspect ratio will be around for the foreseeable future? > > It works better for playing back 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 than a 4:3 standard TV does. > You choice there is tiny crushed letter boxing, or lossy pan and scan madness > (lossy meaning you lose pieces of the picture) > \*\*And 4:3 content plays back fine, are the black bars in the otherwise unused portions of the screen that terrible? > \*\* > I will happily accept a 4.00:1 monitor though 😃 > > What aspect ration is average human vision? > (i know google will say 4:3, but that does not seem correct to what i see with my own eyes?) When it’s squished in the middle of GIGANTIC black bars in the screen like a slide on a projector…Yeah. Which it seems is the future. I bet they’ll make it so I can’t even buy a 16:9 computer or TV…The race to rewrite, crush and destroy history by the Frankfurt School marches ever on. ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/12 "2017-05-31T01:49:54Z")
This is the future lol. Such a shit time period. [![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Photo_of_content_with_4x3_aspect_ratio_on_21x9_TV.jpg) ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Photo_of_content_with_4x3_aspect_ratio_on_21x9_TV.jpg) Classic movies reduced to slides. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/13 "2017-05-31T01:50:29Z")
> [@Reddy\_Mercury](#): > > When it’s squished in the middle of GIGANTIC black bars in the screen like a slide on a projector…Yeah. Which it seems is the future. I bet they’ll make it so I can’t even buy a 16:9 computer or TV…The race to rewrite, crush and destroy history by the Frankfurt School marches ever on. If it’s actually “squished” (as in distorted), then yeah, you have some settings wrong. If you are just talking about the black areas where there is no picture, then what’s the problem? ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/14 "2017-05-31T01:51:31Z")
> [@Reddy\_Mercury](#): > > This is the future lol. Such a shit time period. > [https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Photo\_of\_content\_with\_4x3\_aspect\_ratio\_on\_21x9\_TV.jpg](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Photo_of_content_with_4x3_aspect_ratio_on_21x9_TV.jpg) > Classic movies reduced to slides. Would you rather the picture get stretched and distorted? I don’t understand your complaint. ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/15 "2017-05-31T01:55:24Z")
> [@snfaulkner](#): > > Would you rather the picture get stretched and distorted? I don’t understand your complaint. It looks cheap and it’ll render video games unplayable. No one wants to see crap that looks so cheap. There’s no way to stop this is there? They will make it so 16:9 tvs and computers aren’t an available alternative. Gotta crush that history. Make it unwatchable. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/16 "2017-05-31T01:57:10Z")
> [@Reddy\_Mercury](#): > > Classic movies reduced to slides. Your objection doesn’t make any sense. The black bands along the sides detract very little from the image in the center. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/17 "2017-05-31T01:58:38Z")
> [@Reddy\_Mercury](#): > > It looks cheap and it’ll render video games unplayable. No one wants to see crap that looks so cheap. There’s no way to stop this is there? They will make it so 16:9 tvs and computers aren’t an available alternative. Gotta crush that history. Make it unwatchable. This…isn’t helping me understand. Games and movies and TV are all perfectly playable/watchable. Nothing looks “cheap”, or at least I still have no idea what you mean by that. ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/18 "2017-05-31T02:00:13Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Your objection doesn’t make any sense. The black bands along the sides detract very little from the image in the center. Why can’t 16:9 remain available as an alternative??? Why does it have to be pushed away to the ant heap of history??? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/19 "2017-05-31T02:19:47Z")
> [@Reddy\_Mercury](#): > > Why can’t 16:9 remain available as an alternative??? Why does it have to be pushed away to the ant heap of history??? So you want all display devices to maintain a 16:9 physical aspect ratio so there are no black bars around the image? Or do you just want all content to be recorded in 16:9 because some kind of Golden Ratio? Or both? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739/20 "2017-05-31T02:22:25Z")
> [@Weisshund](#): > > My monitors are 1.6:1 or in normal speak 16:10 I prefer 16:10 to 16:9 as well, but they’re considerably more expensive now but weren’t so much in the past, so I think it’s unlikely to supplant 1080p. Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-16-9-remain-the-standard-aspect-ratio-for-tvs-and-computers/787739.md?page=2)