What is the difference between 16:9 and 4:3 aspect ratio?
Standard TV is displayed in a 4:3 aspect ratio; the video signal is 4 pixels wide for every 3 pixels high-the standard size box you are used to seeing on TV. The 16:9 aspect ratio is the wide image you would see at a movie theater or on a DVD with a “widescreen” setting; it is much wider than it is high. Plasma panels are available in a variety of configurations. Along with varying resolutions, panels come in two aspect ratios: 4:3 and 16:9. 4:3 ratio is the same as conventional televisions and computer monitors. Where, as is the case with current broadcast standards, the media has been formatted for these devices, 4:3 ratio delivers a quality picture that fills the entire screen. Presentations that have been prepared on conventional monitors will appear as they did on the original authoring platform, completely filling the screen. There is an exception in SXGA (1280 x 1024) resolutions, where the actual aspect ratio is 5:4, due to legacy issues of that pixel count.