Back to Glossary
1 min read

4:3

Published Date: 20 February 2023

What is 4:3?

4:3 is an aspect ratio in filmmaking that dates back to celluloid times. An aspect ratio denotes the width and height of an image or screen. It is used as a way to represent relations between the width and height of any display device, be it a screen, camera, or projector.

The 4:3 ratio refers to 4 units in width and three units in height. The units could be lines, pixels, inches, or anything. When dividing the width and height values, a value of 1.33 is observed.

Full-Screen Ratio

4:3 is commonly used to refer to computer screens and television. If a camera with a 4:3 aspect ratio is used in filming, the resulting image or video will fit perfectly onto the screen with the same aspect ratio. This is also the reason why this ratio is called the Full Screen ratio. It is also worth noting that images or videos filmed in a 4:3 ratio can only fit into display screens in other ratios with zooming or cropping.

Features of 4:3

  • It is commonly referred to as four-three, four-by-three, or four to three
  • It is also called a 1.33:1 ratio
  • The widescreen format can be resized to fit the 4:3 format.

Different 4:3 Resolutions

Different screens of 4:3 aspect ratio with different resolutions will have various total pixel counts. An overview of multiple resolutions and pixel counts is as follows:

Resolution Pixel Count
640*480 307200
800*600 48000
1024*768 786432
1152*864 995328
1280*960 1228800
1600*1200 1920000
1920*1440 2764800
2048*1536 3145728
3840*2889 11059200
4096*3072 12582912

4:3 Use Cases

  • Modern IMAX formats use screens measuring 18 by 24 meters with an aspect ratio of 1.33:1 or 4:3 ratio.
  • As most TV screens are of 4:3 aspect ratio, TV shows and films intended for home releases are often shot in the 4:3 ratio.
  • It is the default ratio for 35 mm celluloid film.


Related Terms

480p

A media or a device with a 480p resolution has a maximum of 480 pixels on its screen's vertical plane.

4K

4K, or ultra HD, is today's highest high-definition (HD) display standard. It offers a resolution of 3,840 × 2,160 pixels—4 times that of 1080p videos.

Ready to get started?

Sign up and start optimizing your videos and images by up to 68% with Gumlet. No credit card is required. No credit card is required. You can also reach out to get a custom pricing estimate or to schedule a demo

Optimizing videos is hard, but
our pricing is not

Simple per-minute pricing with no hidden fees.
Pricing details

Effortlessly integrate Gumlet into your existing stack

Upload with API and set webhooks for output in minutes.
Integration guide