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.