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Aspect Ratio
In addition to resolution and interlacing, a television picture is also defi ned by its aspect ratio—
referring to the shape of the screen as defi ned by the ratio of the screen’s width to its height.
For analog TV, the aspect ratio is 4 units wide by 3 units high (4:3). is is the familiar shape of
conventional TVs—slightly wider than they are tall. SDTV and EDTV can be either 4:3 or 16:9. For
HDTV broadcasts, the aspect ratio is 16:9—nearly twice as wide as it is tall. is is, not coincidentally,
more like the shape of movies shown in theaters, which makes HD an ideal format for viewing movies
on TV. You will be able to see much of what is captured on fi lm, but lost on an SDTV display.
Screen Formats
What if you’re watching a nearly square-shaped 4:3 broadcast on a 16:9 TV, or vice versa? e
DIRECTV HD Receiver lets you choose from a variety of screen formats to deal with those scenarios.
You can set up your preferences for format during Guided Setup and change them at any time.
See the next page for your options.
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