There are a lot of letters and numbers associated with High-Definition TV. Almost too many to comprehend and far too many to learn all at once. If you're buying a new HDTV however, you'll want to consider the aspect ratio. If you already have an HDTV, you may have had some experience with letterboxing (black bars at the top and bottom of your TV screen) or pillar boxing or sidebars (black bars on both sides of your TV screen.)

Aspect ratio is simply the relationship between the height and width of your TV screen. We've all been used to 4:3 which is 4 units across the top by 3 units down the side. When all of the video we watched was produced in 4:3 aspect ratio we didn't have a problem with it because the show or movie completely filled our TV screens. We didn't even need to know about it.

Now, with HDTV becoming increasingly popular, we need to know about it. If everyone on TV is looking bloated and fat or tall and skinny, you may have an aspect ratio problem.

Most HDTV programming is filmed in 16:9 aspect ratio. You'll notice a 16:9 HDTV by its rectangular shape, although with most of them you can change the aspect ratio to 4:3 if you need to.

Say you've had an HDTV for a while or even just bought a new one with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Here's what you're in for: Since almost all HDTV programming is filmed in 16:9 aspect ratio, you'll have to put up with horizontal black bars above and below the image when you watch High Definition programming. With aspect ratio control, you can stretch the image to fill the screen but you'll lose the clarity that HDTV is famous for.

On the other hand, if you purchase a widescreen 16:9 HDTV, you'll experience fewer problems, but as long as there is still TV programming filmed in 4:3 aspect ratio, you'll have this dilemma. If your TV or video source has aspect ratio control, there are some things you can do to make the situation better. For one thing, just by watching standard TV (4:3) on a widescreen HDTV (16:9) you'll have black or gray bars on the right and left of the screen. You can use the zoom control on the HDTV or DVD to blow up the image. By doing this, the screen will be filled but the image won't be as sharp and there may be some detail missing at the top and bottom of the screen.

There are ways to eliminate or minimize the aspect ratio problem. Knowledge really is power when you're shopping for a High-Definition TV set. By educating yourself on what your needs are and what you're purchasing you stand an excellent chance of avoiding headaches later on.

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