DirecTV H20 - page 84

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Aspect Ratio
In addition to resolution and interlacing, a television pictu re 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 un its high (4:3).  is is the fam iliar shape of
conventional TVs—slightly wider tha n they are tall. SDTV and EDTV can be either 4:3 or 16:9. For
HDT V broadcasts, the aspect ratio is 16:9—ne arly twice as wide as it is tal l.  is is, not coincidenta lly,
more like the shape of movies shown in theaters, whic h makes HD an ideal format for viewing movie s
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 broadca st on a 16:9 TV, or vice versa?  e
DIRECTV HD Receiver le ts you choose from a variety of screen formats to deal w ith those scenarios.
You can set up your preferences for format during Guided Setup and ch ange them at any time.
See the next page for your options.