Video Formats
This page shows the effective resolution of
Resolution Defined: Generally, resolution is defined in terms of the maximum number of alternating black and white lines that can be clearly recorded or transmitted or displayed using the video format in question. For example, if the horizontal resolution is 300 (like NTSC video on VHS tape) you can record and display 300 vertical lines of alternating black and white — that's 150 black lines and 150 white lines. Note that the lines are vertical, but the resolution being measured is in the horizontal direction, because that's the direction in which the alternation between black and white occurs.
Note: These "Video Formats" refer to methods of transmission, storage and display of video using electronic devices, like TV sets and DVD players. A few physical film formats are shown for comparison, but for a more complete list of physical film formats (which includes issues like the dimensions of the portion of the film frame used to hold the image) see this table of Film Formats. It illustrates the difference between, for example, the different cropped "Academy" formats adopted by the major studios in 1953, all of which differ only in how much of the frame is actually used for an image.
| name | year | aspect ratio | resolution | notes |
| Edison Kinetograph | 1889 | 1.33:1 | 2048×1556 | see Film Note |
| NTSC | 192x | 1.33:1 | 460×480 | see Analog Note |
| Super 35 | 192x | 1.32:1 | 2048×1556 | see Film Note |
| Academy | 1932 | 1.37:1 | 1828×1332 | see Film Note |
| cropped Academy | 195x | 1.85:1 | 1828×988 | see Film Note |
| Panavision | 1959 | 2.35:1 | 1828×1556 | see Film Note |
| Super Panavision 70 | 1959 | 2.20:1 | 4096×1840 | see Film Note |
| NTSC on VHS | 197x | 1.33:1 | 300×480 | see Analog Note |
| NTSC analog laser | 197x | 1.33:1 | 560×480 | see Analog Note |
| VGA monitor | 198x | 1.33:1 | 640×480 | |
| SVGA 800 | 199x | 1.33:1 | 800×600 | |
| NTSC on DVD | 199x | 1.33:1 | 720×480 | |
| 16:9 on NTSC | 197x | 1.78:1 | 460×360 | see Analog Note |
| 16:9 on VHS | 197x | 1.78:1 | 300×360 | see Analog Note |
| 16:9 on laserdisc | 197x | 1.78:1 | 560×360 | see Analog Note |
| 16:9 on DVD | 199x | 1.78:1 | 720×480 | |
| 16:9 on VGA | 199x | 1.78:1 | 640×360 | |
| 16:9 in 4:3 on DVD | 199x | 1.78:1 | 720×360 | |
| Panavision in 16:9 DVD | 199x | 2.35:1 | 720×408 | |
| Panavision in 4:3 DVD | 199x | 2.35:1 | 720×306 | |
| HDTV 1080 Progressive | 199x | 1.78:1 | 1920×1080 |
Film Note: Resolution of analog formats depends on exposure level, aperture, film "speed" and other lens/focus phenomena.
Analog Note: Resolution in horizontal direction (but not vertical) depends on modulation method, carrier bandwidth, signal strength and other "waveform" phenomena. Also, color resolution (U and V channels in YUV space) typically have even lower resoloution than that shown here.
This page was written in the "embarrassingly readable" markup language RHTF, and was last updated on 2002 Apr 18.
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