On Tue, 18 Feb 2003 20:29:42 GMT, "tj" <tj_spamtrap@mindspring.com> wrote:

>I've read that NTSC is 720x480. I've also read that it has a native aspect

>ratio of 4:3 (1.333), but 720/480 is 1.5.

>

>I'm lost.

>

>tj

We're all lost...! ;-)

NTSC is generally 4:3, with 480 (486) vertical lines

on the TV (not all of which can be seen) determined by

the scan line count, but the horizontal on the TV is not

a pixel-count, but a dimension filled with a resolution

determined by a bandwidth, which can vary (for analogue

TV, anyway...). DV-NTSC is specified as 720x480 (it could

have been 704x480, 900x480, 640x480, etc., but it isn't).

The pixel proportion is adjusted (.9:1) so that the

area covered is 4:3 - but if viewed with a square-pixel

system, the display *will* look elongated horizontally,

being 1:1.5, as you note...