# PTE RL #14: The Evolution of Television Aspect...

Re-tell Lecture #14 - Level 2 - Feeds Speaking + Listening

> You will hear a lecture. When it ends, you have 10 seconds to prepare, then 40 seconds to retell the lecture in your own words.

## Explanation

The lecture explains that the original standard television aspect ratio was 4:3, which is a slightly rectangular shape. This ratio is still common in many TVs and computer monitors today. However, modern movie screens are much larger and have a different aspect ratio, making it difficult to fit them onto standard TV screens without manipulation. The speaker discusses potential solutions, such as squeezing the image or cutting parts of the movie, and mentions the pan and scan technique as a way to adapt the content.

## Hints

- Focus on the main topic: the mismatch between the 4:3 aspect ratio of traditional TVs and the wider aspect ratios of modern movies.
- Note the speaker's mention of potential solutions like squeezing the image, cutting parts of the movie, or using the pan and scan technique.

## Transcript

You know, back in the 40s and 50s, the original standard television had a 4-3 width-to-height ratio. That shape was chosen to be a slight rectangle, but still mostly square, thus having the maximal screen area for the given dimensions. And that's still the ratio on many TVs and computer monitors in today's homes. The problem is hardly anybody today creates video content in a 4-3 ratio. See, this whole problem started when people wanted to watch movies from the theater in the comfort of their own homes. Movie screens are considerably larger than our home television, but more important, the screen is a completely different rectangle and can't mathematically fit on our TV screens without manipulation. A typical TV is one and a third times wider than it is tall. Some movie screens could be up to three times as wide as it is tall. So what are we going to do to make it fit? Well, we have all kinds of options. Well, we could squeeze and stretch and mangle everything onto the screen to make it all fill up, and everyone would look ridiculously thin and compressed. The good news is, the sound would be just fine. Although I don't think people would be too happy about that option, particularly the actors in the movie. We could just cut a chunk of the original movie like a cookie cutter and just see that frame of the movie. Problem with that would be people and objects would be speaking from off the screen. Or even worse, they might be cut in half. Some movie editors use what's called the pan and scan technique to allow the full height of the TV screen to be used, but pick and choose what section of the original movie should be shown on your screen, thus eliminating the annoying cutting of people.

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