But if your film will be featured in the cinema, you could shoot in a 1.85:1 or even 2.39:1 aspect ratio to give your movie a more cinematic feel. The most straightforward option is to use 1.85:1 and 2.39:1 for films that will be projected in movie theatres and 16:9 for television, web, and streaming platforms.
The resolution 1920×1080 (1080p) is quite a bit wider than it is tall. The ratio of its width to height is 16 to 9, represented as an aspect ratio 16:9.
4K, also known as “DCI 4K,” is a format commonly used in high-end movie production. Its resolution is 4096 x 2160 and its aspect ratio is 1.90∶1, which is slightly wider than UHD or 16x9.
However, the slightly wider DCI 4K (4096 x 2160) is usually used in cinema. 4K is approximately four times higher resolution than the previous HD format of 1080p.
In television and consumer media, 3840 × 2160 (4K UHD) with a 16:9 aspect ratio is the dominant 4K standard, whereas the movie projection industry uses 4096 × 2160 (DCI 4K).
Widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio 1440p requires 2560×1440 (WQHD) resolution, possible with WQXGA, 2560×1920, or higher resolution with letterboxing, scaling, or windowboxing. The HDMI 1.3 specification supports WQXGA, and hence widescreen 1440p.
16:9 is the best aspect ratio for video. It is the industry standard for most digital devices, including HDTVs, computer monitors, and smartphones. It also provides a wide viewing area and is the optimal format for widescreen content.
The most important thing to ensure when shooting video is that your shutter speed matches your frame rate. And if you want to achieve that cinematic look, with just the right amount of motion blur, you need to shoot at 1/50 with a frame rate of 24fps (frames per second).
I think it was partly because 30 FPS is closer to 25 FPS which is what our brains perceive as cinematic when watching film. I decided to cap my framerate at 25 just to keep things consistent and lo and behold, my experience playing became far more immersive.
For example, if you want your video to look more cinematic, you'd add black bars to the top and bottom of your video, since many cinemas use widescreen technology, and sometimes their aspect ratio can be as wide as 4:1, which is usually used in IMAX cinemas.
Which aspect ratio is the best? Choosing the aspect ratio to use mainly depends on your camera as well as the type of photographs you want to take. For instance, if you're going to shoot panoramic landscapes, then 16:9 would be ideal. And if you want to upload your images to Instagram, then consider 1:1.
Today's standard 16:9 came about as a compromise between theater aspect ratios and television's 4:3 format. The 16:9 aspect ratio allowed for the comfortable viewing of both older television programs and blockbuster films, without having to crop and “pan and scan” either format to fit well on the screen.
2560 x 1440 is popular because it strikes a balance between resolution and performance. It offers better clarity than full high definition (Full HD) (1080p) but is less demanding on graphics cards compared to 4K resolution, making it a good choice for gamers and content creators.
While 1440p monitors have more than 1.5 times as many pixels as their 1080p counterparts, 4K monitors offer four times as many pixels compared to 1080p models. That said, 4K monitors often have significantly lower refresh rates than the other two screen types.
Is there a big difference between 1080p and 1440p? Yes, the difference between 1080p and 1440p is noticeable. 1440p monitors offer 78% more pixels than the Full HD option. 1440p monitors have a more enhanced picture with better clarity by far.
A 16:9 ratio is typically seen as optimal because it is capable of the highest resolution. It is also easy to capture this aspect ratio on almost all devices.
Hence, while the 2160p resolution is 4K, it is essential to understand that "4K" and "2160p" focus on different aspects of the display resolution. "4K" emphasizes the horizontal resolution, while "2160p" highlights the vertical resolution.
Full HD is just another term for 1080p or 1920x1080, and those are all ways of referring to the same resolution. By contrast, 4K has a resolution of 3840x2160. That's a lot more pixels in the overall image — totaling over 8 million pixels. As always, the higher the resolution, the sharper the picture will be.
