Somebody needs to lay down the law on screen proportions, because there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it. So by the legal authority vested in me by nobody in particular, here they are.
• TV screens shall be 16:9. That’s what TV shows are almost universally recorded in, and most movies fit without too much top-and-bottom letterboxing. I think everybody is already on board with this one already, so my work here is done.
• Desktop computer monitors shall be 16:10. Apple had standardized on this proportion for a few years, until they gave it up with their 16:9 27″ display. They should go back to it. The reason is simple. When performing video editing, 16:10 allows you to view your work fullscreen, with a little extra space at the top or bottom for edit function buttons. Why anyone at Apple (or anywhere else for that matter) thought that 16:9 was a smart move, I have no idea. Let’s get it right from now on.
• Laptops shall also be 16:9, and for the same reason. Exceptions can and should be made for 11″ and under ultraportables.
• Tablets shall be 4:3, just like pre-Panavision movies and pre-HD televisions. Widescreen tablets are too skinny when held in portrait, especially for typing. And in landscape orientation, there’s hardly any screen left when the keyboard pops up. Besides, you think there’s some great widescreen effect from something small enough to rest in your hand? Enough already. 4:3 it is.
• Phones shall be… whatevs. So many different hands, so many different needs. Go wild. Just keep them under 4.5″. Those silly phablet phones make people look like they’re holding waffles up to the sides of their heads. And the last thing tech geeks need to be a given is another way to make themselves look ridiculous — I should know.
So VodkaPundit has written, so let it be done.
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