The reselutions I prefer to use include:
640x480 (NTSC 4:3, HDTV 4:3)
576x768 (PAL 4:3)
800x600 (Res I drop to when watching movies that are larger then PAL or NTSC but smaller then my primary reselution 4:3)
1024x768 (Primary running reselution My desktop is at this most of the time 4:3)
1280x960 (HDTV 4:3)
1440x1080 (HDTV 4:3)
848x480 (HDTV 16:9 Note: Not a true 16:9 aspect but is accept by HDTV spec)
1280x720 (HDTV 16:9)
1920x1080 (HDTV 16:9)
1280x1024 is a very populer re****ion but it definitly is not a valid 4:3 (1280/1024=1.25) aspect however as was stated before in thsi thread not everything is a 4:3 or 16:9 aspect ratio. the most common is 4:3 but it;s not uncomon to find screens with a 5:4 or a 16:10 aspect along with 4:3 and 16:9
Some examples of 5:4 aspects are 640x512, 720x576, 800x640, 960x768, 1200x960, and of cource 1280x1024.
Some examples of 16:10 aapects are 576x360, 640x400, 720x450, 768x480, 960x600, 1024x640, and 1280x800
using a res with an aspect ratio not supported by yer monitor can cuase deforming in the image but this is veary easy to correct by adjusting the controlls on the monitor or adjusting the re****ion with a program called powerstrip (the way I do it).
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Power Strip alows me to use 16:9 aspect ratios on my 13 year old 4:3 Gayeway CrysyalScan with a proper aspect ratio (no deforming and strething). Sure I get black borders but hell it works.
some simple math for those that want to know varios ways to calculate an aspect ratio:
First we will asume you know the vertical reselution. 480 for example. If you want to find the corect horavantal reselution for a give aspect ratio you just do this.
480*4/3=640 valid 4:3 aspect ratio (no fractions)
480*5/4=600 valid 5:4 aspect
480*16/9=853.333333333333 there is no true 16:9 aspect for 480 and this res would just be rounded to the nearst whole number.
480*16/10=768 valid 16:10 aspect
This math works the same backwards assuming you know the horazantal reselution but not the vertical.
640/4*3=480
If you want to find the decimel version of the aspect just do this:
640/480=1.333333333333 (1.333:1 or 4:3)
640/512=1.250000000000 (1.250:1 04 5:4)
640/360=1.777777777778 (1.778:1 or 16:9)
640/400=1.600000000000 (1.600:1 or 16:10)
some comon aspect ratios you will run into in movies are:
1.332 (yes 1.332), 1.444, 1.555, 1.667 (european films in the 60's and 70's mostly), 1.850 (most common), 2.000, 2.200, 2.350 (second most common), 2.780 (only used a few times way back in the day and I may have it wrong here)
As for windows adjusting to non spec aspects. yes it will. The OS is pixles based so as a result no mater what aspect you pick it will only use that many pixles. it does not acctualy get any bigger or larger it only looks that way at higher and lower reselutions.
Windows will scale some elements vertical and horazantal though as needed. The task bar only will ever use say 50 vertical pixles but it can stretch horazantal to ajust for a wider screen without distorting it's image.
However your windows may seem wrong at none standard reselutions and this can give an illusion that the OS is being squeezed when it is now. You can adjust the windows sizes to your liking just by grabing the edges and strething them back out again. also you can adjust your minitors controlls or use power strip to cimpinsate. This is mostly a persived distortion rather then an acctual distortion tohugh and the adjustments made to your controlls or with power strip will infact be wrong but they may look corect to your eyes. Humans tend to see things funny. For most people if they stare at a 1:1 image it will have a illusion of being taller then it is wide when it's really the same on all 4 sides. This is why 4:3 looks square when it is definitly a rectangle.
Your wallpaper however will only be able to desplay at it;s native aspect ratio and it WILL look distorted on a none standard aspect as it is a fixed aspect ratio image. The same is true for video games.if they are built to be played at a spacific aspect ratio and they arnt given the ability to adjust the image to compinsate (there based on a fixed aspect) for non standard ratios then they will look destorted just like your wallpaper will.
I guess I should not be using "none standard" sence 4:3 is a standard aspect just not a standard 4:3 aspect. Anyway i'm rambling now and proly starting to error so i'll stop. Hopw this long bit of bad spelling and grammar is usfull to somone 🙂