ASPECT RATIO: The ratio of height to width of a frame or screen.

What is a native aspect ratio and why does it matter?

In case you aren't familiar with the term, "aspect ratio" means the number of units wide by the number of units high of your display. A 4:3 display produces an image that is more square, and a 16:9 ratio produces an image that is more panoramic in shape.

There are currently two commonly manufactured native aspect ratios available for fixed display devices like DLP and LCD projectors, and Flat Panel TVs. Those two aspect ratios are 4:3 format (like the televisions and monitors most of us use) and 16:9 (also known as widescreen) format.

There are also two different broadcast standards for television (16:9 format HDTV and 4:3 format NTSC) in the United States. DVD media also comes in both widescreen and standard output options. Therefore, there isn't one obvious native resolution solution.

So how do I watch everything I want on a 4:3 or 16:9 projector or LCD TV?

Unless you limit the type of material to one aspect ratio or the other, there has to be a tradeoff with either the 4:3 or the 16:9 options.

The good news is that the tradeoff doesn't mean you can't watch what you want. It simply means you will see black bars on the top and bottom or along the sides of your image when viewing material that does not match the native resolution of your LCD TV or projector. But based on the type of entertainment you watch most frequently, you can make an informed decision about which is best for you.

Which aspect ratio is best for you?

For business uses such as PowerPoint™ presentations and viewing spreadsheets, 4:3 displays are still your best bet. You will still be able to take your projector home and watch movies on the weekends.