Widescreen
aspect ratio of a displayed image
Widescreen images are displayed within a set of aspect ratios (relationship of image width to height) used in film, television and computer screens.
For TV, the original screen ratio for broadcasts was in 4:3 (1.33:1). Largely between the 1990s and early 2000s, at varying paces in different countries, 16:9 (e.g. 1920×1080p 60p) widescreen displays came into increasingly common use by high definitions.
With computer displays, aspect ratios other than 4:3 (e.g. 1920×1440) are also referred to as "widescreen". Widescreen computer displays were previously made in a 16:10 aspect ratio (e.g. 1920×1200), but nowadays they are 16:9 (e.g. 1920×1080, 2560×1440, 3840×2160).
Film
History
Widescreen was first used for The Corbett-Fitzsimmons Fight (1897).
“Widescreen” enters the record as aspect ratio of a displayed image. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Widescreen, aspect and ratio can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Widescreen” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Widescreen, aspect and ratio provides the most credible route into that argument.
Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q752245. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1920, 1440, 1200 and 1080.
Overview language is designed for orientation and should not be treated as a substitute for the evidence cited beneath it. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.
- Subject orientation
- Search vocabulary
- Locating named sources
The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Widescreen”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Widescreen primary sources, Widescreen archive and Widescreen research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Widescreen”?
- What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
- Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Widescreen” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.