Ultrawide formats refers to photos, videos,[1] and displays[2] with aspect ratios greater than 2.
Cameras usually capture ultra-wide photos and videos using an anamorphic format lens, which shrinks the extended horizontal field-of-view (FOV) while saving on film or disk.
Smartphones began moving to this aspect ratio since late 2010s with the release of Samsung Galaxy S8, advertised as 18:9.
21:9 is a consumer electronics (CE) marketing term to describe the ultra-widescreen aspect ratio of 64:27 (211⁄3:9) = 1024:432 for multiples of 1080 lines.
This allows electronic scalers and optical anamorphic lenses to use an easily implementable 4:3 (1.33) scaling factor.
In 2016, IMAX announced the release of films in Ultra-WideScreen 3.6 format,[6][failed verification] with an aspect ratio of 18:5 (36:10).
[7] A year later, Samsung and Phillips announced 'super ultra-wide displays', with aspect ratio of 32:9, for "iMax-style cinematic viewing".
[8] Panacast developed a 32:9 webcam with three integrated cameras giving 180° view, and resolution matching upcoming 5K 32:9 monitors, 5120x1440.
Developed by CJ CGV in 2012, ScreenX uses three (or more) projectors to display 270° content,[10] with an unknown aspect ratio above 4.