Is 4:3 dead?

Are any of you selling clips that have the 4:3 aspect anymore? I don't see any TVs or monitors of that size coming out these days. I usually create crops of my clips that are that size but I'm thinking of stopping that because I haven't sold one in several months and it would lighten my workflow by a step. Anybody else selling any?

occasionally 3-4/month

I spoke to a producer I work with today about that very subject. She said there is still some 4:3 production going on and can't understand why. I personally do everything 16:9 and occasionally crop to NTSC if I have nothing better to do. I suspect that 4:3 will phase out gradually. The area I've been asked to do 4:3 recently by clients has been mostly for Power Point imbedded video , some web work, and live presentations for corporate clients . There may also be stuff like kiosks that have existing older displays or the more square format just fits better. I have not done any broadcast work 4:3 since 2004.

Bill

Non-broadcast distribution is how I see it also going forward.... for SD resolutions.

I'm not only a seller, I'm a buyer, too. I work in the "industry" creating projects for cable companies, and I can tell you, 95% of my work still leaves the building on a BetaCam SP tape.

When we are asked for HD, it's always been 720. I have never had a request for 1080--yet.

So, I think 4x3 SD is staying around for a while.

But, I have started to work in 16x9 720p, keeping a close eye on the 4x3 safe margins. I then deliver a 4x3 cropped master. That way, if the client asks for HD, I already have it done.

When we buy clips, we try to only buy 720p versions. Which is why I think Pond5 is missing the boat not downsizing our 1080 clips.

I am in my first year here. I have sold 2 - 4:3 SD clips, 2 16:9 SD clips and 1 1080i HD clip. Almost all my clips are 16:9 SD. I have wondered If I should crop my clips to 4:3 or leave it to the buyer.

What I started doing was delivering everything widescreen format and everyone loves it, so why go back to a box format, TV's these days aren't 4:3

Not all countries have digital sets.

Some very valid points. I also think that a lot of footage may only exist in 4:3. For example I am just copying some material that was shot during the construction of Disneyland Paris (when it was still called Euro Disney). This material may have some historic / news interest.

I still sell 5-10 a month