SMPTE RP 2046-2-2009

This Recommended Practice specifies Safe Areas that should be used when composing 16:9 images that will be presented on both 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratio displays. The choice of whether the image, having been captured in one aspect ratio, should be cropped for presentation in the other is dictated by creative and business factors. This Practice is intended to offer guidance on how best to compose the image once the presentation decision has been made.

The preferred display (cropped or not) should be signaled to downstream devices using Active Format Description (AFD) as defined in SMPTE 2016-1. The recommended Safe Areas are defined in the context of the AFD states in SMPTE 2016-1, primarily using the Safe Area and Safe Title Areas defined in SMPTE ST 2046-1.