The full 16:9 aspect ratio is listed in DVD Profiler's drop-down menu as 1.78:1. There are, however, some distributors who consistently list this on their DVD covers as 1.77:1 - the content's actual aspect ratio is exactly the same in both cases, it's just a matter of whether the distributor is rounding up or down. The question is: do we diligently copy what's on the cover, or do we simply user DVD Profiler's 1.78:1 standard as available in the drop-down menu?

The same applies to 2:39:1 and 2.40:1. Warner, for instance, consistently puts 2.40:1 on their covers, while Fox uses 2.39:1. There again, these don't relate to an actual difference in the actual aspect ratio - it's merely about how the distributor chooses to list it on the cover.

Agree with Mithi to round up in this case.

In terms of the poll, I can't agree with either option as what is on the cover is commonly wrong and the default options aren't always the correct aspect ratio for a given release.  My preferred answer is to measure what is actually on the disc and then round up or down based on standard rounding rules.

Quoting rdodolak:

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What is actually on the disc and then round up or down based on standard rounding rules.

GSyren is right: we all agree that if the *actual*, measured aspect ratio deviates from what the cover says, that we enter what it *is*, rather than what the cover states. But that wasn't what I was asking, hence no "Other" option. My question was about when the same actual aspect ratio is described by various distributors in slightly different ways on covers.

Quoting mreeder50:

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I don't agree with either option. Measure with a screen gauge.

If the measured AR is within a percent or two of any of DVDP's drop-down values, use the appropriate drop down value.  If we're going to be nitpicky we have to say that 16:9 is 1.7777777777777777777777777777...

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Quoting T!M:

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Quoting rdodolak:

Quote:
What is actually on the disc and then round up or down based on standard rounding rules.

GSyren is right: we all agree that if the *actual*, measured aspect ratio deviates from what the cover says, that we enter what it *is*, rather than what the cover states. But that wasn't what I was asking, hence no "Other" option. My question was about when the same actual aspect ratio is described by various distributors in slightly different ways on covers.

Thank you for clarifying and also after reading your updated post, sans measuring the aspect ratio from the actual disc, I have to lean more toward copying what is actually found on the cover.  The reason is because I've seen many releases, for example, where the actual measured aspect ratio from the disc can actually be either 2.40:1 (1920 x 800 px.) or 2.39:1 (1920 x 803/804 px.).  Thus selecting the default DVDProfiler option of 2.40:1, when the cover states 2.39:1 may be wrong since the actual ratio might actually be 2.39:1.  Then again, I've seen where the cover states 2.39:1, but the measured aspect ratio is actually 2.35:1.

I'm not sure if I've come across many, if any, that have a listed aspect ratio of 1.77:1, when the actual ratio is 1.78:1, but I don't buy many DVDs these days, since I favor Blu-rays, so maybe it is a more common practice with DVDs.  Sans measuring the aspect ratio, there doesn't seem to be a one size fits all solution.