why WAS 720 chosen for DVD width?

[plonk420]

why was 720 chosen for DVD-Video width when players have to resize, anyways, be it 16:9 content as well as 4:3?

[Atak_Snajpera]

SD legacy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard-definition_television

[Firebird]

Read this:
http://lipas.uwasa.fi/~f76998/video/conversion/

[plonk420]

thanks!

i can see the need for a consistant sampling rate number, but at the same time, some of it flies over my head :D

[LocalH]

Players don't always have to resize. A 4:3 DVD played on an SDTV will be displayed without any resizing. A 16:9 DVD played on a widescreen SDTV will likewise be displayed without resizing.