storage aspect ratio (SAR)

The ratio between an image’s width and height when it’s stored. Storage aspect ratio can differ from display aspect ratio (DAR), resulting in a file that must be stretched or squeezed during playback to appear correct. This disparity can allow a camera format limited to 4:3 recording to successfully record a widescreen image by “squeezing” the image during recording. If the image is unsqueezed during playback, it will display correctly in its widescreen aspect ratio. This is called an anamorphic image.