When the resolution to a camcorder is 720x480 as opposed to 640x480 does 720 mean it's for widescreens?

Question

Here's what I'm trying to compare:

http://cameras.pricegrabber.com/camcorders/m/62464111/details/st=product_tab/

AND THIS:

http://cameras.pricegrabber.com/camcorders/m/62094397/details/st=product_tab/

Answer 1

720x480 is the standard format for both DVD and most MiniDV camcorders. It can be a widescreen format, but it generally means the video is displayed using non-square pixels.

Answer 2

Oddly, both of these represent 4:3 ratios. Obviously 640X480 mathematically works out right to 4:3, or 1.333. But the difference refers to the shape of the pixel. 640X480 is square pixels, like computers use. But the NTSC standard uses non-square pixels, so it works out to 720X480, which is the standard DVD or miniDV aspect ratio.