Philips has just confirmed the Cinema 21:9 ultra widescreen TV with movie theatre proportions will launch in just two weeks’ time, bringing 21:9 pictures to the living room, with a touch of Ambilight technology thrown in for good measure.
The Cinema 21:9 TV, shown in the picture to the right, will debut at a Philips event on the 29th and begin shipping in Germany, Belgium, France and the UK.
If it takes off, it’ll put an end to black bars around films on 16:9 TVs, and will be a true revolution in home entertainment.
At 56 inches across, it’s a bit of a whopper, and promises to seem even bigger in the flesh, since its movie-style ratio will mean the Cinema 21:9 won’t waste an inch of its display. Philips will reproduce exactly what you’d see at the cinema – edge to edge pictures, and with Ambilight mood lighting around the edges too, but in front of the sofa, and without the popcorn-covered floor.
There are no prices or firm release dates for the Cinema 21:9 yet, but we’ll be in attendance on the 29th, so expect the full hands-on treatment then.
Out TBC | £TBC | Philips
That’s going to be a right pain until every TV channel etc makes the switchover. Can you imagine watching a 4:3 show on that? Be brilliant if everything jumps to that ratio though.
Wouldn’t it just put black bars down the side, with a 4:3 displayed correctly in the centre of the screen, same as a 16:9 display does now? They’d just be wider black bars.
That’s exactly what would happen Abo. If it tried to stretch a 4:3 image it would look absurd! Those black lines down the side would be massive though…
Yeah, that’s what I meant – you’d essentially be watching a 26 inch screen instead of 56 since the bars would be so wide!