Philips Announces 21:9 LCD Television

Philips forthcoming 56-inch Cinema 21:9 LCD TV will feature the same 21:9 aspect ratio used in movie theaters...and Philips' Ambilight background lighting.

Although one would think last week’s CES show would have been a great time to announce this product, Philips is starting to take the wraps off its new Cinema 21:9 LCD television, which is designed to let viewers experience movies on screen just as they would in theaters: with a super wide-screen 21:9 aspect ratio. Philips hasn’t released specs on the set—those should be coming at the end of February—but the unit will measure 56 inches diagonally and feature Philips’ Ambilight background lighting technology for a more immersive experience.

“With our unique Cinema 21:9 we have developed a television which takes you as close to the experience that you enjoy at the cinema as you can get without buying a ticket,” said Philips consumer lifestyle senior VP of of television marketing Des Power, in a statement. “We believe that to really become absorbed in watching a film at home consumers are looking for a real cinematic viewing experience, so we have launched the world’s first cinema-proportioned TV screen perfectly complemented by our immersive Ambilight technology.”

The idea behind the super-wide aspect ratio is the same as movie theaters: fill not only the center of a viewer’s vision, but also encompass the peripheral vision so viewers. The problem, of course, is that the vast majority of content that’s available in windscreen is formatted for a 16:9 aspect ratio, which won’t be able to take advantage of the complete screen area on a 21:9 display. Nonetheless, videophiles may find reasons to buy a 21:9 set, and if the format catches on, maybe more commercial content will become available.

Philips says the Cinema 21:9 will be available in “spring 2009;” no pricing information has been announced.