Subscribe by EmailPhilips Launches 21:9 Television display
January 21, 2009 by Geeks are Sexy | 3 comments
Even though 16:9 displays have become quite mainstream in 2009, support for this aspect ratio in the consumer market is only a few years old. Everyone loves watching widescreen movies – still, for some people, 16:9 still isn’t wide enough.
Philips will soon be launching a new television set supporting an aspect ratio of 21:9 – the same aspect ratio as you’d find in Panavision film. The new “Cinema 21:9 LCD TV” will have a diagonal of 56 inches and will feature the Ambilight technology, for that extra degree of immersion.
The tradeoff, of course, is that (if my trigonometry is right) is that HD programs will have an effective viewing area of 45″ and SD programs, an effective viewing area or 36″, though Philips says it will somehow make 16:9 HD programs fill the screen.
According to Philips, further details on the Cinema 21:9 LCD TV will be available by the end of February. They have also confirmed that the display is set for release sometime in Spring 2009.
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Great, all we need is another aspect ratio to deal with. It’s changes like these that prevent the market from really endorsing a format. When that happens, prices stay high, and the average person doesn’t buy anything.
Sorry, rant over now.
They’ll probably fit the screen the same way some 16:9 TV’s currently fit SD — by stretching and/or clipping the image. Not an optimal viewing experience either way. I wish they’d standardize on one format for all visual media.
Why??!
Seriously, why?
’nuff said.
~DtD