Philips breaks new ground in the realm of home entertainment with the world’s first ‘cinema-proportioned’ LCD television – Cinema 21:9.

Cinema 21:9 boasts a 56” screen that is shaped in the 21:9 aspect ratio, so movies in the 2.39:1 format completely fill the screen – exactly as viewers experience at the cinema. It is boosted by the company’s immersive Ambilight technology.

Until now, all HDTVs had an aspect ratio of 16:9. Films shot in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio, when converted to DVD, can roughly fit onto 16:9 HDTVs without the need of black bars. Movies shot in the 2.35:1 aspect ratio have a wider picture. When these films are played at home, the black bars are necessary to see the entire picture. Without them, the image would be stretched or zoomed, and the right and left edges clipped off.

‘Traditional LCD televisions compromise on this experience by distorting the picture to fill the screen – losing the full scope of the original shot – or by displaying the picture in letterbox format with black bars at the top and bottom, says Des Power, Senior Vice President Marketing Television, Philips Consumer Lifestyle. “Cinema 21:9 solves these issues to give the viewer an uncompromised and absorbing cinematic viewing experience, never before available in the home.”

Using advanced formatting technology, regular 16:9 content from sources such as TV broadcasts and games consoles is also adapted to fill the 21:9 screen.

The Cinema 21:9 LCD TV will be available in spring 2009 in Germany, Belgium, the UK and France. No pricing has yet been announced.. Philips promises more detailed product specifications at the end of February 2009.

Story filed 19.01.09