Philips 52 Cinema 21:9 LCD TV Promises Cinematic Viewing Experience

Whilst at the time of writing no official specifications have been
released, Philips have offered a taster as to what's to come concerning
their new 52' Philips Cinema 21:9 LCD TV which offers, as the name
suggests, 21:9 aspect ratio viewing for what Philips term as a 'a
genuine Cinematic Viewing Experience'.

Wholly eliminating the need for letterboxing or resizing of the viewable
area when watching true widescreen movies, the Philips Cinema 21:9 LCD
TV will allow you to watch 21:9 format films as they were intended to be
seen and, whilst Philips are playing things fairly close to their chest,
they have confirmed that the Philips Cinema 21:9 LCD TV also employs
Philips' Ambilight technology promising that extra degree of emersion.

Here's the official release from Philips - you'll note it offer little
in the way of specific detail, but its worth including here nevertheless
as we suspect that 21:9 aspect ratio TV's are something that we'll see a
great deal of in the future (being that they make so much sense):

We don't just watch films at the cinema we experience them. The 21:9
aspect ratio of a cinema screen was developed to mimic our own
peripheral vision, providing a totally immersive viewing experience.

This immersion is what makes 21:9 cinematic viewing such an
all-encompassing experience and why until now it has continued to
provide the optimum medium in which to fully enjoy films. Such is its
power that we routinely undergo an intensely personal, emotional journey
when watching a film in a cinema. It is the experience of 'losing
ourselves' in a film.

This Cinematic Viewing Experience is extremely difficult to replicate at
home. Even the largest conventional TV screen cannot provide the total
immersion that we enjoy at a cinema because when it comes to watching a
film, the viewing experience isn't determined by screen size.

Films fill a cinema screen.The images reach right out to the very limits
of the screen and of our peripheral vision, enveloping us so completely
in the action that we actively 'feel' along with the characters in front
of us.This cannot be achieved on a conventional 16:9 widescreen TV at
home without moving to a 'letterbox' view or losing the full scope of
the original shot.

Until now. With an aspect ratio of 21:9, the Cinema 21:9 is the world's
first cinema-proportioned LCD TV. In combination with Philips' Ambilight
technology - accurately matching on-screen content to extend the picture
beyond the confines of the screen - Cinema 21:9 delivers the most
completely immersive home viewing experience possible.

Cinema 21:9. The first TV to deliver a genuine Cinematic Viewing
Experience to movie lovers in their own home.

Philips state that they'll release further details concerning their
Cinema 21:9 LCD TV at the end of February (so we'll update you then)
though they have also confirmed that the Cinema 21:9 is pencilled in for
release in Spring 09.