It appears that waistlines and overdrafts are not the only things getting wider in 2009. Philips introduction of a 56in TV with a 21:9 screen ratio is certain to put the wide back into widescreen. While the cynical may write this new screen off as merely a marketing ploy, forget ye not that Philips introduced 16:9 widescreen TVs to the world long before any other manufacturer - and the rest is history.
The super-wide screen certainly makes a lot of sense for movie fans. The majority of Blu-ray films are presented in 2.35:1 ratio, which is darn close to 21:9 and even closer to the true 'Cinemascope' shape of the cinema. And consider this; when you are viewing 2.35:1 material on a widescreen TV some 30 per cent of your hard-earned 1080p resolution is actually black bars top and bottom. Ironically, what you are actually watching is something nearer 720-line vertical resolution. Philips new super-widescreen TV is simply genius... watch the other manufacturers follow like sheep.
Cinemascope-shaped TVs may be a new thing, yet the format is already established in the world of projection. Here, though, it brings with it other complications, as the 2.35:1 image has to be distorted by electronics in either the projector or outboard processor and then corrected by an external anamorphic lens.
There's growing interest in anamorphic lenses for home cinema projectors, particularly in the US; these optical assemblies correct the geometric distortion of the anamorphic process to deliver a full 1080p resolution image.
I had cautiously looked into buying an anamorphic lens for my Marantz VP-15S1 projector but the sky-high prices meant I stopped looking fairly sharpish. Then I went to Sweden (on a press trip with specialist hi-fi and AV outfit Primare) and the fate of my credit card bill for 2009 was sealed. Primare MD Lars Pedersen treated me to a demonstration of a stunning cinema system in his basement. Complete with Primare amps, huge JBL speakers and a Velodyne DD-18 sub - which is big enough to host a fair-sized home-cinema room inside - it sounded stunning. In addition, not only did the projector have an anamorphic lens, Lars had a nearly 4m-wide dedicated 2.35:1 screen that was curved to reduce pin-cushion distortion at the edges of the frame. Mamma Mia! - and a host of other Abba-related Swedish clichés. The picture was awesome.
So, dipping my toe in the 2.35:1 water, I set about acquiring an inexpensive (okay, downright cheap) bolt-on anamorphic lens for my resident Marantz. Unfortunately I ended up with an image running across the speakers and wrapping halfway round the side walls. In a flurry of power tools and plasterboard dust, I moved the projector closer to bring the image back into the confines of my 2.4m widescreen. And Mamma Mia!... it was bloody awful.
The combination of an ultra-short throw and ultra-wide image brought with it hilarious edge distortion, and the low-cost optics resulted in a slightly out-of-focus image on one side and colour shift that you could measure with a yard stick. However, the middle portion of the image, now using the full 1080p lineage of the projector, was significantly crisper and brighter than it was in standard 16:9 mode.
The moral of this story is probably don't buy cheap tat, and I am now saving up for a decent anamorphic lens for the Marantz and a curved screen (only 583 more of these columns to go...). But, more importantly, I have seen the potential of genuine 1080p resolution 2.35:1 cinema and I want it bad. Of course, it might be easier and cheaper just to buy that new Philips TV.
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YellowSphere (not verified) - 20 June 2009 - 9:52pmUnfortunately, the Cinema 21:9 is still limited by the resolution of Blu-Ray. The fact they've chosen the resolution they have, means the image still has to be distorted and rescaled, whether its noticeable or not. If its resolution was 1920x823 or whatever, I'd be much more interested, as I've said many times before. It also apparently doesn't have a 4:3 option in its menus, though I haven't heard yet if it'll correct this (on either its internal tuner or SCART input). Oh, and, thankfully, watching 16:9 content doesn't affect ambilight, the colours are all still present and correct (remember the Aurea with scope films!)
The PT-AE3000 has just had its review published in the archives, this can achieve the same effect, on a bigger image, for less money, with a more adjustable image quality and no rescaling of the Blu-Ray image.
Now we just need a Blu-Ray player that will always render subtitles for 2.35:1 (or similar) movies within the frame!
Despite all these reservations, it's absolutely brilliant that Philips have pushed the boat out and made it. I'm sure it'll become more common too, some other people might give it a go, but I certainly don't expect it to become the ubiquitous standard 16:9 is.
And pigs might fly
Alan Smithee (not verified) - 22 June 2009 - 8:33pmHmmm, I can really see this taking off, with film companies producing alternative versions just for Philips!
Also bear in mind that 'Cinemascope' format films are actually in the minority, unless you just want to watch stuff like Transformers.
Plus the average 'Joe' is more than confused by HD and BD already, LCD/LED vs plasma, that yet another 'standard' is not really a good idea - especially when it's not cheap.
Finally, hasn't Philips pulled out of the TV market in the 'States?
And didn't some consultants they had in a couple of years ago advise them to pull out of consumer electronics altogether as it was too competitive for them?
So I guess I'll give them full marks for optimism!
21:9 tv
MAC (not verified) - 23 June 2009 - 3:06pmIt would be much nicer if film studios produced a 1:85 ratio copy out of the 2:35 ratio original. I think it is technically possible and those horrible top and bottom black bars would be gone forever out of you 16:9 TVs!
and also gone would be some
Max1210 (not verified) - 23 June 2009 - 5:01pmand also gone would be some of the original picture! I want to see films as the director intended and not a pan-and-scan version.
We want full screens!
MAC (not verified) - 24 June 2009 - 11:45amFilm studios know that dvds are to be played on tvs and on tv, 2:35 or, even worse, 2:40 ratio films have much more black bars than picture. When I say technically posssible, I don't mean pan & scan (4:3), but a 1:85 ratio, which is 16:9 format. See Spiderman 1 DVD (1:85) and compare with Spiderman 2 and 3 (2:35). From the viwer's point of view, you get much more visual pleasure with number 1!
Big Screen Entertainment!!
Alan Smithee - 14 January 2010 - 11:38amThere's no doubt that philips gets 2 thumbs up for this daring move of introducing 21:9 TV for home. But we can't ignore the developments happening in the LED Projection technology iether. Soon we are all gonna be offered fairly cheap, 3LED Full HD Projectors with 20k+ Hrs of lamp life! With the help of DLP method, HD 3D projection would be possible. Adding a whole new dimension into our lives will change the way we are going to experience movies. Bottom line is that we all crave for Big Screen entertainment at home. We need to feel the cinema and see it playing as close to reality as possible. Once the next big thing in the Cinema World Catches up, which is Digital 3D, I am sure, things will look far more diversified and competitive among the players. The end user is gonna cherish with all that's gonna be offered. HD-3D, Super-Hyper Capacity optical Disks, Flash based Media Holders and more innovations in surround sound technology are all in the horizon. Its gonna be a small wait. but its gonna be worth it!! And I am sure, Philips will make its presence and strength felt again....ssoon!! But as of now, I will not hurry to invest big bucks on this 21:9 TV. Only because I feel it's still not complete. I need more!