Philips to make your movies fit once and for all!

Eric Franklin | Jan 19, 2009

(Credit: Philips)

Many people may just now be getting used to the idea of the 16:9 aspect ratio HDTVs have. The whole black bars at the top and bottom just kinda throw people off I guess.

Personally, I've never had a problem with this. I just never understood how someone could prefer pan scan movies over letterbox once the difference was explained to them. I mean, you're getting the whole movie with Letterbox and a cheap knockoff with "Fullscreen" that has its edges cut off. Not to mention really awkward pans. Yeah, I'm a movie snob, so what?

Phillips will attempt to end any association home movies have with black bars when it releases what is, according to them, the world's first 21:9 aspect ratio HDTV, the Cinema 21:9.

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

The Cinema 21:9 will attempt to remedy this inconstancy through a means that Philips hasn't gone into detail with yet. According to the company, you'll be able to view 2.35:1 content, full screen, sans the black bars or zooming. In addition, regular 16:9 content from TV broadcasts and games will also be automatically adapted to fill the 21:9 screen.

Philips plans to release the Cinema 21:9 this spring with more info coming in February.

Via CNET.com

Filed under: Home AV
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mook73

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mook73 says...
it would be nice to see the 'Letter Box' in its full glory. personally, i am not bothered by the black bars but this will fall under 'good to have' technology. however, i cannot imagine watching SD contents on this baby. i mean, wouldn't be the picture be super distorted? we have come to accept the slight 'distortion' on the 16:9 aspect ratio on our LCD/Plasma but 21:9? that must be one fat face on the screen... sure, they definitely going to provide a selections of screen display on the TV, but wouldn't watching an SD content strange - to have a square image on a 21:9? then we will be see vertical black bars instead.

Jan 20, 2009 12:31

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Devlin

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Devlin says...
I guess I should be thankful I haven't invested in a new HDTV yet as my current one is a 2-year old unit from Samsung that only goes up to 1080i. Been looking at what's coming and I hope this has all that and then some so I won't have to upgrade for a while.

Jan 20, 2009 17:20

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