Philips extends your eyeballs with Cinema 21:9
So wide you can't even cuddle your new TV
Philips finally showed the UK what it believes will be the next step in home movie watching: the Cinema 21:9 56-inch LCD TV.
If you're fed up with the black bars above and below the normal 16:9 format, then this new behemoth will be able to fill in the gaps and provide viewing "that matches an immersive cinematic experience".
Ambilight Spectra, the latest update to the manufacturer's rear light projection system, also extends a multi-coloured, adaptive ambient glow to the sides and above the screen, providing context for the picture.
16:9 pictures will be auto-filled to fit the screen, using a new algorithm that only stretches at the far edges of the video, so the central focal point doesn't lose integrity. 4:3 images will be stretched to 16:9 format, with black bars present on either side of the picture.
The whole package
Philips also announced a new 7.1 surround sound system and Blu-ray player to go with the new TV, due to be released along with the set later in Q2.
The Cinema 21:9 set will sport the company's Pixel Perfect engine, as well as Wi-Fi, DLNA compatibility, five HDMI ports as well as Ethernet connectivity.
Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
It also boasts that it's the world's fastest LCD, with a 0.1ms refresh rate, which means less smearing and poor picture quality in fast moving sections of films.
The TV can also handle full HD, meaning 1080p shouldn't be a problem. In fact, given the screen size, it goes beyond the usual scope of HD, with an expected resolution of 2560x1080, so you'll get even more pixels for your pounds.
No word on pricing yet, but don't think it will be on the cheap side... best sell your first born now before inflation ruins your chance.
Gareth has been part of the consumer technology world in a career spanning three decades. He started life as a staff writer on the fledgling TechRadar, and has grew with the site (primarily as phones, tablets and wearables editor) until becoming Global Editor in Chief in 2018. Gareth has written over 4,000 articles for TechRadar, has contributed expert insight to a number of other publications, chaired panels on zeitgeist technologies, presented at the Gadget Show Live as well as representing the brand on TV and radio for multiple channels including Sky, BBC, ITV and Al-Jazeera. Passionate about fitness, he can bore anyone rigid about stress management, sleep tracking, heart rate variance as well as bemoaning something about the latest iPhone, Galaxy or OLED TV.