Nothing says extravagant like a 56” 21:9 cinema display--except, maybe, a 58” 21:9 cinema display
with 3D. Philips has unveiled the
2010 rendition of its ridiculously wide cinema display with a few aesthetic improvements and a whole lot of new stuff going on behind the LCD. All of the internal enhancements are designed to make the TV handle 3D images without sacrificing picture quality.
Because 3D tends to darken images, Philips installed its Bright Pro technology, which uses 1500 LEDs to selectively brighten portions of the screen without washing out the blacks. The Active 3D technology (which requires a special pair of glasses, naturally) supposedly synchronizes the lenses with what’s on screen to maximize the 3D effect and
minimize crosstalk. Theoretically, reducing crosstalk means stopping the image bleedthrough from one channel to the other.
Finally, the icing on the cake is Philips’
Ambilight technology, which projects light onto the walls around the device to make it look better and brighter. The Platinum 21:9 Cinema display is obviously an awesome TV, but with a UK price tag of about £3,500, or more than $5000, we have to wonder: who is the market for 21:9 displays?
3D as a display format seems to raise more ire than eyebrows, and with high prices and annoying glasses consumer adoption of 3D sets is slow. The 21:9 display, which accurately depicts the 2.4:1 film aspect ratio without black bars at the top and bottom, is clearly for cinephiles only.
But will movie junkies (even the rich ones) want it? Philips’ display stretches 16:9 content out to the full width of the screen with “highly advanced auto-formatting technology.” If we’re talking about the hardest of the hardcore willing to drop thousands of dollars for a TV,
why wouldn’t they opt for a projector, instead?
Apparently last year’s cinema display wasn’t a complete flop, since Philips has made heavy revisions and added 3D to the picture. Still, some movies today are filmed natively at 16:9, and it’s the dominant aspect ratio for television programs and gaming. Is there any reason to upgrade to a 21:9 display when an even larger 16:9 display could be had for thousands left? Give us you take.
