Philips Cinema 21:9 TV won't see U.S. release
The U.K. and Europe are still a go for watching movies without black bars.
The Philips Cinema 21:9 HDTV quasi-literally breaks the mold for HDTVs with an aspect ratio close to that used by extra-widescreen blockbusters and epics. See that video of it we posted the other day? Total cinephiles with money to spare might have been inspired by that to buy one, but we've got some bad news. If you're in the United States, you'll have a difficult time picking one up.
A Philips representative told ZDNet that the Cinema 21:9 will never see a United States release. It should still be possible to import it, but imagine the shipping costs! For most folks living Stateside, this means the hope of CinemaScope 2.35:1 images filling the whole screen is a futile one.
Of course, if you're in the U.K. or Europe, this does not affect you. Move along. Enjoy your cinema TV. Just let your American friends and family watch The Dark Knight on it when they visit, okay? It's the least you could do!
This story around the web:
- Trusted sources:
16:9 wide-screen looks narrow-minded compared… [Home Theater]
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Philips' 56-inch Cinema 21:9 HDTV: not for… [Engadget]
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Comments (3)
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Mike Wehner
(7:56 PM on Sat Jan 31, 2009)
Noooooooooooooooooo, ehem, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Stephen Schenck (10:56 PM on Sat Jan 31, 2009)
Man, that's just mean.
I guess we're stuck using projectors with anamorphic lenses if we want super-widescreen displays.
Roger Tuffin (5:59 PM on Sun Feb 8, 2009)
This has got to be a first when we get something in the UK which they don't get in the US (first). And what is more, it won't be the right voltage for the US. That's also a first, as we have to use transformers to run US equipment he in the UK!