After exiting the Australian TV market in 2008, Philips makes a high-end return with the announcement their dazzling Cinema 21:9 is getting an Australian distribution. This 56-inch Full HD panel goes right out to 2560x1080p for a true 2.39:1 movie presentation. Sadly, this does not herald a wider return of Philips to the local TV scene.
I was always a fan of the Philips attitude to TVs. A few generations in, Ambilight was delivering an unparalleled aesthetic, and the Aurea TV was one of the boldest form meets function designs I’ve ever enjoyed.
Well now, for those with $8,999.95 to throw at a home theatre experience, Philips is ready to give you a screen built specifically for cinema-ratio film viewing. While the ultra widescreen has no native movie delivery to match, better they push the scaling up a little than crunch down the lines of resolution.
If you’re skeptical, check out the demo site where a short film commissioned by Philips is played in a virtual screen in browser. Even in that context, seeing a cinema width film run edge-to-edge on screen gives an instant sense of ‘completeness’.
The screen also features five HDMI ports, DLNA and Wi-Fi, along with a 1ms refresh rate, 80,000:1 contrast, and 200Hz Clear LCD. Plus Ambilight Spectra backlighting, just the way a Philips lover would like it.