The future has no black bars! 21:9 HDTV

[dv8pdx]

http://dvice.com/archives/2009/01/philips_cinema.php

You may have noticed that when you watch a blockbuster movie on DVD — like, say, The Dark Knight — you still see black bars on the top and bottom of your widescreen TV. That's because a lot of films are shot in aspect ratios that are more "cinematic" than your typical HDTV show. If movies like this are pretty much all you watch, you'll like Philips' latest announcement: a TV with an ultra-wide shape.

The Philips Cinema 21:9 TV (it's hard to know whether to call it an HDTV) is tailor-made for epic movies. The 21:9 aspect ratio (about 2.33:1) will mean virtually no black bars for when you cue up Transformers or Casino Royale, with the picture filling the whole screen without being distorted or cut off. Awesome, though there will be bars on the sides whenever you switch to 16:9 HDTV. And huge swaths of the screen will go unused if you ever (God forbid) watch 4:3 programming.

No specs or a price yet, though Philips says the elongated LCD TV will feature Ambilight tech, a built-in backlight that matches the screen color. The 21:9 set should be available this spring.

Even though they use DVD as an example, it will still have the same cool result with Blu-ray. This tech will for the most part eliminate the black bars on big movies. But as wide as it is, I would think its main purpose would be for movie watching only, as watching 16:9 TV would be like watching 4:3 on a HDTV - it would have the black bars on the side and huge black bars on the sides when watching 4:3 movies or TV.

still... it sounds really cool!

[Oddiophile]

The future is now if you go front projection with a 2:35 screen.

[dv8pdx]

Originally Posted by Oddiophile

The future is now if you go front projection with a 2:35 screen.

sure, if your a fan of that technology!

[FIDDYPOP]

What about the images that take up the whole screen now? They are not all the same aspect ratio, or are they?

[My_Two_Cents]

Now we're up to the 4th thread in the last couple days on this:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...55#post1516155

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...42#post1510142

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=81050

Time for a merging.

[Leopold BUTTERS]

honestly, this seems too much for me. Tv shows are in 16x9, they don't need a wider aspect ratio and i wouldn't want black bars on the sides if they didn't go for a wider aspect. I like 16x9 tvs and dont mind the black bars while i watch movies.

[stockstar1138]

wow! now we can hear ppl b1tch about how there are black bars on the sides for 16:9 movies.
+all of your tv is now gonna have black bars. stupid invention.

[Septimus Prime]

The future's black bars will be vertical.

[LynxFX]

Funny they mention The Dark Knight because it would actually shrink in size when it 'opened up' for the Imax footage. Talk about having the opposite intention.

If you don't want black bars, turn your lights off. Simple as that. Or get a constant height, variable width projection system. (but films like The Dark Knight will screw that up as well.)

[Sonny]

Seems dumb to me , though I figured there would be a 21:9 HDTV sooner or later. I don't even noticed the top & bottom "black bars" anymore, & I definitely don't want "black bars" on the sides, that irritates the $h1T out of me...I'll stick with 16:9 for now.

[dv8pdx]

Originally Posted by Ricshoe

Now we're up to the 4th thread in the last couple days on this:

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...55#post1516155

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread...42#post1510142

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=81050

Time for a merging.

Interesting, I did a search and it resulted in nothing. Mods can close this if they need to.

[My_Two_Cents]

Originally Posted by dv8pdx

Interesting, I did a search and it resulted in nothing. Mods can close this if they need to.

Naaa, they just need to merge them all.

[doctorsteve]

Originally Posted by stockstar1138

wow! now we can hear ppl b1tch about how there are black bars on the sides for 16:9 movies.
+all of your tv is now gonna have black bars. stupid invention.

Some redneck will invent an Adjustable TV set with removable duct tape 'wings' that cover up the 'black bars' - regardless of aspect ratios.

Problem solved. You're welcome...

Doc

[aramis109]

Originally Posted by doctorsteve

Some redneck will invent an Adjustable TV set with removable duct tape 'wings' that cover up the 'black bars' - regardless of aspect ratios.

Problem solved. You're welcome...

Doc

Actually, a "constant image height" TV is in the realm of possibility. It'd have some serious bezel going on at times, but would be feasible.

This idea, however... is just lame.

[justinbaily]

SO then what about movies that go beond 2:39:1 to say 2:40: or 2:45:1?

Shouldn't BLACK BARS REMAIN. That idea of a cinema wide HDTV is very cool
though i'd be intriged to see how games fared on it being made for 16:9 not 21:9

[hardcorefrokid]

I wouldn't buy one.

[My_Two_Cents]

As I commented in the first thread, IMO this will bomb BIG time.

[Blu As Hell]

I'll save my judgement of this TV for when I see how it actually handles material that's is not in the 2.40:1 aspect ratio, given that the actual site for it says this...

Using highly advanced formatting technology, regular 16:9 content from sources such as TV broadcasts and games consoles is also adapted to fill the 21:9 screen.

which means we are gonna be doin some stretchin'.

[Septimus Prime]

Flexible OLED will solve this whole "problem." Image too wide? Roll out more screen space.

Originally Posted by doctorsteve

Some redneck will invent an Adjustable TV set with removable duct tape 'wings' that cover up the 'black bars' - regardless of aspect ratios.

Problem solved. You're welcome...

Doc

Word. In the future, all we'll have to do is pop in a DVD, turn on SUC, go to work, come home, put on the blinders, and it'll be ready.

[doctorD]

I actually like the video of "The Red One" camera technology they're using for the Sanctuary show.

http://dvice.com/archives/2009/01/how_the_red_one.php