E Unit

Looks like Ridley Scott has teamed up with Phillips to create 21:9 televisions. I'm not sure my entertainment center can handle all this wideness...

http://www.totalfilm.com/news/ridley...b+aggregate%29

http://www.cinema.philips.com/


Ridley Scott launches Parallel Lines
Combines forces with Philips TV…

That Ridley Scott, he’s always pushing boundaries.

We’ve just got wind of a new project he's helmed in conjunction with Philips (yeah, the electronics manufacturers).

See, the latter are launching a fancy new shiny TV called the Philips Cinema 21:9, which is wider than any prevous widescreen TV, and apparently makes films look amazing.

To launch the screen, Philips asked members of Ridley Scott Associates (which the Brit founded) to submit their cutting-edge short films as part of the Parallel Lines project.

There were 45 submissions made, and five were picked as the finalists. The chosen film directors are Greg Fay, Johnny Hardstaff, Carl Erik Rinsch, Jake Scott and Hi-Sim, who all contributed films from different genres.

Says Scott:

“My production company receives hundreds of ideas every day, but this was something unique. The idea created a massive amount of enthusiasm from RSA directors around the world.”

The films will premiere online on 8th April at Philips Cinema. They’ll be available via the sparkly new Ambiplayer, which recreates Philips TV technology on your computer. Head over there now for a funky show involving a freeze-frame clown raid.

So even if you’re not looking to get a new telly, there are five great new shorts sanctioned by Sir Ridley heading to the internet soon. For free!

Bookmark the page and head back in April. Or just join the Facebook page for lots of fun stuff, including Jake Scott’s own reports from the film world.

dsa_shea

So the wider screen makes films looks "amazing"? I'm not sure I buy into this yet.

rfduncan

So I really don't understand this. Wouldn't anything formated for anamorphic/16:9 just have big black bars on the side or else be stretched to fit, distorting the image?

GoVegan

I'd be willing to bet it'll make 4:3 content look amazing* as well.

* amazingly small

Brian Shannon

Excellent!

Rammsteinfan

Now people can complain about black bars on the sides instead of the top and bottom. Yippie!

Litfuel716

ok first 3D and now this? Let me know when I can actually buy into all the new tech and it not be obsolete in like a day. Slooooow down and let the consumer catch up first please, no wonder Blu-ray isn't clicking on all cylinders yet.

dullboy

Yeah, I can see some testosterone-fueled guy going in and buying a TV like this just because of its "huge length" and then throwing on some 4:3 material only to squash it to fill the screen, making people look like a piano fell on them.

dsa_shea

This is what I'm thinking. They really need to decide what they want to do and let the consumer buy into it and be able to use it for some time before throwing more at us.

gryffinmaster

They've been teasing with these things for roughly a year now.



Here's a link to see what the aspect ratio and ambient lighting look like "in action": http://www.cinema.philips.com/?ls=gb_en

Edison

Cool video, although I didn't see any difference in the aspect ratio the shift between 16:9 and 21:9, 21:9 was just larger. I did like the ambient lighting effect though.

Solid Snake

.....while that's a nice demo for sure. I just...so it only goes wider but...that would mean we get black bars on films not that ratio? Ugh.

dullboy

Someone needs to invent a TV that expands or retracts on the sides to different aspect ratios, just like masking on a theater screen. But, of course, you'd probably still have people leaving it expanded the entire time and distorting images.

gimmepilotwings

Of course we would. Or there would be some sort of zoom process to fill the screen, just like now.

Giles

of course that wouldn't work for BR's like 'The Dark Knight' and 'Transformers 2' where their are dual aspect ratios.

Numanoid

^ Sure it would. If it could adjust itself dynamically, during the presentation. I have no doubt that day will come. Probably when monitors are only a couple millimeters thick and weigh about 2 ounces.

JimRochester

It is just a TV set up at 2.35:1 (2.35 x 9 = 21.15) I've seen these mentioned before since the majority of films are projected in that ratio. It may look amazing but I'm done buying TV's for a while.

RocShemp

Yeah, TV's made with 2.35:1 and 2.40:1 in mind are nothing new. It's a nice idea but it'd kill the intended effect of TDK and documentaries shot on IMAX. Also, I don't get the love for ambient lighting. I find colors "bleeding" from a TV distracting

jarofclay73

The 16x9 image is definitely stretched on the Phillips page.
The 4:3 image is also stretched.

I don't like the fact that 2 out of 3 aspect ratios look like crap.

whotony

Here's the post from last may on this tv.
http://forum.dvdtalk.com/9475117-post30.html

here's a topic from last April on HTF
http://www.hometheaterforum.com/foru...-first-21-9-tv

JimRochester

My first LCD was a Phillips with the ambient lighting. There was a certain mood to the room and I don't think it detracted from the experience but I didn't see it as any benefit either.

tylergfoster

I kind of like it. It definitely makes 2.35:1 films look better. But like people say, it also makes all the other ratios look lame.

The short, "Carousel", which I have seen before, is still pretty awesome.

Drexl

I'll stick with 16:9. This could be nice if you really spend the majority of your time with the set watching 2.35:1 movies. But as long as TV programming and video games remain 16:9, that isn't the case for most people.