LAS VEGAS—In addition to the 21 new 3D HDTVs, anf the tablet and smartphone announced by Vizio yesterday, the company has unveiled some even more unique products. Vizio will be showcasing its new "Cinema HDTVs" at CES, large-screen HDTVs with 21:9 aspect ratio. The screens will first be available in 50- and 58-inch models, but there will also be a massive, 71-inch version.
Most HDTVs currently available are 16:9, commonly referred to as widescreen HDTVs. However, most films are recorded in anamorphic format, a wider format with an aspect ratio of 2.35:1 to 2.40:1, best approximated by 21:9. Many high-end home theater projector systems natively display anamorphic video with special lenses, but these configurations can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Besides displaying anamorphic films, the Cinema HDTVs offer enough screen landscape to display Vizio Internet Apps widgets as a sidebar while still showing uncropped, full-size 16:9 high-definition video.
While Vizio is the first company to bring a 21:9 HDTV to the U.S., it's not the first to produce one. Philips introduced a 21:9 HDTV two years ago, but it never made its way to the United States. Vizio has not yet released pricing or availability information on the Cinema HDTVs.