Philips has decided to jump ahead of Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and others in LCD technology advancement. They have announced the first ever 21:9 (very close to 2.35:1 aspect ratio) LCD TV. It’s measures 56-inch diagonally and has a resolution of 2560×1080. It is dubbed Cinemascope by Philips because it replicates a cinematic viewing experience, minimizing the visibility of black bars. It also features Ambilight Spectra light technology.

This LCD is definitely for those who hate black bars in their movies especially when watching big blockbusters such as The Dark Knight and Iron Man. But if you like watching TV shows, this product would give you black bars on the sides instead of filling up the whole screen.

As for now, we definitely cannot say if 21:9 displays will become a standard similar to 16:9 or if it might possibly just be a niche product. Hopefully, it will find its rightful place in the consumer market.

No word on pricing and specifications. It is slated for a Spring 2009 release and will first be available in Europe. More product photos can be found below.

Sources: The Fast Company, Pocket-Lint, Gizmodo, Uncrate, Digital Trends