Read our full specifications for the Philips Cinema 21:9 56PFL9954H 56in LCD TV

Philips Cinema 21:9 56PFL9954H 56in LCD TV specifications

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I have to say I was pretty sceptical about the Cinema 21:9. My distaste for resizing HD sources, my dislike of distracting video processing artefacts, the current lack of any 'true' 21:9 sources and my suspicion that standard def programmes would look awful when stretched to fill the 21:9 frame all left me expecting the TV to be nothing more than an expensive gimmick. But you can consider me converted. Philips' video processing powers have turned out to be beyond reproach if you're careful with a couple of basic settings, leaving you to enjoy a TV experience that's so cinematic it has to be seen to be believed. Sure, to some extent this is a TV that's ahead of its time, waiting for the Blu-ray industry in particular to (hopefully) catch up with it. But crucially it works supremely well even without native 21:9 transfers, and the concept feels more like something inherently natural that somebody should have made years ago rather than something that's pushing back TV frontiers just for the sake of it. However. perhaps the biggest obstacle to the Cinema 21:9 achieving world domination is its £4,500 price. A price which could get you a very nice projection system. But all I can say is that if £4,500 is simply beyond the pale for you, for heaven's sake don't try and track down a Cinema 21:9 to try out. Because it really is one of those things that once tried is hard to live without. Read full review