Or even watching the large number of films that aren't filmed in 2.40:1? If all you watch is big-budget blockbusters (2.40:1 is the aspect ratio of Panavision 70mm film), then this will be great for your rich-guy home theater.

But if you're thinking about watching HDTV (native aspect ratio of 16:9) or any of the many, many thousands of films shot in less-than-21:9, you'll have to throw some letterboxes on the side. You won't even get to enjoy those IMAX scenes from Dark Knight in their glorious full-frame beauty. But if you never take Iron Man out of your BD deck, this is the TV for you. Philips is looking at a Spring '09 release, with more details coming next month. [Philips via GadgetVenue]

Vuzix Announces iWear® AV310 Widescreen, The First-Ever Widescreen Personal Video Eyewear

The iWear ® AV310 Widescreen has a 16:9 aspect ratio, providing the user with a virtual 52’ home theater experience in 2D and stunning 3D video formats.

Rochester, NY – September 16, 2008 – Vuzix Corporation is thrilled to announce their latest innovation to the Video Eyewear market; iWear® AV310 Widescreen. This first-ever consumer iWear with a true widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio giving users a true home movie theater feel. The AV310 projects a virtual 52’ screen from 9-feet and will run for five full hours on a single AA battery. Additionally, the AV310 offers independent focus adjustment, adjustable earbuds and nosepiece for unmatched long term comfort. Users can also expect improved compatibility, as the AV310 is compatible with all NTSC or PAL devices with a video output. Compatible devices include:

• All iPod models
• Portable media players
• Video cameras
• Cellular phones with video output
• Gaming consoles
• Digital cameras
• DVD players

“We are committed to providing our customers with the latest innovation in this exciting category and are delighted to provide the world’s first and only widescreen video eyewear,” said Vuzix CEO Paul Travers. “The revolutionary iWear® AV310 Widescreen is the ideal choice for the mobile consumer who’s craving a way to significantly enhance their portable viewing experience,” added Travers.

The AV310’s features include:

• Virtual 52’ screen viewed from 9-feet
• Full 16:9 Widescreen Aspect Ratio
• Independent +2 to -5 diopter focus, providing individual adjustment for each eye
• Twin high-resolution LCD displays from Kopin Corporation
• “Vuzix’ 3D” watermark compliant
• Removable and comfort fit earbuds
• Adjustable, hypoallergenic nosepiece
• AccuTilt™ viewer with 15 degrees of tilt adjustment
• Up to 5 hours of battery life on one AA battery
• On screen display settings control
• For use with or without eyeglasses
• MSRP $249.95

The AV310 will be available via Brookstone, SkyMall, MicroCenter, Hammacher Schlemmer and Vuzix.com.

The experts Sound and Vision asked tended to think not, with both Toshiba and Sony confirming they had no plans in this direction. Partly it's a question of manufacturing: the tooling is set up for production of TVs in 16:9, which mainly concerns the production of LCD panels (or OLED panels that're in the pipeline), and changing that would be pretty expensive. As a Samsung expert points out this even affects things like the glass used for the panels: manufactures are used to particular dimensions and achieving a particular yield from a "mother" sheet of glass... changing the screen dimensions would involve adjusting all this production too. And of course there's all the tech involved in getting 2.35:1 images onto the screen in the first place: DVDs and BDs aren't that ratio, though you could achieve it by throwing away pixels.

But all of these problems are not insurmountable. And I, for one, would welcome the idea of a "full" widescreen TV sitting in my living room in four or five years time: maybe because I mainly watch movies rather than TV shows. What's your take on the idea, guys?

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There's apparently a new touchscreen handset from LG on the way, and early word is that it's slated to be the Korean phone maker's new flagship phone. So far known as the KC910, it appears to be more camera than phone, shooting at 8-megapixels with a real Xenon flash, face detection, image stabilization and a 480p camcorder function, which is worth noting. It also supposedly has an 800x480 resolution screen, which means it can show 16:9 movies with no cropping, all in a form factor a little over half an inch thick. If they can throw in a few other high-end features like Wi-Fi and a good browser then this handset could out-media the iPhone and be a real challenger, but we're holding our judgment till we've seen it in action. [Electronista, via DC Sources, via Ubergizmo]

Sure, you'll need a microscope to enjoy that kind of resolution on a 2.9-inch screen, but maybe other devices with larger displays will follow suit, giving you true 16:9 widescreen goodness instead of that less-desirable 3.5-inch almost-widescreen (at 320x480) of the iPhone. – Charlie White

Hitachi phone sports highest mobile screen res anywhere [Sci Fi Tech]