Philips TV is sophisticated and immersive

DUTCH ELECTRONICS FIRM Philips has launched a television that it says its immersive and unique, two attributes that do not usually apply to goggle boxes.

The firm has added a Platinum edition to its 21:9 range, which it said matches the proportions of a real cinema screen and offers a direct dimable scanning backlight, 400Hz Clear LCD technology, "peerless" Perfect Pixel HD processing and the Ambilight Spectra 3 system - all of which terms probably mean something if you work in Philips' telly marketing department.

Philips said that all this technology results in a 58-inch television that makes 2D and 3D viewing "a simply stunning, immersive experience". The Platinum set is also slim, with a 71mm profile and comes with a table top stand hewn out of "high quality metal and glass".

What makes the telly so special - other that the hyperbole - is its cinema like viewing experience, which thankfully does not involve popcorn crunching gits and chattering teenagers, but rather a screen that uses an array of 2000 LEDs to improve colour and contrast.

This, combined with the Bright Pro system that boosts light output, allows for a contrast ratio of 10,000,000:1 and a light output twice as bright as previous models, while the Ambilight system projects light from the back, sides and edges of the screen.

Soundwise, the television has two rear mounted woofers for delivering deep bass notes while two forward firing drivers take care of the mid-range.

Also included are ethernet and WiFi connections for streaming video from a PC or other media, as well as a built-in browser and access to Philips' Net TV service.

The Cinema 21:9 Platinum edition - or 58PFL9955 to its friends - comes with a built-in 3D transmitter - 3D glasses are available as an option - and will cost £4,000 when it is released later this month. µ