Philips Widescreen – The Future Is Here!

The New Zealand television market is currently undergoing unprecedented levels of technological change with the emergence of flat screens, 100Hz and picture enhancement technology such as Philips’ amazing Digital Natural Motion, to name a few.

Group Product Manager Philips Consumer Electronics, Scott Wright says that if the trends in key overseas markets are anything to go by, then widescreen television is the biggest trend evident in the television market.

“In the UK for example, widescreen television has grown in share from 10% to over 50% of the total market value in a little over two years. The key drivers of this growth have been the advent of digital broadcast and the increasing acceptance and market penetration of DVD,” Scott says.

“Quite simply, the only way to get the most out of DVD (which is formatted predominantly in 16:9 aspect ratio) and digital broadcasts – which will eventually broadcast a majority of its material in 16:9 format - is to have widescreen television.”

“Without a doubt, widescreen television is already the preferred television of choice for the discerning home cinema enthusiast who wants to see movies as they are meant to be seen,” he says.

In terms of the New Zealand market, Philips has taken the lead and is the only manufacturer to offer a full range of widescreen televisions (32”Designline, 36”real flat, 55”projection and 42”plasma). Plans are already in place to keep expanding the range, which is a signal that Philips sees widescreen as the future and is committed to driving the category in the local market.

Scott Wright says that although widescreen had been tried previously in this market 4-5 years ago, the future now augurs well thanks to DVD and the advent of digital broadcasting in New Zealand (via SKY Digital).

Philips is embarking on an extensive programme of activity over the next 12 months to educate consumers on the benefits of the widescreen format. The thrust of this programme is the establishment of a relationship with SKY and its SKY Digital Movie Max channel, which now broadcasts a selection of movie titles in 16:9 widescreen format.

“It really is the beginning of a very exciting era in the television market and Philips plans to be at the forefront as this category develops,” Scott Wright says.

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For further information contact:
Scott Wright, Philips Consumer Electronics, 09 815 4270

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