Vizio Announces New Super-Wide Flat Screen TV

With the advent of flat screen HDTV, it appears sometimes that the sky may be the limit, and nowhere is this more evident than with the new widescreen television from Vizio. Consumers who buy into this new format television will be able to watch movies in the same aspect ratio as it would be shown at a theater, i.e. no black bars on the sides. And for television or movies that don't have theater aspect ratios? Viewers can use the left or right side of the screen to run web applications.

Endgadget calls it the realization of every videophile's dream, and no wonder, consumers can choose between 47 and 55 inch models and each comes equipped with WifFi, 3D capability and a Bluetooth QWERTY remote.

This announcement by Vizio, explains USA Today newspaper, is in response to declining sales of television sets as consumers have held off buying due to tough economic times and other viewers abandoning television in favor of other entertainment choices such as video games and iPads where they can interact with other people on Facebook instead of watching what the networks have to offer.

Moving to a format that matches what the movie industry has been using for years seemed the next logical step as flat screen TVs have grown ever wider. In conjunction with the announcement, Vizio said the new TVs will be ready for sale in time for the NCAA basketball tournament which will be simulcast in the new Vizio format, allowing fans the best images ever of the perennial favorite. Vizio also says that it is planning even larger screens in the same format for delivery in the second half of the year, meaning in time for next year's football season. A particularly important season for television sales, as football fans make up one of the largest customer bases for new flat screen television sets.

And if all that isn't enough, viewers can pull up Facebook, Twitter or any other web app allowing for conversing via social networking while watching something running on the screen.

Vizio's announcement was made at this year's Consumer's Electronic Association (CEA) meeting, which is notable because after heavy canvasing by Vizio, the association will be considering adopting the new aspect ratio industry wide, which will mean other vendors should soon be offering them as well.

The timing of Vizio's announcement comes ahead of the highly anticipated announcement by Apple of the debut of some as yet unknown internet television, which most believe will be closely aligned with Apple's other products such as the iPhone and iPad, bringing with it, the Apple faithful. Many expect that announcement to shake up the industry just as Apple has done with other technologies.