Automatic TV"CinemaScope shutters" for the huge new 80" and 90" TV's..

[wappinghigh]

I have looked at dozens of home cinema's over the years, and the very best have those Stewart screens..you know the ones that have CinemaScope 2.35:1 aspect ratios, that have side hard curtains that slide in for 16.9 and 4.3 video.

Now given we have these huge LCD TV's coming out at 80 and 90 inch cross diameter, for the average size room and viewing depth of say 12-13 feet, these are simply a bargain, because they combine screen/TV/no projector/low maintenance/viewable in not quite dark/much lower energy use/no fan noise/no shadows/no expensive anamorphic lenses/blown bulbs compared to the old "projector" way of doing things. - All in the one device which is plenty big enough as a viewing screen for the average size (albeit small) "home cinema". The one problem is the black bars on top and bottom of a 16:9 screen when viewing true CinemaScope movies.

So here is my idea. Are there any surrounds or aluminium frames you can buy that say move a shutter down (from above) and up (from below) that convert these large screens into 2.35:1? Kinda in reverse direction to the Stewart blinds (if you get my drift...)

Preferably motorised and even better via IR or something that could be controlled with Control4

Now before you all laugh, just consider a 90" 16.9 ratio TV is 6'8" wide.... that is one heck of a large cinema screen right there!!

Food for thought.

I open this idea for comment/suggestions and critique

Cheers all

Wap

[Sbutter]

This is made to go over an existing projection screen but could work with a large flat panel.

http://www.carada.com/HorizontalMasquerade.aspx

[turls]

There are lots of masking options, horizontal, vertical, and both (4-way). Stewart is just one brand, lots of different brands have motorized masking options. Not sure about your value argument, because those size TVs you are going to be able to get a much cheaper projector to do the same thing.

You are going to have to come up with something to make the mask edges and sides of the TV match somehow otherwise I think it will look goofy and be distracting...maybe not if the bezel is small enough.