After a quick breakfast at 7AM here we go for 4 days of marathon reporting.
Having now covered an uncalculatable number of kilometers (even more in miles!)
we are taking a short break in the action to give our legs and our back a rest
(with some 30 or more pounds of equipment in our bag...) to give you our first
impressions of the products and trends that have attracted our attention so
far.
Let’s begin with what can be considered as “LE” or the major
long term orientation, which even started in previous editions, the unrelenting
“Battle of the Brands” in the domain of Flat Screens. Each manufacturer
brings the consumer bigger and better products, pushing back the limits in technology
with solutions that yesterday would have been considered imposible. We even
noticed two different stands had EXACTLY the same claim to fame : The Largest
Screen in the World....
One of our first stops was at the Samsung stand, as every year at the CES they
bring out a new exceptional product. This year we saw the largest plasma screen,
101 inches of beauty, to demonstrate their technological prowess.
Practically just next door, LG presented its new beast, only 71 inches in diagonal,
but the competitive advantage is that this one is not just a proto but already
in production, and will be delivered to stores in the coming weeks!
The new trend for an “old” friend, the TV using CRT technology,
could be seen on these stands as well as others. BUT with a big difference,
it has been put on a strict diet! With its slim and trim 16 inch depth, the
“traditional” TV will have a new lease on life, particularly as
availability should start during 2005.
The major players in this domain include Sharp whose primary battle ground
is the LCD, with the largest screen in the market, a magnificent 65 inches of
viewing pleasure. For those with a passion for the LCD, or who think that plasma
is still not their cup of tea, sales should start during 2005, first in Japan
and then in the US.
The general trend we noticed is that the majority of display manufacturers
have “updated” their product range to include high definition connections
compatable with the HDTV. Effectively, it will now be possible on the majority
of products, Plasma Screens, DLP and LCD retro projectors, as well as videoprojectors
and most LCD screens to find a DVI or HDMI connection. The HD domain product
range is in constant expansion, in parallel with the progression in the number
of programs available via the cable and satelite. As this segment explodes,
new, more “affordable” equipment by major manufacturers will come
to market in the months to come.
In closing this brief résumé of our first day tour, we must mention
several new products soon to be available : video projectors from Marantz, the
VP12S4, and Optoma, the H79, as well as a new 50 inch plasma screen from Yamaha,
and a 55 inch LCD from Samsung.
Tomorrow is another day, with lots more to come...