The tech of 2006 and beyond
January 11th, 2006, By Ovi Demetrian Jr
Every year, the Consumer Electronics Show defines what kind of technology we should expect within the next 1-2 years. It’s been my fifth year at the show and I’ve gotten pretty good at checking out everything that I’m particularly interested in. Some of these have been the primary focus of the show these last few years and will continue to be big in the years to come.
Audio
Dolby introduced True HD which supports up to 14 channels, but only uses 8 for audio since that’s only what upcoming HD-DVDs allow for. However, based on their theater room presentation, it looks like they found other uses for the remaining channels. While watching The Fast and the Furious, the audience was surprised to see lighting change along with what was on screen and seats vibrating at more intense moments.
DTS had a great demo disc they presented last year. And this year, a demo disc seemed like all they had to present. I’m not sure what else was presented except for some speakers from some unknown manufacters.
The audio presenters at Alexis Park were once again the most impressive part of the show as far as audio goes. Setups are still mainly for audiophiles with the extra cash though.
Home Theater
HD was the big thing again this year. This time though, we’re up to 1080p. HD-DVD players will soon be available, but with two different formats, things may get confusing. HDDVDs will be released first and at a lower cost, but if Sony does in fact include a Blue Ray player in the Playstation 3, things could turn in their favor.
Of the True HDTVs presented, a couple of the best were the Epson CrystalPRO LS65HD1 using 3LCD and the Samsung HL-R7178W with DLP.
Living room media players will soon enough become as common as your DVD player just as DVRs are starting to. Microsoft is already leading the way with its release of the Windows Media Center included on the Xbox 360.
Gaming
Sony showed off the outside of the Playstation 3 along with a cutscene from one of its games which seems to preview what the system is capable of. There didn’t seem to be much else. Either they are keeping other plans under wraps or they don’t really have any interesting plans, which is more likely.
nVidia had their latest in processing power which is ofcourse aimed towards hardcore gamers.
Mobile
This year mobile web is going to get more attention as service providers make it more available and more affordable (about time). To prepare for this, there were many new cell phones showcased, especially by Motorola who didn’t seem to have anything else to offer.
Since the iPod craze and the coming of video capabilities, there were many portable video devices, most of which are a better choice over an iPod. Especially with media services like Starz Vongo. Toshiba had the best device above all, the Gigabeat S.
The best thing all mobile devices have learned from the iPod is to keep it clean and simple. Their interfaces are easy to use and focused on what people are looking for. The best ones have Windows Mobile Media Center on them, which looks to be another area Microsoft is starting to take over.
Update: Icon graphics are from the CES website. Click on them for more info.
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