After many visits to the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, I’ve finally realized why I enjoy it so much. Despite the annoyance of the heavy crowds, it’s like going to a huge electronics store where the sales people are actually experts on their products! There was plenty to see at the 2012 CES, so here’s my overview of the most interesting & significant products on display, with TV dominating the show...
UD (Ultra Definition): The most impressive picture was an LG 84” LCD panel using 4K technology, which displays an image consisting of 3840x2160 pixels, compared to HD’s usual 1920x1080. That means 4 times the resolution of today’s best HDTV. The additional visual information resulted in a picture that was remarkably clear despite its huge size, but the bad news is that there is at present virtually no commercially-available 4K content. Still, the set (called “UD” for “Ultra Definition”) could provide improved 3D images & will be for sale in June or July, with no price yet announced. Other manufacturers were also displaying 4K equipment, some in the form of video projectors, which were capable of creating very detailed & large images in dark home theaters.
Thinner Screens: The best “normal” HDTV pictures were from LG & Samsung, which showed 55” displays using OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology. OLED displays had previously been shown at CES in smaller screen sizes, but never anywhere near this big. The images, as expected, were absolutely superb, despite the fact that the panels were only 4mm thick. Although they are not for sale yet, both LG & Samsung are promising availability before the end of 2012, with an expected price of $8-10,000. Sony had a similar “technology demonstration” of a 55” set called a “Crystal LED” display; although its LED’s were not organic-based, it also created an exceptionally good picture. Incidentally, Samsung’s OLED set was displaying something they call “Dual-View & Dual-Mode” that allows 2 people wearing special glasses to watch 2 completely different HD shows on the same TV at the same time…not sure if there would be any strong consumer demand for such a product, but it’s a fascinating technological feat.
3D Without Glasses: Toshiba & Sony were displaying 3D HDTV panels that didn’t require glasses of any kind. The problem with glasses-free 3D demonstrations at past CES shows was that they required viewers to stand at a very precise distance & angle from the screen. Toshiba’s attempted improvement used numerous tiny lenses on a 55” panel to aim the 2 different 1270x720 HD images required for 3D in slightly different directions, creating 9 different possible viewing regions. Face-tracking software then allows the device to detect the viewer’s position to best control the picture, depending on who is watching at any one time. Sony had a 46” panel using a different technology, but neither system looked very good to me, since the full 3D effect was only available in specific & limited regions from the screens, while requiring no head movement whatsoever to maintain stable dimensionality. This is an area with obvious potential, but it still requires much more development work.
Connected TV: Most other television manufacturers highlighted the internet-surfing capability of their latest sets, with Samsung & LG joining Sony & Vizio in offering Google TV. Though not new, an October revision of the Google TV software has made the system more user-friendly, now utilizing a special version of the Android mobile platform running a customized Chrome browser. LG’s version, with a controller consisting of a full keyboard on one side & a simplified remote on the other side, seemed particularly easy to use & should be on sale by early March.
The Specter of Apple TV: All the fanfare for Google TV & for other sets with proprietary methods of surfing the web was diminished somewhat by the pervasive rumors about a possible new Apple TV. As usual, Apple had no presence at the CES, but it’s undeniable that a 50” Apple TV, like a giant iPad with Siri voice-software & content through iTunes, could be a giant game-changer for Apple. Of course, at this point an Apple TV is still just a rumor, but the battle for dominance between Google & Apple is sure to continue, as consumers demand more from their entertainment hardware.
The Ultrabook, a Tablet/Laptop Hybrid: Intel had a big display highlighting a new category of laptops called Ultrabooks. These are high-end computers, replacing the previous emphasis on low-cost netbooks. Ultrabooks are small, with Intel requiring that they weigh no more than 3.1 pounds, are no more than 0.8 inches thick & with 5-8 hours of battery life. They are designed to compete against the increasing popularity of tablets, especially Apple’s iPad & MacBook Air, by offering a product appealing to corporate IT departments since they can easily run all existing PC software. The units, manufactured by Dell, Lenovo, Acer, Asus & Toshiba, will all feature flash hard drives & be easier to integrate into existing IT management & security setups than Apple products. I found the Toshiba Protégé Z835 on display to be a particularly attractive combination of light weight (2.5 pounds), thinness (0.62”) & lengthy battery life (8 hours).
Microsoft’s Mobile Moves: Among mobile devices, Nokia & Microsoft are combining to further push interest in the latest Windows 7 operating system. The new Nokia Lumia 900 “Ace” is an LTE-ready 4G device that can hopefully reverse Nokia’s dramatic decline in sales; this smartphone was easy to navigate & there is an obvious advantage to using similar operating systems on both phones & computers.
Radio in Mobile Phones: On the radio side, RIM made an interesting announcement that it will activate the FM radio circuitry that is already built-in to the BlackBerry Curve 9360 & 9380 smartphones, so new buyers will be able to listen to broadcast FM stations without running up their data usage. The audio quality was quite good through headphones & existing owners can get the new FM players by simply upgrading to 7.1 software.
Portable Projector: In the most-bang-for-your-buck department, I was impressed by the performance of Optima’s new PK320 DLP projector. It’s amazingly small (only 4½ inches wide & weighing less than 9 ounces), but still capable of displaying a decent widescreen image up to 150 inches in size with a WXGA display using LED illumination. Operating on either AC power or a rechargeable battery (at reduced brightness), it could make a nice travelling companion for a small laptop & is priced at $449.
3D on the iPhone: A Canadian company called Spatial View was displaying a 3DeeSlide iPhone case that contains a plastic lens that can be attached to the phone to create 3D images. It costs only $29.95 & produced very impressive 3D effects. They will also be selling a similar 3DeeScreen for laptops, initially priced at $129.95 for a 15.6” screen. It’s a good concept, limited only by the relatively few videos that must be specially created for this system, accessible through their free app.
Solar Kindle Cover: I also couldn’t resist the concept behind the Solar Kindle cover, which is the first Kindle cover that is completely solar-powered. Listing at $79.95, it carries a guarantee to provide 3 months of unplugged Kindle usage within a “normal sunlight environment,” with one hour of sunlight creating 3 days of reading time. If it’s fully charged, the built-in LED reading light can be used for 50 hours without having to use the Kindle’s main battery. Overall, it seems like quite a deal, although it is priced about the same as the lowest-priced Kindle itself.
Finally, I’ll mention my choice of product with the lowest commercial potential. It was a TV from Haier with a transparent screen. Here’s a photo of it, with my hand behind it. Other than being some kind of significant technological achievement, I can’t imagine anyone wanting to buy this TV. It’s as if the engineers forgot that viewers would actually want to clearly see the image itself, rather than whatever happens to be present behind the screen. But that’s just part of my continuing fascination with the CES, since there’s always something for everyone!
