In the midst of the sharpest recession in memory, will anyone care about the latest gadgets and gizmos?
That depressing question will be hanging over the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this January, as buyers, retailers, enthusiasts, and reporters will gather in Las Vegas to either herald the economy's resurgence, or damn the show as just another Comdex or Macworld.
Naysayers say that attendance will be down, that exhibitors will flee the show floor in favor of cheaper hotel rooms and café meetings, and that consumer electronics companies will scale back to the tried, true, and profitable.
In a bid to steal some thunder, companies exhibiting at CES are already leaking or publicizing the announcements they'll make at the show. Moreover, the official press day opens on Jan. 7, where the flood of new product announcements will begin.
Meanwhile, PCMag.com analysts and reporters have been working the back channels, and here's what we expect the largest electronics trade show will offer when its doors open on Jan.8. As in past years, you can expect PCMag.com to have all the announcements as they happen.
The first question: attendance
Will CES be as big as the 2008 show in January 2008? The short answer: No. The show's attendance continues to decline. In June, the Consumer Electronics Association's final tally said that CES 2008 drew 141,150 attendees. That, in turn, was down from 143,695 in 2007. In 2008, 3,000 exhibitors showcased products across 1.85 million square feet of exhibition space, then a record for the show.
This January, the CEA expects CES to attract 130,000 attendees, an 8 percent decline. The exhibit space is also down, to 1.7 million square feet, and a CEA representative did not comment when asked if the space was entirely booked. The number of companies showing their wares has also decreased, dropping 10 percent to 2,700 companies.
"Given the tough economic times, all global industries are susceptible to consumer unease about their own personal finances. However, there is a silver lining," the CEA said in a statement. "As consumers spend more time at home, they increasingly consider CE products as necessities, not luxuries.
"And the 2009 International CES features with 2,700 exhibitors across 1.7 million net square feet of exhibit space, which is a strong indication of the resiliency of our industry," the CEA added. "Most importantly, our research shows that the average CES attendee conducts 12 meetings at the show, making CES attendance the most economical way to do business and generate new leads in the consumer electronics industry."
The products: what to expect
So what can consumers expect at CES? Although prices for new products are rarely disclosed, there is a truism in tech: new technology commands a premium. And premiums mean profits. The bottom line: expect CE manufacturers to push high-end technology mainstream as soon as possible, while cutting costs where they can.
In each category, we'll summarize what we expect out of CES, and what you should look for in product announcements.
HDTVs
HDTV manufacturers have regularly teased us with prototype flat-panel televisions with increasingly thin cabinet depths, and the 2009 CES show should showcase some ultra-thin models that will actually make it to stores later in the year. Some display technologies such as OLED (organic light emitting diode) already offer slim screens with a frame thickness that is measured in millimeters, and it will be interesting to see just how thin the LCD- and plasma-TV manufactures are looking to go with the 2009 models.
The light emitting diode (LED) continues to gain momentum as an environmentally friendly (mercury-free/efficient) light source for LCD televisions, and some LED-lit LCDs are already delivering enhanced picture quality compared to traditional LCDs that utilize fluorescent lighting systems. As LCD manufacturers strive to "go green", we're expecting to see an increased number of new LED-lit LCD televisions on the 2009 CES show floor.
Wireless HDMI technology that supports the transmission of full 1080p video will make its retail debut (finally) in 2009. Several companies have previously demonstrated prototype hardware, and the 2009 CES should provide a good look at what we can expect from the finished products.
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