The new generation optical disc formats, mobile video, home networking, and entertainment platforms will be showcased at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) taking place from January 5 to January 9 in Las Vegas, USA, with the participation of over 100,000 attendees and 2,500 exhibitors.
Yahoo and its competitor Google will kick off CES 2006 with speeches emphasizing their strong competitive strategies for the year. As the web increasingly becomes the primary medium for movies and television shows, these two Internet giants, along with Microsoft’s MSN, are set to become the digital media networks akin to ABC, NBC, and CBS in the digital age.
Television is no longer confined to large screens. Phones, laptops, and entertainment devices are poised to replace TVs. Sling Media, a U.S. company specializing in Internet-connected devices that allow viewers to watch cable, satellite, and TiVo programming, will demonstrate its service that streams live TV to phones and handheld devices operating on Microsoft’s mobile software at CES.
The ability to watch mobile video is no longer a novelty, as Apple launched the iPod video back in 2005. Several companies will showcase the superior capabilities of their video products at the exhibition; however, these devices will remain ineffective without adequate corresponding content, which is hindered by Hollywood.
One of the most anticipated events at the show is the detailed information about two optical disc formats: HD-DVD and Blu-ray. At CES 2005, HD-DVD proponents promised that players and films supporting the new technology would debut that year, but this was ultimately postponed to Q1 2006. Sony has not provided a specific timeline but confirmed that the PlayStation 3, which uses the Blu-ray format, will hit the market in the first half of this year. Pioneer also announced that it will introduce the first commercial Blu-ray drive for personal computers.
The two optical disc formats hint at what’s to come in the television manufacturing industry. Companies dedicated the years 2004 and 2005 to discussing HDTV in homes, but the focus of high-definition video is shifting to new platforms. Intel is set to release its Viiv brand of entertainment PCs equipped with dual-core processors, Windows XP Media Center operating system, and other high-end components to transform PCs into the hub of home entertainment systems.
Meanwhile, Microsoft will announce software for the Windows operating system not only for computers but also for media servers, mobile phones, and handheld devices, along with new plans for the Xbox 360 gaming console.
Other promising products slated to appear at the exhibition include a book scanner capable of automatically turning pages, a fuel cell charger that powers devices without needing a wall outlet, Bluetooth mobile phones integrated with Skype software, and 3D video technology that allows viewers to see objects on screen with the naked eye, eliminating the hassle of wearing special glasses.
“We will discover many new methods for uploading and distributing content at CES 2006,” concluded Saul Berman, an entertainment and media consultant at IBM. This year’s CES will take place not only at the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) but will also extend to the Sands Exhibition Center.
