In Las Vegas this morning, the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) officially kicked off with remarks from Gary Shapiro, president of the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association). "2009 is a year none of us wish to repeat and now we look forward to 2010. There is light at the end of the tunnel and it is the bright light of innovation," said Shapiro.
The Consumer Electronics Show itself is estimated to attract approximately 110,000 attendees this year (about flat from last year) but this includes 330 new exhibitors out of a total of over 2,500 companies exhibiting at the show. Big Picture Big Sound has six writers in attendance at CES this year so we can be sure to cover the latest announcements in the HDTV, Blu-ray, home theater and home electronics categories up close and personally:
Recapping some of the good news of 2009, the CEA tells us that Blu-ray Disc players sold like hotcakes (again) in 2009 with a 155% increase over 2008. Over 7,000,000 players were sold last year accounting for over $1 billion in revenue. The CEA estimates that this upward trend will continue in 2010, with an estimated 11.5 million units to be sold. A part of this increase will certainly come from the new 3D-enabled Blu-ray players that are expected to be available in the first half of the year from CE stalwarts Panasonic, Samsung, LG and Sony.
In fact, the press conferences from all four of these companies yesterday were heavily laden with 3D products and solutions. Panasonic and Samsung have gotten specific with Television and Blu-ray player model numbers that will include the 3D technology and Sony has stated that it will provide an update to its PS3 (PlayStation 3) console to support 3D content on both Blu-ray Disc and games. Sony will also release new standalone Blu-ray player models in 2010 as well as LCD TVs that support the upcoming 3-D Blu-ray Discs and Sony Pictures will help on the content side releasing the animated film "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" as their first 3-D Blu-ray Disc. Other 3-D titles will follow. LG even talked about a new 1080p home theater projector with 3-D support, a new category for the Korean manufacturer.
Panasonic, a sponsor of the 3-D smash hit "Avatar" is showing clips of this film and other 3-D titles in their booth, not only on their new 152-inch mega plasma HDTV but also on more living room friendly screen sizes from 50 inches up to 65 inches. New models in Panasonic's high-end V Series plasma line will support full HD 1080p 3D TV in 2010. Their upcoming DMP-BD350 Blu-ray player will be their first to support the new 3-D Blu-ray standard and will make an excellent match for the V Series plasma TVs. Samsung's BD-P6900 Blu-ray player will be their first to support 3D and will mate up with their 9000 series LED/LCD TVs to produce full HD 1080p 3-D images. Samsung is also offering real-time 2D to 3D conversion as a feature in their 3D-enabled TVs.
Other picture enhancements and technological advancements are being included in some 2010 models, including 480 Hz processing for smoother motion reproduction, LED lighting enhancements and a much wider selection of IPTV and internet streaming features. But 3D is where many manufacturers are pinning their hopes for resumed growth in the HDTV sector in 2010 and beyond.
Look for detailed coverage of CES news and announcements as they relate to HDTV, Blu-ray and home theater gear right here on Big Picture Big Sound:
