We just got back from surviving the sweltering temperatures of Atlanta to bring you the latest news on the new gear announced at CEDIA 2010.  The show was rife with all of our favorite high-end consumer electronics companies showing off all the gear that they announced between now and CES 2010 back in January.  After 5 different press conferences and 50+ booth visits, here’s our take on the top five most intriguing trends that we saw during our three days on the show floor.

The Hope That CE Consumers Are Craving 3D

You couldn’t walk ten feet in the Georgia Congress Center without seeing something that had to do with 3D technology; 3D Displays, 3D Projectors, 3D Screen Material, 3D compatible audio components, 3D High-Speed cables and the list goes on.  Sharp announced $199 glasses that switch between 3D and 2D views on the same display to cater to all the viewers in the room as well as 3D Aquos displays , a 3D projector and a 3D Blu-ray player.  JVC rolled out six new 3D projectors, across professional and consumer lines, as well as their phenomenal 4K projector right after their press conference at the Omni hotel.

LG was showing off 3D displays at their booth as well as 3D projectors with custom content.  Digital Projection had multiple booths setup for 3D as well showing demos of the animated Christmas Carol and Avatar.  Panasonic was showing off a massive 152” display capable of 3D that served more as a spot for group pictures to attract people in to their booth rather than a viable option for the home theater.  Sony announced a $10K 3D projector in their lineup as well as pushing 3D gaming using a display with their Playstation 3 .

While Avatar was the mostly commonly used 3D source material, you had to hunt down the CEDIA technology booth to see the most impressive 3D display using the inexpensive, passive glasses.  In combination with a variety of companies like Stewart Filmscreen and Harman Kardon, the booth was showing a 3D version of the Tron Legacy trailer that was really phenomenal.  The moving, rumbling seats where probably influencing my decision, but still impressive.  Screen Innovations, while showing off their motorized version of the Black Diamond, had the best looking version of Avatar in a back room.  The room was setup to show the difference ambient lighting had on the screen quality and Avatar looked perfect on the black screen material.

Bringing The Home Back Into Home Theater

Last year, you may remember Sonance launching their TRUFIG line of products to take all the elements in your home theater or home in general and make them blend into the background.  They are basically pushing those devices like outlets, control panels, LCD panels and speakers into the wall to create a seamless design.  Think of it as a design solution for architects and interior designers to blend these units into walls and ultimately make the girlfriend / wife / significant other happy that their walls aren’t plastered with ugly, techy coverings.   TRUFIG was back this year, but with insets into other types of wall material like stone as well as HVAC diffusers to expand their line.  They are also making it simpler for installers to cut the pieces to scale and inset them into a design.


While not as elegant of a solution, we saw plenty more of this type of thinking about the show.  Nearly every home automation company was showing off their wall mounts for iPhone / iPod Touch connections.  Control4 was showing off a LCD panel mount that was interchangeable with different LCD sizes.  LG showed off a wireless A/V transfer system for sending your 1080p high-def content streaming to televisions up to 50 feet away.  Media Décor was showing off their standard line of television covers with sliding paintings and mirrors.  They even had a LCD screen inset into a bathroom mirror.  Over at Paradigm’s booth, they were showing off a wireless sub that was thin enough to slide underneath a couch and smaller, stylistic bookshelf speakers that would be pleasing the eye in any home theater.