The
idea of PC and home theater convergence was without question the theme
of the 2006 Consumer Electronic Show that wrapped up last week in Las
Vegas. In years past HDTV video and home theater were the darlings of
the show (excluding the activities at the Sands during the day and at
The Venetian at night). Now video gaming, PC platforms that can emulate
home theater and home automation are much more the focus of the show.
Intel showed a number of creative applications of its VIIV platform.
The most striking to me was their race car simulator demo that included
a Recaro seat, a Momo F1 shifter, race pedals and XHiFi speakers all
dialed into a PC setup with a video card designed specifically for the
demanding needs of gaming. While the actual driving of the game was a
bit over sensitive, the overall experience was something even
non-gamers could really get into. Missing from the Intel booth as far
as I could see was any of the new Macs that now use Intel chips. These
Apple products were launched days later at the Macworld show.
Of note was the lack of presence of any real consumer traction for
HD-DVD and or Blu-ray. They were certainly on display but mostly as
prototypes. I saw some HD-DVD titles but there were no more than a
handful. Talk of Hollywood wanting to just delivering HD content via
some sort of system on your home theater PC (which your cable or
satellite provider will sell to you) is looking more and more likely.
If HD-DVD or Blu-ray wanted to get some serious momentum from the
press, they needed to show more titles along with affordable players
with realistic release dates for stores. Both HD disc formats remain
vapor ware and get less and less consumer attention because of the
impending format war that both sides seem to be set on waging.
Big plasmas were noticeable. A 102-inch plasma was on display at the LG
booth which was amazingly huge. I am not sure why someone would want
such a giant set that weighs so much when there are projectors and
screens that are likely cheaper and better. I guess in America bigger
is always better.
Audiophile products were everywhere in the Alexis Park. Not much was
relevant with most selling two channel products when even the most
rabid audio enthusiasts are investing in multi-channel products. Things
that caught my attention were the impressive sounding and incredibly
flat Morel speakers that expand to match your plasma. Anthony Gallo’s
updated Reference speakers are striking looking, VERY fairly priced and
sounded great. Hsu Research’s subwoofer cranked incredible volumes in a
tiny hotel room at an impressively tiny price. Hsu is sold direct over
the Internet. RBH’s screen wall that includes an actual screen (of your
choice), custom cabinets and their reference speakers highlighted a
unique way to get the look of a theater without compromising your
audiophile grade sound. RBH speakers are very dynamic sounding with
powerful yet smooth highs and should be considered along with the best
speakers at any price.
Conclusion
CES is a huge show that highlights the trends that define a
multi-billion dollar home theater business. In 2006 what we saw was the
beginnings of how the PC and chip makers will make their mark on the
industry. Benefits include fast product cycles, incredible processing
power and tremendous technology. Downsides include the
over-commoditization of products and the return of the
do-it-yourselfer. Just because Apple’s iPod has sold 42,000,000 units
doesn’t mean it sounds good. Also just because you got your receiver
for $200 less doesn’t mean you don’t want a dealer to come out and set
it up. I am not sure consumers are ready for call-in support like you
use with computers for their home theaters yet.
In the coming years, it would be helpful to see the Consumer
Electronics Association (CEA) move to “unmerge” the CES show with
COMDEX which was the once mighty computer tradeshow. The home theater
and AV industry alone can support its own show in ways a disorganized
CES simply can not. The “South Hall” is supposed to be where the home
theater products are but the hall is filled with OEM manufacturers of
flat TVs, speakers and all sorts of other gear that isn’t too cutting
edge. Because of this, many of the best home theater companies are
forced to display off site or not to come at all. Another problem with
the show is because of its size many AV dealers simply can not justify
the cost of bringing their staff to Vegas when hotel rooms cost many
times what they once cost. CEDIA has become the show where installers
come but that is at a price. It is good for the AV industry to get
dealers to CES en mass. Their excitement for what is new and next not
only drives sales it improves salesperson education that instills
consumer confidence with buyers walking through the front doors of the
world’s best retailers.
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