Signs of the Times

CES 2011 may be over, but we've got a lot more to show you, which we'll be posting this week. Meanwhile, here are some photos I took in the last hour on Sunday, when the crowds were mostly gone.

Many of the major manufacturers increased their booth space dramatically, which indicated to me that the economic recovery is well underway for them. Panasonic built auditorium seating in front of this wall o' 3D TVs.

Sharp always has a spectacular booth, and this year was no exception.

The Sharp booth included one of the coolest things I've ever seen—a "video room" with three sides, top, and bottom comprised entirely of LCD panels. One side was open so people could stand at the railing and gape, and it made me dizzy at times as the images moved. All those panels also gave off a lot of heat.

This video display towered over the Samsung booth.

The curvaceous, mirrored backside of a 75-inch LED TV standing in the middle of the Samsung booth made for some interesting reflections. It's a concept product, so don't expect to see it in stores.

That same 75-inch concept TV produced a stunningly detailed picture as seen in this photo shot directly off the screen. I thought it might be 4K, but it's "only" 1080p.

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