OTHER TECH

Video was definitely the big news at CES, and Toshiba summed it up with these three statements: 1) Black is the new black. 2) 1080p is the new 720p. 3) 120 Hz is the new 1080p.

In other words, performance that was exclusive to flagship displays as recently as last year is quickly becoming standard at all price levels.

New TV designs will have you rethinking your definition of "flat." As Al Griffin just pointed out, companies across the board are developing sets that make today's panels look like they need a gastric bypass. Note to flat-panel wall-mount manufacturers: 2-inch-thick mounts aren't going to cut it anymore. Start working on new designs now!

In the "more is more" department, Panasonic grabbed the title of World's Largest Flat Panel with its 150-inch plasma statement piece. If you compare it with a "mere" 50-incher, it's the size equivalent of nine of those sets - but the cost will probably be more like 90! While the Panasonic set boasted 4,096 x 2,160-pixel (4K) resolution, Samsung and Sony both displayed ultra-high-resolution 82-inch LCD sets boasting more than 8 million pixels!

The quest for the ultimate contrast ratio continues, and I saw claims that ranged from 100,000:1 to 8,000,000:1. Yes, that's 8 million to 1. But the most "put up or shut up" demonstration was Pioneer's Extreme Contrast Concept, which had everyone at the show talking. Quite simply, it's the best-looking TV I've ever seen - and with an absolute black level, it has a contrast ratio that is immeasurable.

Don't count DLP out of the market yet. Texas Instruments displayed sets running at 240 Hz (take that, 120 Hz!), which exhibited zero blur or detail loss during motion in the image. And Mitsubishi unveiled a DLP set that uses a laser for its light source. The set had razor-sharp detail, mega contrast, and colors that were beyond anything I'd seen before. Reds from the Obi-Wan and Anakin lightsaber duel at the end of Star Wars: Episode III practically boiled right off the screen. Mitsubishi was tight-lipped about any particulars, but laser sets are scheduled to ship sometime this year.

For the most part, it seems like A/V manufacturers and custom companies that aren't video-centric have abandoned CES in favor of the much more focused CEDIA Expo. But two audio products did get me excited, and they came from high-end speaker manufacturers Thiel and B&W.

Wireless speakers aren't totally new, but they've generally been reserved for the surround channels of lower-priced home-theater-in-a-box systems. So when two companies that place premium sound above all other concerns both release wireless systems, it's huge news. Thiel's system, expected by year's end (price to be determined), will be called THIELnet and will be capable of running up to 64 speakers, in either 5.1- or 2-channel configurations. B&W's system is aptly named Liberty (since it frees you from speaker cabling) and employs its renowned XT speakers. Liberty will support up to 8 channels - perfect for 5.1 plus a remote stereo zone. B&W plans to launch the system this fall with a price tag ranging from $15,000 to $18,000.

Praise be! It looks like we've finally reached the saturation point with iPod docks and accessories. For once, Apple peripherals weren't the only thing that manufacturers had to talk about at CES. But if you can't live without some new padding for your Pod, be advised that the first docks featuring authentication chips and "Works with iPhone" logos have started appearing. And JVC elevated the iPod dock to the extreme by introducing the world's first line of LCD TVs featuring built-in docks. Comprising JVC's P Series, the 32- and 42-inch models were due to ship in March, a 47-inch model was due in April, and a 53-inch model is due this summer.

To find out what else excited me at the show, check out my four-part series, "CES: A Day in the Life."