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CES 2010
Samsung OLED
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 12, 2009

Even though Samsung has announced it is suspending research and development of OLED, there were still some prototypes at the front of its booth, including a 31-incher and several measuring 14 inches. They looked amazing.

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CES 2010
Samsung B850 Series
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 12, 2009

Samsung is one of the few companies that makes and markets LCDs and plasmas with equal fervor. Members of the new B850 plasmas, including the 50- and 58-inch versions shown here, are only 1.5 inches deep at their thickest point, and they consume 40% less power than last year's line. It also boasts a 600Hz sub-field refresh rate, which is supposed to lower black level and reduce contouring, though this is likely more about specsmanship than any significant benefit.

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CES 2010
Samsung Wing
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 12, 2009

I agree with Kim Wilson that the wall o' TVs at the entrance to the Sharp booth was impressive, but I thought the Samsung "wing" was even more so.

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CES 2010
Jeopardy! at CES
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 12, 2009

The beloved game show <I>Jeopardy!</I> celebrated its 25th anniversary by taping a week's worth of shows at CES. Interestingly, <I>Jeopardy!</I> and <I>Wheel of Fortune</I> were the first game shows to be produced and broadcast in high-def in 2006.

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CES 2010
Haier HL42XTW1
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 12, 2009

I was surprised to see Haier in a huge booth in the middle of the convention center's Central Hall. This Chinese company has been at CES in years past, but until now, they've had a smaller booth somewhere in the back. Based in Qindao (or Tsing Tao, where the beer of that name is brewed), Haier is one of China's largest appliance manufacturers, and it's been selling LCD TVs in the US market since 2006. Where are they sold, you ask? Mainly independent appliance and TV stores such as BrandSmart; they are also big on the QVC shopping network.

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CES 2010
Vivitek H6080FD
Scott Wilkinson  |  Jan 12, 2009

I saw a couple of LED-illuminated DLP front projectors at CEDIA last year, so it wasn't all that surprising to see another one at CES. Vivitek introduced the H6080FD, a 1080p projector with a single DMD chip and RGB LEDs that are supposed to last 20,000 hours. This 1080p model claims 800 lumens of light output and a 50,000:1 native contrast ratio. Availability is said to be the May/June time frame, and the price will be around $20,000.

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Ears On
The Future of CES
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 12, 2009
What did the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show tell us about the future of CES and our industry in general? That was the question on everyone's lips. When asked "how are you," I cheerfully answered: "employed." This never failed to bring a smile. CES 2009 was hardly a failure. While it did not draw the 147,000 people of 2008, it still mustered 110,000, according to a press release from the Consumer Electronics Association. That is not too shabby by any standard. On the magazine's audio beat, I found fewer audio exhibits in the South Hall, but more at the Venetian, so seeing stuff and blogging about it kept me busy.
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CES 2009
Official CES Attendance Revised Downward
Mark Fleischmann  |  Jan 12, 2009
CES attendance was down a bit more than expected, according to figures released on the last day of the show by the Consumer Electronics Association. 2008 attendance had been 147,000. Estimated attendance for 2009 had been 131,000. But in its press release, CEA has revised those numbers downward to 110,000.
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CES 2009
Bryston Pre-Pro
Tom Norton  |  Jan 11, 2009  |  First Published: Jan 12, 2009
Bryston had this classy-looking new preamp-processor, the SP-3, on static display. It will have all the important bells and whistles, including decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD Master Audio, when it goes on sale, probably in the second half of 2009. No prices were given.
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CES 2009
More from the House of Usher
Tom Norton  |  Jan 11, 2009  |  First Published: Jan 12, 2009
Usher showed up with a whole new line of relatively affordable speakers, the NV series. They're still being refined, but should be available in a few months. The NV 601 is the smallest model in the line. I was one of the first to hear it; they hooked it up for the first time at the show (they claimed) just before I walked into the room, and a few minutes from the close of the show (they had been featuring their more upscale models in their two rooms throughout the show). The sound was impressive, with a solid midrange, good balance, and detailed but very sweet highs— just the right balance for home theater and music. Estimated price will be in the neighborhood of $1100/pair (stands not included). There are also two floor standers and a center channel, the NV 603.
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