CES 2013: CEA Presents State of the Global CE Industry

The international viewpoint of CES was presented by CEA Director of Industry Analysis Steve Koenig during the State of the Global CE Industry pre-show event staged at the Mandalay Bay on Sunday, January 6th. While most major international markets suffered a 1 percent drop in GDP last year, it is expected that as developing economies improve we will still only see single digit growth during a modest recovery. Continue reading CES 2013: CEA Presents State of the Global CE Industry

CES 2013: CEA Chief Economist Presents Trends to Watch

In the first press conference of the 2013 International CES, CEA’s Chief Economist and Senior Director of Research Shawn DuBravac outlined trends anticipated for this year’s confab, including mobile devices moving away from their primary role as a communication tool, and mobiles transitioning from serving as a second screen to potentially a primary screen. He also estimated that 50 Ultra HDTV models could be unveiled this week. Continue reading CES 2013: CEA Chief Economist Presents Trends to Watch

CES 2013: Ultra High Definition TVs Coming to Las Vegas

CEA predicts that Ultra High Definition (UHD) will be “prominently displayed” at the International CES. The surge in interest followed an International Telecommunication Union-led agreement on two UHDTV standards (effectively 4K and 8K). That occurred in August and since then the focus in the U.S. and the majority of countries looking at UHDTV has been on the 4K flavor (the main exception being NHK, which is developing its 8K Super Hi-Vision system). Continue reading CES 2013: Ultra High Definition TVs Coming to Las Vegas

CES 2013: CEA Chief Discusses Top Trends Expected in January

Last year’s Consumer Electronics Show broke attendance records, with more than 156,000 people descending upon Las Vegas. This January, the 2013 show is expected to match last year’s attendance and set a new record in terms of show floor space, with more than 1.85 million square feet of booths and exhibits.

“Every day brings more good news. We are bigger than last year, in terms of our footprint. That’s how we measure the size of the show in the trade-show world,” explains Consumer Electronics Association chief exec Gary Shapiro, who anticipates more than 3,300 exhibitors. “The thing I’m really excited about is the startup area,” notes Shapiro. “We did a deal last year for Eureka Park and we thought we’d have 30 companies. We had 100, and this year we have 140.”

Shapiro expects CES to be packed despite Microsoft’s absence. The company has traditionally given the opening keynote to kick off the show, but will be replaced this year by Paul Jacobs, CEO of mobile chip maker Qualcomm.

“That change is symbolic, as Microsoft represented the PC industry, while Qualcomm generates billions on the strength of smartphone and tablet chip sales,” reports VentureBeat.

Anticipated trends include touchscreen, gesture and sensor tech; wireless wallets; Ultra HD 4K TVs; 3D printing and cloud-based services. This year’s show will also feature an increased presence in terms of digital health, green technology and the automotive industry (including connected cars and electric vehicles).

“Another big draw will be anything connected to Apple,” explains VentureBeat. “Apple employees are coming, but Apple traditionally doesn’t exhibit or speak at CES. But the iLounge section devoted to Apple-related products built by other companies is now going to have 440 companies across 120,000 square feet.”

CES 2013: Entertainment Matters Program Targets Hollywood

Entertainment Matters at CES (EM), currently in its third year, is an International CES program created specifically for the Hollywood and entertainment community. EM includes On the Floor, which targets relevant exhibits for content and entertainment professionals; Keynotes and Panels that address key trends, technologies, media and branding; and the Red Carpet Program, an exclusive, invitation-only VIP program to CES. Sponsored by Variety, EM is a tailored connection to partnerships and innovations at the world’s largest consumer electronics trade show, the 2013 International CES (January 8-11 in Las Vegas). Continue reading CES 2013: Entertainment Matters Program Targets Hollywood

CEA Forecasts 30-50 Ultrabooks Expected to Launch at CES 2012

  • At a recent CES Unveiled event in London, Shawn DuBravac, director of research for the CEA, predicted that a large number of ultrabooks will debut at the 2012 CES conference in January. “We expect to see 30 to 50 new ultrabooks launch at CES,” said DuBravac. TechCrunch responded with, “That’s a whole lot of MacBook Air clones.”
  • Each year, there seems to be a single prominent device showcased at the annual confab. “iPad killers were out in force at 2011′s show. 2010 was all about 3D TVs while netbooks was the popular product in 2009,” suggests the post. “It seems that ultrabooks might be 2012′s hot product. But can they break the dreaded CES curse that plagued the previous hot products?”
  • TechCrunch describes how Android tablets failed to challenge the iPad and how 3D TVs and netbooks failed to achieve significant adoption. If ultrabooks dominate the 2012 event, will they face the same fate?
  • “Ultrabooks are supposed to be the answer to Apple’s increasingly popular MacBook Air. Intel designed the computing platform to be as thin as possible while keeping the price low. The first batch of ultabooks start at $899 and offer competitive performance. But they’re still not built as well as the MacBook Air.”

CEA Chief Describes New Era of Sharing Enabled by the Web

  • Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association, provides a compelling commentary on America’s ownership culture and the trends that are steering it toward a new shared ownership strategy.
  • “First, America’s declining wealth requires we cut costs where possible,” Shapiro writes in Forbes. The recent credit crunch has impacted purchasing and many young people are more likely to share housing with family or friends than in previous years.
  • “Second, our declining wealth means we need to find creative ways to get the same item or service for less,” he adds, citing examples such as vehicle sharing through ZipCar, emerging bicycle sharing programs, and educational videos shared online.
  • “Third, the Internet allows those with similar needs to connect quickly, easily and efficiently. More, mobile devices, such as smart phones, tablets and the plethora of apps, allow us to share information with each other and with retailers — increasing efficiency and putting together buyers and sellers.”
  • Shapiro explains that the Internet is a powerful tool that helps facilitate sharing and provide access at a lower cost. “After all, sharing is a far more efficient method of resource distribution than owning, and perhaps we will all have ‘more’ in the end.”

New Industry Report to be Released: Suggests 3D Format Safe for Kids

  • The American Optometric Association, the Consumer Electronics Association and the 3D@Home Consortium will issue a report entitled “3D in the Classroom: See Well, Learn Well” that will promote 3D in the classroom. The report, endorsed by James Cameron and Jeffrey Katzenberg, also makes the case for 3D eye exams.
  • The AOA has been taking issue with a position by some companies to recommend that 3D not be used for children younger than 6 years of age.
  • In response to Nintendo on the 3DS, for example, they responded, “Since vision develops from birth, it is crucial to uncover the type of vision disorders that may interfere with Nintendo 3D viewing at an early age. Accordingly, children younger than 6 can use the 3DS in 3D mode if their visual system is developing normally.”
  • They also dispute the recommendation against prolonged 3D viewing, as there is no medical evidence to support this.
  • “While professionals like Technicolor’s 3D guru Pete Routhier note that poorly made 3D can cause eye strain, headaches or nausea, the AOA report notes that discomfort caused by stereoscopy is not innate to the format,” reports Variety. “In fact, pain associated with 3D can often be an indicator of a problem with the health of the viewer’s eyes.”

CEA Calls for Participation on New 21:9 Aspect Ratio Standards

  • The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is developing new standards for 21:9 aspect ratio TV displays.
  • The standards are meant to support the emerging wider-format movies being released by Hollywood studios.
  • CEA said it is calling for industry participation “to investigate incorporation of methods for signaling delivery of the presence of 21:9 video into CEA 861, A DTV Profile for Uncompressed High-Speed Digital Interfaces.”
  • “As video displays with the 21:9 aspect ratio are now appearing in the marketplace, adding this feature to the standard can more efficiently deliver such video to DTV receivers with native 21:9 displays,” CEA said in a statement.
  • Efforts will be coordinated by CEA’s DTV interface subcommittee’s uncompressed A/V digital interfaces working group.

CEA Predicts Connected Portable Devices will Steer CE Market

  • The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) predicts that the consumer electronics industry will grow 5.6 percent this year and will surpass $190 billion. This prediction is higher than the estimate that CEA offered in January.
  • Significantly, tablet computers are projected to grow 157 percent in 2011, with more than 26.5 million units being shipped ($14 billion in shipment revenue).
  • “Newer, innovative product categories, like tablets, not only meet consumer demand but also help bolster our industry and strengthen the overall American economy,” says CEA chief exec Gary Shapiro.
  • “One year ago, tablets were a new and unproven market, and now they, along with other mobile connected devices including smartphones and eReaders, are leading the entire industry to positive growth,” adds Steve Koenig, CEA’s director of industry analysis. “The revenue boost from these innovative products is undeniable as a number of other CE segments are reaching maturity and sales are naturally declining.”
  • The trade association also expects the market to reach a record $197 billion in 2012, led by sales of smartphones, tablets and 3D TVs.