| Fabienne Barnes is at CES 2008 with Cleverdis Editor-in-Chief, and she brings us this exclusive report from Vegas... |
Las Vegas, NV, USA – 7th January, 2008: From the official launch (finally) of OLED TV to the unveiling of a massive (150”) plasma TV, and the first ever public demonstration of DVB-SH Mobile TV technology, CES 2008 has been very much in the headlines world-wide.
Gates Final Pre-Show Keynote as Microsoft Chairman
Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates kicked off the Show for the last time on Sunday evening with his now traditional pre-show keynote. Gates will step down from many of his responsibilities at Microsoft in July. His departure comes as the industry enters the second digital decade, Gates said, and technology is playing a greater role not just in helping people access information and entertainment at any time or place, but also in customising material.
Panasonic President Unveils HD Technologies at Opening Day CES Keynote
Panasonic AVC Networks Company President Toshihiro Sakamoto delivered the opening keynote address at the Sands Convention Center. Mr. Sakamoto concurrently serves as Senior Managing Director and Member of the Board of MEI, and leads the creation and development of the company’s digital video and audio business strategies, including flat panel displays and a variety of other High Definition network-capable products. In his keynote speech, Sakamoto shared Panasonic’s vision for the coming years and unveiled a range of diverse, new, easy-to-use, connectible High Definition technologies that will enable people to live high-quality, yet ecologically responsible lives. Sakamoto presented Panasonic’s flat panel HDTVs as a “Digital Hearth” – the 21st century’s center of the home where family and friends gather together.
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Cleverdis Editor-in-Chief Richard Barnes gets a first glimpse
of the Panasonic 150” Plasma - © Photo: Cleverdis
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The concept of placing large-screen flat panel displays at the centre of the living room puts an emphasis on family time spent experiencing entertainment together via a variety of audio and visual products.
To show the next big step of Panasonic’s Plasma technology, Sakamoto unveiled several new Plasma breakthroughs which will be available soon after Panasonic completes construction of its fifth PDP manufacturing facility.
• Plasma display with double efficiency technology
Panasonic unveiled its development of a Plasma panel that has twice the brightness of previous panels.
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• Super-thin 24.7mm* Plasma display
Less than one inch in profile, Panasonic’s newly developed super-thin Plasma display offers much greater setup flexibility in the living room.
* The thickness from the glass surface is only 23.7mm thin.
• 150-inch advanced High-Definition Plasma display
Panasonic’s 103-inch television has held the title as the world’s largest plasma TV to date. At his keynote address, Sakamoto revealed Panasonic’s new world’s largest – a 150-inch Plasma HDTV. This huge screen offers breathtaking, dynamic and crystal-clear image quality that is equivalent to nine 50-inch displays, with its high 2160 X 4096-pixel resolution – 4 times the resolution of the 1080p Full HD specification.
Panasonic’s European CEO Meets Cleverdis Editor-in-Chief
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Panasonic’s European Chairman and CEO, Mike Miyata was present at a private VIP reception just after the keynote, and gave us his special insight on the European market: “With industry trends changing faster than ever, the challenge in Europe is to speed up our time to market while also providing added value services to our customers. Two main thrusts in 2008 are of course Full HD and “Easy to Use” with all our equipment such as DVD recorders, Blu-ray Disc players, camcorders and digital cameras, together with our Viera large screen TV’s. This year, we will see the beginning of terrestrial High Definition TV broadcasting in Europe, starting in France and the UK, so the TV’s we market in those countries will have a built-in tuner to provide digital High Definition pictures. That’s exciting news, and it’s just the start of a roll-out across other countries as terrestrial HD TV comes to life.”
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Panasonic EU Chairman and CEO, Mike Miyata
with Cleverdis Editor-in-Chief, Richard Barnes
© Photo: Cleverdis
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Sony OLED - © Photo: Cleverdis
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Thin is In... Sony OLED Wows Crowds at CES
Described by some journalists as “a quantum leap ahead of what came before it”, Sony’s OLED TV, set to be launched onto the world market this year, attracted big crowds at the show. Stan Glasgow, President of Sony Electronics' U.S. division said the company's 11-inch organic light emitting diode (OLED) TV, with a 3-millimeter thick display, represented the “display of the future”. While Sony was late to jump on the LCD bandwagon, it appears that here they are keen to lead the field, much in the same way as they are doing with Blu-ray Disc technology.
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DVB-SH in the public eye for first ever US demo!
For the very first time in the US, during CES 2008, mobile high-resolution live television programming is being delivered to display terminals in a moving vehicle on Las Vegas Bd., outfitted with DVB-SH receivers. As the DVB-SH satellite will be officially launched in March this year, this demonstration is using a land-based transmitter giving exactly the same kind of signal the public will be receiving in any major city once the system is up and running.
The new Digital Video Broadcasting-Satellite services to Handhelds (DVB-SH) specification is an evolution of the Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H) standard. It enhances the range of DVB standards for the delivery of mobile digital television.
As DVB-H, the DVB-SH standard enables the delivery of IP-based media content and data to mobile terminals (mobile phones, PMPs (Portable Multimedia Players), USB keys, ... and also vehicular devices) however, it provides three key improvements to facilitate and optimize mobile broadcast implementation:
• Designed to work in multiple channel configurations and up to 3 GHz, it allows a much greater choice in terms of spectrum options;
• Integrating two essential transmission improvements (turbo coding and a highly flexible interleaver), DVB-SH offers a much better spectral efficiency, translating directly into significant cost savings for service providers;
• DVB-SH allows hybrid satellite / terrestrial operation to extend mobile broadcast reach all across a territory: terrestrial components insuring efficient coverage (including indoor) in urban and dense areas and satellite transmission providing coverage in rural and outdoor areas where terrestrial network is too expensive to deploy.
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I want it all… and I want it EVERYWHERE!
This long-awaited development in Mobile TV is an integral part of a whole suite of services set to be launched in 2008 by ICO, called ICO Mobile Interactive Media (ICO mim™)… next-generation technology that will redefine how consumers access information, services and entertainment in a mobile environment. Thanks to the launch of a new satellite in March, ICO mim will deliver entertainment, guidance and assistance through a platform that, unlike existing products, is both integrated and interactive.
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Richard Barnes – reporting for CE Channel on ICO / Alcatel Lucent
DVB-SH Demo in Las Vegas - © Photo: Cleverdis
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• Entertainment: ICO mim will deliver 10-15 channels of premium live TV content for 7–15 inch screens—setting the standard for the ultimate mobile video entertainment experience… as seen in the CES demo in Vegas!
• Guidance: ICO mim will provide a new level of intelligent, interactive navigation. mim combines the experience consumers enjoy with today’s navigation systems (such as real-time traffic and weather alerts, re-routing, and easy access to destination information) with mim’s unique integrated applications.
• Assistance: ICO mim offers a complete roadside assistance and emergency messaging capability, with satellite-connected emergency voice and text messaging assistance.
How will consumers get it? …Initially ICO's mim service will be delivered through existing video displays, such as your current in-vehicle screen, or on other devices such as portable gaming systems, portable DVD players, laptops and mobile PCs. Over time, mim technology will be embedded in a wide range of consumer electronics devices. Leading companies around the world are developing innovative products and services for mim, which will enjoy the benefits of the DVB-SH standard for mobile television, and the GMR air interface for interactive communications. ICO has assembled a world-class team for its mim alpha trial, including Alcatel-Lucent, Hughes, DiBcom and frog design. Clearwire, a leader in wireless broadband, will join as a service partner for the alpha trial in Raleigh Durham, North Carolina, and an additional trial will take place in Las Vegas, NV. Trials are expected to begin in Spring 2008.
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