The 40th anniversary of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2007 at Las Vegas is being described as an evolutionary rather than revolutionary tradeshow by Best Buy. However, the digital home concept is beginning to show real traction as evidenced by the full lineup of high-definition (HD) LCDs, DVD players, ultra-mobile PCs (UMPC) and other devices. And to tie all these devices together, consumers can count on Microsoft and Apple to come up with a plan. Attendees flooding the CES 2007 show hall…Photo: CES Give me more resolution, please… The pursuit of higher resolutions was evident by seemingly endless number of HD LCD applications at CES. Larger sized LCD TV, of course, is drawing the spotlight but PDP (plasma display panel) and rear-projection TV (RPTV) did not retreat from the spotlight. Sharp saw its share of “wow factor” by rolling out the world’s largest size LCD TV at 108-inches (or 2,386×1,344mm). The company said the LCD TV supports a higher resolution (2.07 million pixels) but lower power consumption than the largest PDP TVs. The introduction of this large-sized LCD TV, again, seems to prove the progress Sharp is making at its eight-generation (8G) plant at Kameyama, Japan, which began operation last August. Sharp 108-inch LCD TVSource: Company Rival Sony, which has been tirelessly promoting its Bravia line of LCD TVs, including sponsoring the New Year’s Eve fireworks display at the world’s tallest building – the Taipei 101 skyscraper – is exhibiting its 70-inch full-HD LCD TV (model number: KDL-70XBR3) featuring a resolution of 1,920×1,080 and 120Hz refresh rate at its 100,000 square foot booth. Sony 70-inch LCD TVSource: Company While DLP (digital light processing) RPTV continues to fight against LCD and PDP technology in the large-size TV market in terms of both resolution and cost, Texas Instruments (TI) displayed its full HD DLP chip solution. Samsung Electronics last year unveiled a 46-inch model (HLS4676S), which was only 10.6-inches deep. TI DLP-based RPTV with contrast ratio of 100,000:1 Source: Company Vendors pushing PDP technology, as predicted, have shifted their focus from size to resolution, and HD, once again is the critical issue. LG Electronics (LGE) introduced a 71-inch PDP TV with a resolution of 1,920×1,080 and a contrast ratio of 2,000:1 at the show. For those not content with current display technologies, Sony was demonstrating two slim TVs that incorporate OLED (organic light-emitting diode) technology. The 11- and 27-inch TVs are about 3mm and less- than-10mm thin, respectively, according to a company press release. The 27-inch model features a full high-definition (HD) panel while the 11-inch TV is designed with a wide-SVGA panel. Sony will soon decide on the mass production schedule for smaller-size OLED TVs. LGE 71-inch PDP TVSource: Company JVC 58-inch LCOS RPTV with a depth of less than 11-inchesSource: Company Unfortunately, fans of SED TVs (a Toshiba and Canon technology) were disappointed to hear that Toshiba canceled its planned to demonstration 55-inch SED TVs What will be “hub” of home entertainment? If the selection of displays demonstrated that the TV will be choice for viewing digital content, the competition is just heating up for how that content will be delivered. Both Nikko Citigroup and CIBC believe that network connectivity will be a key feature in 2007. Nikko Citigroup indicated that numerous players including Matsushita Electric Industrial, Sharp, Sony, Samsung and Philips all have LCD applications that support network connections for their displays. As would be expected, the usual suspects, including Apple (showing its products at the Macworld Conference and Expo 2007) and Microsoft made their latest plays for bringing the digital home together – Microsoft launched a home server while Apple introduced its Apple TV. Bill Gates caught peeking into future bedroomsPhoto: Microsoft The digital decade is coming, said Bill Gates at the keynote speech for CES, and the company’s Windows Home Server will provide a connection for the multiple PCs and devices in people’s homes, according to Microsoft’s plans. The CES announced Windows Home Server connects PCs digital devices and printers, in order to store, protect and share multimedia content and data. Later this year, HP plans to deliver the HP MediaSmart Server, powered by Windows Home Server software. HP MediaSmart Server, powered by Microsoft’s Windows Home Server.Photo: Microsoft MediaSmart Server is to be powered by a 1.8-GHz 64-bit Sempron processor from Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) with four hard drive bays and four USB ports for printer or external storage connections. Assuming all these bays are packed with 750GB drives, and each USB port is used to connect to similar-sized external drives, the total storage of the HP server tops out at 6 terabytes – enough to satisfy most users the time being. HP has not yet disclosed a concrete shipment schedule yet for the product. Apple was not as ambitious as Microsoft in the aim to host all multimedia content or data for users, instead, its Apple TV focused on the delivery of content from digital devices to the TV, with the product being priced at US$299. In line with its shift in focus from the PC to other consumer electronics (CE) devices, Apple Computer changed its name to simply Apple. Peace for now in the blue-laser standards war While Microsoft and Apple continued trying to woo consumers to their respective platforms, détente could be found in the battle for supremacy in the next-generation DVD standards war. With the competition between Blu-ray Disc (BD) and HD DVD formats keeping consumers from migrating to next-generation devices, LG Electronics (LGE) launched a dual-format DVD player, which will support Blu-ray and HD DVD content. The product is expected to hit the North America market in the first quarter of 2007, although at a price over US$1000. Movie content provider Time Warner also made a play for peace by announcing its Total HD disc format, which supports both next-generation formats as well. The company stated that while consumers rave about the quality of high definition when they see it, a confusing format dilemma will result in slower consumer adoption of HD technology. Warner Bros. announced that discs in Total Hi Def will be available in the second half of 2007 I’d like my digital content do go… For those cursed souls forced to leave the comfort of their digital domiciles, mobility was also on the agenda at CES. Samsung, which already introduced its Q1 series UMPC (ultra-mobile PC) last year, advanced the gadget (Q1P-SSD) with a NAND flash memory based solid-state drive (SSD) that comes in 32GB. Weighing in at 1.7lbs and having a battery life of up to three hours, this newly introduced UMPC meets the requirements of some consumers that are pursuing convenient portable solutions. Samsung UMPC with NAND flash-based SSDPhoto: Samsung Microsoft, of course, was not absent from this market. The Vista-based UMPC displayed by Microsoft at CES comes with a C7-M processor from Taiwan-based VIA Technologies and will be manufactured by Arima Computer, according to sources at Taiwan makers. The UMPC that Gates presented at his keynote is OQO's Model 02, which has a more compact size (5.6×3.3×1.0 inches) than Samsung’s device and weighs only 1lb. The futuristic OQO UMPCPhoto: OQO During his keynote, Gates also demonstrated another UMPC from Medion, which is slated to be introduced in late January. The launch date will arrive at the same time as the launch of the consumer version of Vista. Medion’s UMPC weighs only 720g and has a 6.5-inch wide LCD screen, compared with at 7-inch screen for Samsung and a 5-inch screen for OQO. Medion UMPC: Weighing in at only 720g but with a 20GB hard drivePhoto: Microsoft While showcasing its UMPC at the show, Seamless Internet also announced it would triple its palm-size S-Xgen UMPC shipments from 3,000 to 10,000 devices in the first quarter of 2007. Although extremely small, the device still has hard drive density of 20GB.
OQO recently launched its model 02 ultra-mobile PC as a successor to its groundbreaking model 01 and model 01+. The device measures just 5.6×3.3×1.0-inches and weighs around 1.0lb yet is able to run complete desktop operating systems and software, including Windows XP and even the upcoming Windows Vista. The model 02 is powered by Taiwan-based VIA Technologies' C7-M ULV (ultra-low voltage) processor and VX700 chipset with integrated graphics. CPU speeds of 1.2 and 1.5GHz are currently available along with a choice of 512MB or 1GB of DDR2 RAM. The system integrates a 1.8-inch 30 or 60GB hard disk drive, which, according to the company, is protected by anti-drop protection technology.The incorporated display measures 5-inches and has a native resolution of 800×480 pixels. OQO claims that the display in the model 02 is six times brighter than the one found in the company's previous generation products. A sliding mechanism allows a backlit thumb keyboard, set of mouse buttons, and a track stick pointing device to be incorporated beneath the screen. Connectivity features of the model 02 include onboard Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g, and Bluetooth 2.0 capabilities. The device also features audio in/out ports and a microphone, one USB 2.0 port and a HDMI port. Additionally, OQO offers a docking station that adds more ports and includes a built-in optical drive. Pricing for the OQO model 02 starts at US$1,499. For more information visit the company website. OQO model 02 running Windows VistaSource: CompanyThe OQO model 02 measures just 5.6×3.3×1.0-inches and weighs around 1.0 lbSource: CompanyThe OQO model 02 with docking stationSource: Company
Apple on January 9 introduced its much anticipated iPhone. The new device combines a mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls and an Internet communications device all into one device, according to Apple.The iPhone sports a user interface based on a large multi-touch display and new software, letting users control iPhone with just their fingers, said Apple, adding that users can make calls by simply pointing at a name or number and can synchronize contact information from a PC, Mac or Internet service such as Yahoo!The iPhone is a quad-band GSM phone which also features EDGE and Wi-Fi wireless technologies for data networking. The device includes an SMS application with a full QWERTY soft keyboard which is predictive to prevent and correct mistakes, according to Apple. Included in the device is also a 2-megapixel camera and a photo management application that can be synchronized with a PC or Mac.The iPhone also functions as a widescreen iPod with touch controls that lets users "touch" their music by scrolling through entire lists of songs, artists, albums and playlists with just a flick of a finger, according to Apple. The device's 3.5-inch widescreen display allows users to watch TV shows and movies on a pocketable device, with touch controls for play-pause, chapter forward-backward and volume.The iPhone lets users enjoy all their iPod content, including music, audiobooks, audio podcasts, video podcasts, music videos, television shows and movies. The iPhone syncs content from a user's iTunes library on their PC or Mac, and can play any music or video content they have purchased from the online iTunes store.The iPhone features an HTML e-mail client which allows users to fetch e-mail in the background from most POP3 or IMAP mail services and displays photos and graphics right along with the text. iPhone is fully multi-tasking, so a person can read a web page while downloading e-mail in the background.A version of the Safari web browser is featured on the iPhone, which allows users to see any web page the way it was designed to be seen, according to Apple. The iPhone also includes Google Maps, featuring Google's maps service and iPhone's maps application. Users can view maps, satellite images, traffic information and get directions, all from iPhone's touch interface, said Apple.The iPhone employs advanced built-in sensors – an accelerometer, a proximity sensor and an ambient light sensor – that automatically enhance the user's experience and extend battery life. The iPhone's built-in accelerometer detects when the user has rotated the device from portrait to landscape, then automatically changes the contents of the display accordingly, with users immediately seeing the entire width of a web page, or a photo in its proper landscape aspect ratio, said Apple.The iPhone's built-in proximity sensor detects when the iPhone is lifted to a user's ear and immediately turns off the display to save power and prevent inadvertent touches until iPhone is moved away. The iPhone's built-in ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the display's brightness to the appropriate level for the current ambient light, thereby enhancing the user experience and saving power at the same time.The iPhone will be available in the US in June 2007, Europe in late 2007, and Asia in 2008, in a 4GB model for US$499 and an 8GB model for US$599, and will work with either a PC or Mac. The iPhone will be sold in the US through Apple's retail and online stores, and through Cingular's retail and online stores. Several iPhone accessories will also be available in June, including Apple's compact Bluetooth headset.The iPhone includes support for quad-band GSM, EDGE, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.0 EDR wireless technologies, according to Apple.Apple's iPhonePhoto: Company
CMC Magnetics is exhibiting next-generation blue-laser optical discs at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) taking place in Las Vegas. Both HD DVD and Blu-ray disc (BD) formats are on display.For the 30GB HD DVD-R DL (double-layer) disc in particular, CMC claims it is the world's first producer. In addition to HD DVD and BD discs, CMC is showcasing 8x DVD+R DL and 4x DVD-R DL discs as well as special optical discs, including hard-coating discs, color-background LightScribe discs which allow users with a LightScribe enabled burner to add their own labels to the disc, and 8cm (diameter) DVD+/-R and DVD+/-RW discs for use in camcorders. CMC is also displaying self-developed digital entertainment devices, including Any X, an Internet STB (set-top box) product, and the PKS-W900, a wireless karaoke player integrating a karaoke system, song recording, MP3 playback, CD+G compatibility and a wireless microphone. CMC's lineup of HD DVD, BD discs at 2007 CES Format Storage capacity (GB) HD DVD -R (write once), SL (single-sided single-layer) 15 -R, DL (single-sided double-layer) 30 -RW (rewritable), SL 15 -RW, DL 30 BD -R, SL 25 -R, DL 50 -RE (rewritable), SL 25 Source: CMC, compiled by DigiTimes.com, January 2007CMC 30GB HD DVD-R DL discPhoto: CompanyCMC 30GB HD DVD-RW DL discPhoto: CompanyCMC 25GB BD-R SL discPhoto: CompanyCMC 50GB BD-R DL discPhoto: Company CMC 25GB BD-RE SL discPhoto: Company
Thermaltake Technology has introduced the Bach Vx mid-tower to complement the market's demand for integrated digitalized home theater personal computers. Even though there is an array of Home Theater PC (HTPC) chassis already available, Thermaltake hopes the Bach Vx will stand out both in aesthetic appeal and functionality. The front bezel is produced from brushed aluminum covered plastic with what the company refers to as "piano black" accents on the CD-ROM cover and borders. The design tries to be different from traditional boxy designs and so has accent curves on the top and bottom of front bezel, says the company.Internally, the Bach Vx offers four 5.25" drive bays, two exposed 3.5" drive bays and five hidden 3.5" HDD bays. In addition, an eSATA port, along with two USB 2.0 and HD audio ports are provided.As with the Soprano Dx chassis reported on previously, the Bach Vx features a removable HDD cage along with tool-less mounting mechanisms for the expansion slots and bay drives. Also, as with the other chassis, the Bach Vx incorporates a two-fan (14cm/12cm) push/pull cooling system, and Thermaltake will also offer an optional side panel with an additional 23cm fan.Thermaltake Bach Vx mid-tower chassisPhoto: Company
Ritek is showcasing HD DVD-R (write once) and Blu-ray Disc (BD) blank discs at the 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) taking place in Las Vegas from January 8-11. Ritek has begun shipments of HD DVD-R discs, and plans to launch 25GB single-sided single-layer BD-R (write once) discs later this quarter. 50GB single-sided double-layer (DL) BD-R discs and 15GB BD-RE (rewritable) discs are also planned for the fourth quarter of this year, the company says. All Ritek optical discs, including the two next-generation blue-laser formats, are marketed and distributed in North America and Latin America by its wholly-owned subsidiary, Advanced Media under its own brand, Ridata. In addition to HD DVD and BD discs, Ritek is also exhibiting its series of memory card, including flash solid state drives (SSD), and solar battery chargers. Ritek own-brand BD-RE discsPhoto: Company Ritek own-brand HD DVD-R blank discsPhoto: Company
Matrox Graphics has announced its DualHead2Go Digital Edition external multi-display upgrade device featuring digital outputs. The DualHead2Go Digital Edition connects to the VGA output of compatible notebook or desktop computers allowing display across two digital displays, according to the company. The DualHead2Go Digital Edition also enables support for high-resolution panels, offering a stretched desktop of up to 3840x1200 (or dual 1920x1200) across two displays, said Matrox, adding that the multi-display configuration delivered by the DualHead2Go permits working with multiple full-screen documents or applications simultaneously.Operating systems detect the external multi-display upgrade device as an ultra-widescreen monitor which is then split into two or more standard resolutions compatible with the attached displays, all the while harnessing the graphics hardware already present in the system for all 2D, 3D, and video acceleration, said Matrox.The DualHead2Go Digital Edition includes support for Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows XP-64 bit operating systems and Mac OSX, and is compatible with many professional and enthusiast class desktops and notebooks, according to the company.The Matrox DualHead2Go Digital EditionPhoto: Company
S3 Graphics, a VIA Technologies joint-venture company, is demonstrating support for HD-DVD and Blu-ray Disc titles on its Chrome S27 graphics cards in Las Vegas during the 2007 International CES.Manufactured using the latest 90nm technology from Fujitsu, the S3 Graphics Chrome S27 graphics processors feature support for DDR2 and DDR3 memory, and a PCI Express x16 interface. The chips also featuring a DirectX 9.0 graphics engine, that consists of 4 vertex shader units and 8 pixel shader units, translating into 5.6 billion pixel shader operations per second.
Thecus Technology has launched the N1200, a device that combines storage and networking in a single product. With the N1200's RouStor technology, users get the benefits of Thecus' network attached storage (NAS) along with the convenience of a built-in 4-port switch . The N1200 comes with a standard-sized 3.5-inch SATA hard disk bay which supports both 2.5-inch and 3.5-inch hard disks. Additionally, users can utilize the N1200's eSATA and two USB 2.0 ports to increase capacity if they need it.Measuring 45×181×160mm, the N1200 fits easily on a desk and includes a built-in Kensington lock security slot.Part of Thecus' RouStor line of products, the N1200 has a 4-port 10/100 switch in addition to a Gigabit Ethernet port. With the 4-port switch, users can expand their network at the home or office without the need to purchase separate networking components. The N1200 is compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and Linux to allow different computers on the network to backup their data regardless of operating system. The N1200 comes equipped with an embedded media server from Mediabolic which aggregates personal media so that it was can be accessed by a variety of players, such as network TVs, IP set-top boxes, and digital media adapters. This software is DLNA-certified.Thecus N1200Photo: Company
Samsung Electronics America today announced its newest ultra-mobile PC (UMPC), the Q1P SSD, which is equipped with a NAND flash-based solid state drive (SSD). The company will display the Q1P SSD UMPC, along with its predecessors, the Q1 and the Q1P, at the ongoing 2007 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas (January 8-11). Use of the SSD memory-based hard drive allows the Q1 UMPC to be used in applications where instant access to data is critical and where adverse environmental conditions make use of a rotational hard disk drive-based system impractical, said company senior product marketing manager, mobile computing products Bret Berg.Fueled by a 32GB of SSD, as opposed to the traditional 1.8" hard drive found in the earlier Q1 models, Samsung highlighted that boot time is 25-50% faster than systems that employ a traditional hard drive. Overall system performance is significantly enhanced, as the SSD is capable of reading 300 times faster (53 MB/s) and writes 150% faster (28 MB/s) than models with typical hard drives.Furthermore, seek time (the amount of time required to find information in the system memory) is also reduced on the SSD-enabled model. With its departure from the traditional hard drive, the Q1P SSD UMPC is equipped to withstand twice the impact of the hard-drive-enabled model, the company said. The Q1P SSD model's battery life is also improved as it requires less power to run the flash-based SSD hard drive versus a conventional, rotational media-based hard drive. The Q1P SSD UMPC is currently available with an MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price ) of US$1,999 in the US market. The Q1P is available at an MSRP of US$1,299 and the Q1 will remain in the product line with a new, lower MSRP of US$999. The latest version of Samsung's Q1P, the Q1P SSD, is now equip with a 32GB SSD. Shown here is the Q1.Photo: Company Samsung's Q1P SSD specification overview Item Detail Processor Intel Pentium M ULV 1.0GHz OS Windows XP table Core chipset Intel i915GMS Graphics GMA 900, DVMT 128M Memory 1GB DDR2-533 Display 7-inch WVGA touch screen (280 nits) Audio Two stereo speakers, H/P out, array microphone and SRS sound Storage 32GB SSD Communication 802.11b/g, 10/100 Base-TX Ethernet Bluetooth v2.0 Multimedia AVS Now (Multimedia Instant On) I/O Two USB 2.0, one Type II CF card, H/P jack, VGA, DC-In Battery Li-Ion Standard 3 cell (up to 3 hrs.) Dimension/weight 9.0×5.5×1.0 inches (1.7lbs) Source: Company, compiled by DigiTimes.com, January 2007
