As usual, gadgets got smaller and adopted more interactive features.
Flat-screen televisions became thinner and bigger, with Panasonic taking
home the prize for its 150-inch screen. Some TV sets started connecting
to the Internet, at least in part, to supply information and
entertainment
from the Web.
The biggest challenge will be in the sale of LCD TVs, which account for more
than 80% of the total flat-panel global market. (Industry officials estimate the
total market will be between 110 million and 115 million sets in 2008, up nearly
30% from last year.) LG's target is to double its LCD TV sales, to 14 million
units this year, from 7 million in 2007. "LG doesn't have [the] brand clout of
its Japanese rivals," says Harrison Cho, electronics analyst at Seoul-based
Mirae Asset Securities. "Such an enormous volume expansion isn't realistic." Cho
forecasts LG's LCD TV sales at between 10 million and 12 million sets.
A big part of the Home Theater
revolution is the incredible lines of projectors...High Definition
Projectors from Epson, featuring 3LCD
technology to deliver
high-definition 16:9 images with no risk of color break up. 3 chip
optical engine up to 1,600 ANSI lumens for
brightness levels, ten bit color
processing and more...
Companies are making
chairs for home entertainment systems, special rooms are designed as small
theaters in the home...custom
screens are made for
homes, special walls become movie screens...if you want to see more on this
new movement in entertainment
stay tuned to the
PASO ROBLES FILM FESTIVAL
| In the battle for new features, digital technology allows
LG and rivals like Sony, Samsung Electronics, and Sharp to fight to a
draw. So, in a world awash with digital and high-definition TVs boasting
super picture quality, LG executives believe striving for technological
superiority won't win consumer hearts. "In the TV market, design will be
a critical differentiator this year," says Simon Kang, president in
charge of LG's digital display unit.
That's why at the just ended annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las
Vegas the Seoul company unveiled a pair of sleek TVs that it hopes will
be game changers. With the help of the two innovatively designed models,
one using a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen and the other a plasma
panel, LG aims to boost its flat-panel television sales to 17 million
sets in 2008, up nearly 90% from 9 million last year. In the first nine
months of 2007, LG's flat TV revenues rose 24.7% to $5.3 billion,
according to market researcher DisplaySearch. |
