Archive for the ‘2007 Consumer Electronics Show’ Category

The Analog TV Set That Won’t Go Away

December 5, 2007

The Consumer Electronics Association has been saying the US is in the midst of the ‘digital transition’ for years.  If so, it’s one of the longest on record.  With less than a year and a half to go before analog programming is cut off, less than 15% of Americans have digital sets.  Worse, less than half of those actually watch high definition programming according to Nielsen Research.  (Hat tip to www.nikkifinke.com).

It’s no surpise: analog televison sets are persistent in your house–they just work. Unlike computers, they don’t get obsolete every two years.   And although prices on plasma, DLP and LCD TVs have been dropping, so have real estate values–it’s harder to get a home equity loans to make your house pay for its home theatre.

The CEA’s sales numbers  look good; sales of digital TVs rose from 12.5 million in 2005 to 18.5 million or so in 2006, or 50%.  But there’s probably close to 300 million TVs (one for every American at home, in the bars, hotels, etc.) meaning 250 million CRT analog sets are still humming contentedly.  Only a fraction will be replaced by 2009; prepare for lots of ‘fixes’ using set-top box analog to digital converters. 

I’m bracing for another massive Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas.  And this year, with high gas prices, foreclosures up and a recession coming, the sunny view always portrayed by Gary Shapiro of the CEA (home of the ‘biggest and best CES ever’, every year) looks gloomier.

Posted in 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, CES, Consumer Electronics, analog-to-digital-TV | 1 Comment »

Humble Hard Drive Wins Nobel Prize

October 10, 2007

It’s good to see the discoverers of the basic science around hard drive technology winning the 2007 Nobel Prize.  The hard drive has become the ultimate commodity product–everyone reading this has one, but like Rodney Dangerfield, the spinning disk that stores your applications, music and porn ”gets no respect.”

One industry spokesperson described manufacturing disk drives as “the longest-running industrial philanthropy.” If someone could find a way to make money with hard drives, that would be worthy of an economics Nobel!

Posted in 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, Computers, technology, technology-journalism | 1 Comment »

Notes from Disneyland

June 22, 2007

I recently attended the launch, literally and figuratively, of the Finding Nemo submarine ride at Disneyland.  Although I didn’t grow up in Southern California, I’m starting to understand the sometimes-creepy nostalgia for a Disneyland of the past that almost seems like a Coney Island of the Mind, as Lawrence Ferlinghetti put it.  

While many rides of the mythical ‘E-Ticket’ era are gone, the Cold War era Disney submarine fleet (launched 1959) has returned from mothballs with a vengeance, to take us on a wonderous undersea journey chasing the little fish Nemo.  Disney has also bowed to the green era; the 8 subs are now clean electric-powered.

The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage at Disneyland

Disney should open an attraction called “The Line Experience.”  No ride, just a long line, with lots of hot, tired people from around the world waiting to be entertained.

Disney employees have two retirement plans: their 401K and the stuff in their basement.

As press, we had an unusual experience–visiting Walt’s apartment.  Anaheim was strawberry farms when Disneyland was built, with no freeways or hotels.  Rather than drive the 35 miles back to Holmby Hills, Disney had a small apartment built above the fire station on Main Street. 

Like much of Disneyland, it’s preserved in immaculate creepiness; the early 20th century furniture and footstools covered in doilies, the inevitable Edison phonograph (a victrola-like device with a huge horn) and the two day beds, 15 feet apart, where Walt and wife slept apart from one another.  It smelled like Grandma’s house. 

I picked up the ornate white rotary dial phone.  There was a dial tone, as if waiting a call from The Maker.  At night, they leave the light in the window on for Walt.

Posted in 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, Cold-War, Disney, Disneyland, Finding-Nemo, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

A Minor Milestone

May 9, 2007

We’re just two months old, and MondayMorningMediaQuarterback went over 1000 pageviews today.  Which posts were most popular?

Of course, Paris Hilton was hot, but just behind her was 70+  (she hates talking about her age) Evelyn Y. Davis, continuing her quixotic crusade for better corporate governance.

Posted in 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, Evelyn Y. Davis, MondayMorningMediaQuarterback, Paris-Hilton, evelyn-davis | No Comments »

The Biggest and Worst CES Ever

February 2, 2007

Yogi Berra said, “It’s so crowded no one goes there any more.” That’s what happened to COMDEX, which went from 225,000 attendees in the 90’s to zero by 2003.  And it may happen to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

The man in charge, Gary Shapiro, likes to say, “This year’s CES was the biggest and best ever.” With over 140,000 attendees and 2700 exhibitors in 2007, it was indeed the biggest.

But as my 19th straight CES, I’d say it was also the worst, packed with people and a nexus for disease from around the world. (Stomach flu and alcohol poisoning, anyone?)
103-inch-tv-small.jpg “Mine is bigger than yours” is what passed for a story line, as Panasonic, LG and others jousted for the pointless title of world’s largest TV.

I couldn’t get into several press conferences because they were so jammed. A couple I did get into should have been closed down by the fire marshall. Even the usually unflappable CEA people in their blue shirts showed frayed tempers. Apple upstaged everyone, launching the publicity-grabbing iPhone at MacWorld in San Francisco.

Even Bill had nothing to say. “The Digital Decade is truly here”?

pc-builders-at-work.jpg There were a few fun throwbacks to tech days, like this PC building race sponsored by Tiger Direct.

And the booth babes are still displaying product…model-in-chains-small.jpg

But attendees complained that too many consumer electronics categories were jammed together; the show should have been split up. Fat chance; it’s all about the dollars.

Posted in 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, Consumer Electronics, Public Relations | 1 Comment »