Wow, since our last story there was a TON of bracelets, watches, glasses and other various wearable technology announced at the show. It’s tempting to list all the ones I think are notable but there are plenty of other people doing that, many of whom are more qualified. So, to add some value and help put some perspective around these announcements and products (i.e. translation), I offer you this little graphic. Understand this is just one man’s opinion but it can give you a frame of reference and help you come up with your own position on the subject.
The big topic for this story is televisions. Not new
, been around forever you say? Not nearly as cool as flying robots or bracelets that know when you are nodding off at your desk? Well, it depends on who you talk to. When it comes time to part with a chunk of your disposable income I’m betting you will pick a shinny new TV over a robot than can bring you crackers or a pair of glasses that recognizes your neighbor and displays their facebook page for you.
#1 CES TV trend – 4K
This trend is also for camcorders, steaming services (like Netflix), computer displays and cameras. The simplest translation is 4K is high high definition instead of “regular HD” The “smart guy at the bar” definition is; ” old style tube TVs had about 200-400 (horizontal) lines of resolution, the first HD TVs had 720 lines. The “full” HD TVs today have 1080 lines. The 4K TVs have – wait for it – 4000 lines of resolution.” Think of a painting made only of dots. A 1080 dot painting is going to look better (unless you are into modern art) than a 200 dot painting. Problem is, sooner or later you are going to stop worrying about the dots and only focus on the lady in the picture and wonder why she is smiling like that.
In previous years top TV trends were; bigger displays, built in apps and 3D. The first two did quite well, the third was the runt of the litter and may not survive the winter. The biggest challenge for 4K is bandwidth. Sending all those dots from your internet provider to your TV (probably wirelessly) is more than most family’s setups can handle today. I think 4K is going to make it even with it’s obstacles.
