HDTV Trends to Expect at CES 2009

I have talked about what I expect to see at CES 2009 from the netbook and notebook fronts. One of the biggest product categories that will be seen at CES 2009 won’t be from the computer market, it will be home theater.

A few trends are popping up and will be on prominent display at the show. One of the trends that continues (and has been prominent each year) is the move to ever-thinner designs. A thin TV looks really cool at the maker's booth, but does the average consumer really care how thin the set is?

I think that there is only one instance where a LCD HDTV or plasma HDTV benefits from being mega thin -- when wall mounted. I would certainly want the thinnest TV I could get hanging on my wall. The vast majority of consumers who buy HDTVs will be sitting them on or in an entertainment center where all the sexy thinness of the set will be moot.

One of the things that consumers look at when buying a computer is how fast the processors runs and most manufacturers prominently display the gigahertz of the CPU used in the computer system. TV makers are beginning to use a similar system to define the performance of their TVs by making prominent claims on the refresh rate. Many TVs today still use 60Hz refresh rates. At CES a few years back the refresh rate jumped to 120Hz. Last year several sets with 240Hz refresh rates popped up and at CES 2009 I expect to see even more sets with 240Hz refresh rates and some that are using 480Hz.

Does a faster refresh rate really make a difference? That depends on whom you ask. I have seen 60Hz and 120Hz sets running side by side with the same show and I could tell a difference. At some point, the refresh rate difference is going to be so small that it is a non-issue. When exactly we reach the point of faster refresh rates making no difference is unknown.

Screen size is always one of the most important things on a consumers mind and at CES 2009 we will see the typical giant screens. On the other end of the spectrum, this year I expect we will see a glut of new full HDTVs that are in smaller screen sizes. Manufacturers understand that consumers are looking for 1080p HDTVs that will fit into rooms where a 55-inch or larger screen just isn’t appropriate. Expect to see a glut of HDTVs in sizes around 24-inches to debut at the show.

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