The New Year has arrived, and for all us gadget geeks, that means that the annual CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is just around the corner. The 2012 CES will be held in its usual location, Las Vegas, Nevada, from January 10-13, 2012, with pre-show press events starting on January 8th. The weather will be cold, but the city will be hot with the latest electronics gadgets and gizmos.
Consumer electronics manufacturers, retailers, and journalists gather at CES to not only see what products will be available in the coming year, but to get a sneak peek at prototypes for future products that are still in development. The Annual CES is organized by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the largest trade organization for consumer electronics manufacturers, retailers, and others associated with that industry.
2012 marks the 45th Year of CES. The first CES was held in New York City in 1967 with 17,000 attendees and 150,000 square feet of exhibit space. Since that time, the CES has grown to well over 100,000 attendees (not including 5,000 press) and takes up over 2 million square feet of exhibit space, including the entire Las Vegas Convention Center, The Venetian, and space in surrounding Hotels, including the Hilton, and Rennaisance.
Products and technologies and products that have had their official debuts at CES throughout the years include:
1970: The Videocassette Recorder (VCR)
1974: The Laserdisc Player
1981: The Camcorder, Compact Disc Player
1996: DVD
1997: The Plasma TV
1998: HDTV
1999: Hard-disc Video Recorder (PVR/DVR)
2000: Digital Audio Radio (DAR)
2001: Microsoft Xbox
2002: Home Media Server
2003: Blu-Ray Disc, HDTV PVR
2004: HD Radio
2005: IPTV
2007: Wireless HDMI
2009: 3D Blu-ray and TV
2010: Tablets and Android Devices
2011: Connected TV, Ford's Electric Focus
What will be the big thing at this year's CES in the home theater arena? If some of the pre-announcements are any indication so far, OLED TV, 3D TV without glasses that is ready to come to market, video projectors and TVs featuring 4K resolution, and wireless speaker products suitable for the home theater environment will certainly be in the spotlight.
In addition, the continued strides in current technology, such as the implementation of passive 3D TVs, more stylish and comfortable 3D glasses, and convergence products, such as streaming Blu-ray Disc players, Smart TVs, media players, media streamers, media servers, and whole house systems will also be highlighted.
There will also be a new "Eureka Park TechZone" that will spotlight small start-up tech companies that have come up with some great product ideas. There also other special Tech Zones, including 3D at Home, HDMI, Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase, and more. For additional information on CES programming, keynotes, and exhibit layouts, check out the Official CES YouTube Channel.
However, the 2012 CES will also mark the last appearance of Microsoft as exhibitor and Keynote speech giver.
For hot news and product announcements from the upcoming CES, check in during and after the show dates right here at About Home Theater. For a look at my past CES Show Coverage, check out my On-The-Road At CES Photo and Report Archive. Image (c) CEA - Consumer Electronics Association - Used by Permission
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