Last Monday, as I was recuperating on the shuttle bus back from a long day of racing around the mammoth Las Vegas Convention Center halls that housed the CES show, I heard three energetic twenty-something journalists discuss how they had just uploaded on to YouTube three videos that they shot that day.

I realized then and there that I was never going to be able to keep pace with the instant wall-to-wall coverage emanating from CES 2008. I also comforted myself with the fact that many of the products that I wanted to write about wouldn't even be available to you for at least another three to six months.

So, I figured that I should wait a few days and let all the hubbub settle down. Then I could approach the madness of CES 2008 with a calmer perspective and a sense of context.

Judging from the crowds gathering around them, the two wow factor TVs at CES were the largest – a 150" plasma from Panasonic – and one of the smallest – an 11" OLED from Sony. Let's begin with the Sony offering because, in many ways, it encapsulates the current and future HDTV marketplace.

Sony XEL-1 on Display

OLED is a display technology that many people have been salivating over for a number of years because of the possibility of producing very thin screens with great picture quality that are energy efficient. A lot of money has been poured into research and development over the last decade, but the birthing process for a new display never seems to come fast or cheap.

Sony XEL-1 Profile

2008 looks to be the year that we actually see fruition to the ardent videophile's dream. And in fact, if you just can't wait any longer to be on the cutting edge, the Sony XEL-1 is available now at the SonyStyle website for $2499.

From the display that I saw at the Sony booth, the picture quality is as wonderful as advertised. Please note that even though it accepts up to a 1080p signal, its native resolution is 960 x 540, which is not even up to 720p standards. But, hey, the XEL-1's screen is only 11". At that size, you wouldn't be able to perceive the difference if it were 1080p.

Sony 27" OLED Prototype Profile

Sony was also showing a 27" 1080p prototype – Samsung had a 30" concept model – but neither company would give an estimate on when we could expect an OLED that size to be available at the big box store near you. Supposedly, manufacturing bigger screens is a bit tricky. I have heard from other sources that it may be 2010 before we see large quantities of 32" and over OLEDs in the marketplace.

Of course, LCD and plasma engineers won't be twiddling their thumbs waiting for OLEDs to catch up. From the concept models that I am seeing from both camps, they are making serious inroads into two of OLED's major selling points. (As a point of reference, generally when I hear a manufacturer use the term concept model, it means, "See, we can do this. Just don't expect to be able to buy one this year. Maybe, if the stars align, it will be out Q2 of next year.")

First is thinness. I am beginning to hear a new gauge of measurement – the credit card – as in, this screen is only three credit cards thick, which I guess is about 9mm or .35" total. The XEL-1, without its stand is 3mm.

While most 2007 flat panel models fall in the 3 to 5 inch range, LG was touting a 1.7" LCD. Hitachi was showcasing an Ultra Thin 1.5" LCD and demonstrating a "super" Ultra Thin LCD at .75" or a little over six credit cards.

Hitachi's 1.5" LCD

The 1.5" model is already being sold in Japan and should be out in the U.S. in early 2008 in 32, 37, and 42" sizes. The 1080p 32" HDTV weighs only 24 pounds.

On the plasma front, Pioneer had a concept model of its KURO HDTV suspended by wires so that you could admire its three credit card thin profile.

The second area in which OLED has thrown down its gauntlet is Contrast Ratio, with a gaudy 1,000,000:1 rating for Sony's XEL-1. Not to be outnumbered, Pioneer was ingeniously demonstrating their Extreme Contrast Concept TV that they claim "eliminates virtually all idle luminance."

With this technology, that means where the picture is black, there is no light emanating from that area of the screen. Contrast Ratio is measured by taking the brightest output on a screen and dividing it by the darkest. In this case, the darkest is technically zero. And if you remember your math, that would make the Contrast Ratio for this Pioneer concept model equal infinity, which is a tad more than our eyes can perceive. On a more down to earth level, the picture quality was stunning.

Another technology that I have mentioned before is called LED dimming. One of the recent trends in LCD manufacturing is the change in backlighting material to LEDs. These light-emitting diodes are laid out in an array.

To enhance contrast, engineers from various companies are developing techniques for dimming LEDs in the darker areas of the picture. One of the best examples of LED dimming is being demonstrated by Dolby Laboratories. They have tweaked the process to produce what they call high dynamic range, HDR, images.

Dolby & SIM2 - LED Dimming Pattern on the Left

At CES, SIM2, the Italian manufacturer known for its home theater projectors, was exhibiting a prototype LCD that incorporates Dolby's LED dimming technology. According to Dolby's Bharath Rajagopalan, this model was using an array of around 4000 LEDs. In their suite, they had a Westinghouse HDTV next to the same panel with the LED dimming backlight. The difference was dramatic. Occasionally, the crisp and beautiful HDR picture approaches looking 3D.

The SIM2 representative would not commit to a definite release date for the TV, though he indicated that we could possibly see one before the end of the year.

Not surprisingly in this time of global warming, many vendors were pushing the color green. Of course, it may seem a bit disingenuous for an exhibition called the Consumer Electronics Show, which probably chews up enough megawatts to power a small hamlet for a year. Then again, it is located only a few blocks off the Las Vegas Strip, which I swear must burn enough electricity to illuminate Luxemburg. Plasmas seem to be especially power hungry, but new production techniques supposedly are making them more energy efficient.

Las Vegas from the Top of the Palms Hotel

Mitsubishi was showing their Laser TV, which is the best hope for resurrecting the ailing microdisplay market, which Sony is exiting. What we saw at their coming out party on the 53rd floor of the Palms Hotel was impressive. Not only was the picture quality great, the DLP TV was also able to display 3D content.

Mitsubishi Laser TV

In a surprise for me, Samsung was showing a plasma 3D capable TV. I had reviewed the Samsung HL-T5689S DLP microdisplay, which can project 3D, but this was the first 3D plasma that I had seen.

Which speaks to a larger issue, plasmas versus LCDs. Looking at the sales figures, undoubtedly LCDs have become a dominant player. So much so that some pundits were foretelling the death of plasmas. I will admit I am bias towards what I see as better picture quality in plasmas, therefore I try to find any indication that plasmas are alive and kicking.

I think with committed manufacturers like Pioneer, Panasonic, and Samsung leading the way, there is still fight left in the technology. And an interesting market twist may be playing out in 2008. People are predicting the possibility of a shortage of LCD panels especially in the under 40" size. To hedge their bets, vendors are looking at coming out with smaller plasmas. In fact, Vizio was exhibiting a 32" 720p plasma with an MSRP of around $690. Hopefully, it will introduce a whole new segment of HDTV buyers to the joys of plasmas.

Of course, if 32" is just a little too small for your room, Panasonic did overwhelm visitors to their booth with their 150" plasma. At just over six feet tall and a smidge under eleven feet long, you might need to build the room around it. Let's see, for me, optimum viewing distance would be about fifteen feet away. Yeah, I could live with that.

The Sign Says It All

Wireless was an oft-heard word buzzing around the convention floor. I have been tracking the progress of the attempts to free that beautiful TV hanging on the wall from those unsightly, annoying wires running up the back. A number of different wireless methods are competing to solve the ungainly situation.

The biggest problem is that a 1080p video signal requires a lot of bandwidth – more than many of the solutions are willing or able to provide. Their remedy is to compress the signal in one manner or another. My first reaction is pfft! as I turn up my nose in disgust. Then I realize that I should be more open minded to the notion. Ultimately, I'll need to test the methods out before I can pass any judgement on them.

Anyway, wireless is coming to your HDTV. Indeed, Westinghouse was proclaiming "the world's first fully integrated wireless HDTV." They are utilizing Pulse-LINK's Wireless HDMI technology to send JPEG2000 encoded video data. To begin, they plan to deploy this TV in their commercial digital signage division.

One last trend that I want to mention because it is so near and dear to my heart. With many of the new HDTV models sharing a lot of the same features like 1080p resolution and multiple HDMI 1.3 inputs, manufacturers are searching for ways to differentiate their TVs. Therefore, design has pushed its way to the head of the class.

Philips HDTV with Lit Frame

The new chief of the Philips TV division even broached the idea that their designs need to be more "feminine." Of course, one of my female associates took umbrage to the fact that all the female models were in tight fitting jumpsuits. I did enjoy their HDTVs with frames that lit up and mimicked the colors in the picture.

Bang & Olufsen's BeoVision 8

And speaking of design, no CES would be complete without a visit to the sublime Bang & Olufsen suite. If you are ready to dip your toes in the B&O pond, they are offering a 32" LCD, which you can put on the floor, set on the kitchen counter or hang on the wall. This BeoVision 8's protruding "orchestra pit" contains a powerful sound system that belies it size. Available this February for $4000.

Before I wrap this recap up, I would be remiss not to discuss the the Blu-ray vs. HD DVD format war. The day before CES launched, Warner Brothers studio announced that they would stop distributing their movie titles in both Blu-ray and HD DVD and go exclusively with Blu-ray starting this spring.

Many journalists were quick to ring the death knell for HD DVDs. The funeral pyre was stoked even more when the HD DVD consortium unceremoniously cancelled their CES reception a day before it was scheduled. At Toshiba's press conference on Sunday, poor Joan Sally, Toshiba's VP for Marketing the HD DVD format, admitted that she has had better weeks. But Toshiba was not ready to throw in the towel.

One Happy Camper at the Blu-ray Press Conference

While the next day, at the Blu-ray press conference, the speakers were assuming victory. And they had the 2 to 1 sales figures for Blu-ray discs over HD DVDs to back up their claim.

Well today, I received an email blast from Toshiba laying out their new campaign to regain market share. They have lowered the prices on all of their HD DVD players. The 1080p HD-A30 will have an MSRP of $199, which is a mighty attractive entry point into high def DVDs. For now, the war still rages on.