While the halls of CES are populated by dozens of companies and manufacturers you've never heard of, it's always interesting to remember the companies that just can't be bothered to make the trek to Vegas. Consider Onkyo: the folks there dropped us a note to remind us that the company has once again opted to skip the madness (we're jealous, really) of the Las Vegas Convention Center and its satellite venues. But they did mention that we should stay tuned for "important new product announcements during the first half of 2006."

If Onkyo were at the show, the company would no doubt be highlighting its recently released DVD mini system, the CS-V720S. The diminutive stereo system plays just about any type of optical disc you can think of: CDs, DVDs, SACDs, DVD-Audio, MP3/WMA CDs, and JPEG photo discs. And with the addition of two optional accessories, it gets even more versatile: connect the Onkyo DS-A1 for enhanced iPod playback (you'll be able to control your iPod with the V720's remote, for instance), and add a Connect and Play Antenna to pull in XM satellite radio (as well as the built-in AM/FM tuner). The CS-V720S has been available since December for $400. That's about twice the price of the last batch of DVD shelf systems we checked out, but the Onkyo has them beat hands-down in terms of features. We'll have a full review of the CS-V720S soon.

Article discussion: XM/iPod-ready DVD mini system: Onkyo CS-V720S