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CES 2008

CES 2008: Home audio

Pity the audiophile. Home audio was once the centerpiece of the consumer electronics experience, but it's been completely subsumed in recent years, with HDTV squeezing in on one side and the ubiquitous iPod on the other. Even what's left is generally referred to as "home theater," stressing that video is just as important--if not more so--than the audio experience. If they even want surround sound--most seem perfectly happy with their tinny TV speakers--the majority of consumers will opt for a cheap home-theater-in-a-box, grumbling at the $300 price tag even as they gladly shell out five times … Read more

CES 2008: Home video

Don't be surprised if the home video headlines at the 2008 International Consumer Electronics Show look like reruns of the past four or five years. The big themes will continue to be the Blu-ray/HD DVD format war, network video delivery, and the slow but steady transition from analog to digital broadcasting.

We expect that the format war between HD DVD and Blu-ray will be front and center once again. Blu-ray players are already selling for less than $300, so we're betting we'll see players announced that go even lower. Meanwhile, we wouldn't be completely surprised … Read more

CES 2008: MP3 and portable video players

It's been a tumultuous year for MP3 players. Apple's iPhone arrived, presenting the best argument we've seen for converging your MP3 player, phone, and portable video player. Flash memory MP3 players became smaller, cheaper, and more ubiquitous, getting lost between sofa cushions all over the world. We also witnessed online music retailers finally embracing DRM-free music downloads, offering a beacon of hope for a music industry lost at sea. So what MP3 player trends can we expect to see for 2008? Here are a few predictions we're willing to stake our reputation on.

Flash goes even … Read more

CES 2008: Televisions and HDTVs

The annual International Consumer Electronics Show is all about trends, as opposed to actual product announcements complete with pricing, model numbers, and "click here to buy!" buttons. This year we're sure to see a few new trends join those old standbys from yesteryear--and the year before that and the year before that--so here's a quick rundown of what to expect from high-definition displays at CES 2008.

Larger OLED TV manufacturers have to find some way to shave profits from ever-more-commoditized products, and one of the best ways is to introduce a whole new technology. … Read more

Photos: Best of CES 2007 awards

This will be the third year that the Consumer Electronics Association has asked CNET to judge the Best of CES Awards. Before we start the nominations for 2008, take a look back at what won us over last year.