Washington, D.C.
(January 15, 2007)
-- The 2007 Consumer Electronics Show is officially over
so it's time once again for
Swanni's CES Winners & Losers!
Yes, which High-Definition companies had a great CES -- and which ones came away from the show as big losers?
Let's start first with the winners.
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Winners
Sharp
Put a big television on display and call it the world's largest and you'll get more media attention than Paris Hilton stumbling out of a police station at 3 a.m. That's what Sharp did by unveiling a 108-inch LCD, topping Panasonic's 103-inch Plasma, which was billed as the world's largest set at the 2006 show. The LCD monster-screen may never make it to a store but Sharp has already recouped its expenses in free PR.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
Apple
It says here that Apple's new TV device ("Apple TV") will flop, but the company's decision to unveil the product (and the iPhone) at MacWorld in San Francisco the same week as CES was ballsy and effective. For one day, the world's largest electronics show took a back seat to a company-specific conference.
DIRECTV
The satcaster generated big headlines with its announcement that it will offer 100 national HDTV channels by year's end. Mind you, DIRECTV has yet to even launch the two satellites that will store the extra channels, but let's not let the details get in the way of a good headline.
Programmers
Assuming DIRECTV's satellites are launched and become operational, cable networks now have a place for their high-def feeds. Plus, DIRECTV's high-def expansion will force the cable operators to accelerate their HD rollouts.
Warner Bros.
The studio announced that it would release a DVD that can play both Blu-ray and HD-DVD titles. While it's uncertain that the industry will rally behind the new disc, Warner Bros. was portrayed in the media as a peacemaker in the HDTV DVD format war. Plus, the studio scored by announcing that Best Buy and Circuit City would carry the new dual-format disc.
Click Losers to see Swanni's CES Losers!
Yes, which High-Definition companies had a great CES -- and which ones came away from the show as big losers?
Let's start first with the winners.
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
Winners
Sharp
Put a big television on display and call it the world's largest and you'll get more media attention than Paris Hilton stumbling out of a police station at 3 a.m. That's what Sharp did by unveiling a 108-inch LCD, topping Panasonic's 103-inch Plasma, which was billed as the world's largest set at the 2006 show. The LCD monster-screen may never make it to a store but Sharp has already recouped its expenses in free PR.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
Apple
It says here that Apple's new TV device ("Apple TV") will flop, but the company's decision to unveil the product (and the iPhone) at MacWorld in San Francisco the same week as CES was ballsy and effective. For one day, the world's largest electronics show took a back seat to a company-specific conference.
DIRECTV
The satcaster generated big headlines with its announcement that it will offer 100 national HDTV channels by year's end. Mind you, DIRECTV has yet to even launch the two satellites that will store the extra channels, but let's not let the details get in the way of a good headline.
Programmers
Assuming DIRECTV's satellites are launched and become operational, cable networks now have a place for their high-def feeds. Plus, DIRECTV's high-def expansion will force the cable operators to accelerate their HD rollouts.
Warner Bros.
The studio announced that it would release a DVD that can play both Blu-ray and HD-DVD titles. While it's uncertain that the industry will rally behind the new disc, Warner Bros. was portrayed in the media as a peacemaker in the HDTV DVD format war. Plus, the studio scored by announcing that Best Buy and Circuit City would carry the new dual-format disc.
Click Losers to see Swanni's CES Losers!