IFA
This September, the International Funk Ausstellung (IFA), a world-class Consumer Electronics trade fair, was held in Berlin. This trade show is internationally recognized as one of the three major electronics exhibitions along with CES (Las Vegas) and CeBit (Hanover, Germany).
Today, we’ll be looking at the major trends in consumer electronics visible at the IFA 2007.
One of the themes in this year’s exhibition was the evolution of TV technology. Last year, many leading TV manufacturers introduced full HDTVs at the trade show, signaling the beginning of the high-definition TV era.
At the IFA 2007, new television display technology that surpassed existing full HDTV technology was presented - 100㎐ full HDTV.
Screens with 100㎐ picture processing double the number of frames shown per second over existing screens from 50 to 100, interpolating an extra frame in between each source frame. This system allows for much higher definition TV displays, with substantially less blurring. The invention of full HDTV along with 100hz picture processing indicates that consumers are increasingly seeking high-resolution TV screens.
Another prominent trend in consumer electronics is multi-functionality. Leading consumer electronics companies have recently come out with full HDTV sets that can connect to the Internet. Users can download data and information such as news, weather reports, and stock market news in real time. DVD players, video players, MP3 players, and many other digital devices can also be connected to the TV via the high-definition multi-media interface, or HDMI.
Many of the products exhibited have a universal remote control function; every device connected to the TV can be activated with a single remote. This provides more convenience for consumers.
Visitors to the show also could hardly have missed the next generation DVD format war. Currently, the high resolution DVD market is split between two different formats; Blue-ray and HD-DVD, with no clear winner yet. Blue-ray has gained the support of global electronics makers like Samsung, LG, Sony, Sharp, Hitachi, and Philips, and odds are currently on Blue-ray to triumph over HD-DVD, as sales are almost double those of its rival
However, last month, American film distributors Paramount and DreamWorks announced that they would release film titles only on HD-DVD. Backing from Toshiba also ensures that the battle for DVD supremacy will likely continue for some time.
The biggest word at the IFA 2007, however, was “design.” In the digital device industry, technology no longer plays a definite role as differences among manufacturers have dwindled to triviality. Design has become a significant part of TV manufacturing in particular, and the ability of TVs to match their surroundings and complement their user’s personality matters more than ever before.
When Samsung’s innovative “Bordeaux” line of TVs proved a worldwide hit, even a Japanese consumer electronics company launched a product with a similar concept, while another Chinese manufacturer came out with a counterfeit “Bordeaux” screen almost indistinguishable from the original. All these show the increasing importance of design in the consumer electronics industry.
This year at the IFA, Philips’s employees will carry so called Lumalive-coats. Philips Textile Screens
Global consumer electronics companies are presently engaged in a fierce competition to develop differentiated technologies and concepts for their new products. Reading tomorrow’s trends at places like the IFA can make the difference between success and failure in the fast changing digital consumer product market.
Note: I dont own the complete article
Borrowed article ->main source: Samsung Research
This September, the International Funk Ausstellung (IFA), a world-class Consumer Electronics trade fair, was held in Berlin. This trade show is internationally recognized as one of the three major electronics exhibitions along with CES (Las Vegas) and CeBit (Hanover, Germany).
Today, we’ll be looking at the major trends in consumer electronics visible at the IFA 2007.
One of the themes in this year’s exhibition was the evolution of TV technology. Last year, many leading TV manufacturers introduced full HDTVs at the trade show, signaling the beginning of the high-definition TV era.
At the IFA 2007, new television display technology that surpassed existing full HDTV technology was presented - 100㎐ full HDTV.
Screens with 100㎐ picture processing double the number of frames shown per second over existing screens from 50 to 100, interpolating an extra frame in between each source frame. This system allows for much higher definition TV displays, with substantially less blurring. The invention of full HDTV along with 100hz picture processing indicates that consumers are increasingly seeking high-resolution TV screens.
Another prominent trend in consumer electronics is multi-functionality. Leading consumer electronics companies have recently come out with full HDTV sets that can connect to the Internet. Users can download data and information such as news, weather reports, and stock market news in real time. DVD players, video players, MP3 players, and many other digital devices can also be connected to the TV via the high-definition multi-media interface, or HDMI.
Many of the products exhibited have a universal remote control function; every device connected to the TV can be activated with a single remote. This provides more convenience for consumers.
Visitors to the show also could hardly have missed the next generation DVD format war. Currently, the high resolution DVD market is split between two different formats; Blue-ray and HD-DVD, with no clear winner yet. Blue-ray has gained the support of global electronics makers like Samsung, LG, Sony, Sharp, Hitachi, and Philips, and odds are currently on Blue-ray to triumph over HD-DVD, as sales are almost double those of its rival
However, last month, American film distributors Paramount and DreamWorks announced that they would release film titles only on HD-DVD. Backing from Toshiba also ensures that the battle for DVD supremacy will likely continue for some time.
The biggest word at the IFA 2007, however, was “design.” In the digital device industry, technology no longer plays a definite role as differences among manufacturers have dwindled to triviality. Design has become a significant part of TV manufacturing in particular, and the ability of TVs to match their surroundings and complement their user’s personality matters more than ever before.
When Samsung’s innovative “Bordeaux” line of TVs proved a worldwide hit, even a Japanese consumer electronics company launched a product with a similar concept, while another Chinese manufacturer came out with a counterfeit “Bordeaux” screen almost indistinguishable from the original. All these show the increasing importance of design in the consumer electronics industry.
This year at the IFA, Philips’s employees will carry so called Lumalive-coats. Philips Textile Screens
Global consumer electronics companies are presently engaged in a fierce competition to develop differentiated technologies and concepts for their new products. Reading tomorrow’s trends at places like the IFA can make the difference between success and failure in the fast changing digital consumer product market.
Note: I dont own the complete article
Borrowed article ->main source: Samsung Research