PRODUCT TRENDS TRENDS AT
PRODUCT TRENDS TRENDS AT IFA 2008 Flat screen televisions in sensational formats Richard Barnes, IFA International Editor-in-Chief (1,85 m), with the Panasonic 150” plasma TV When flat screens using LCD and plasma technology began finding their way into the home, they were met with a very enthusiastic response. This was mainly because they fulfilled a long-felt want: for the first time displays could be hung on a wall like pictures. The latest generation of equipment represents the next quantum leap, with screens so thin that they almost melt into the wall. IFA 2008 will feature a number of LCD models in housings with a thickness of only 1.5 inches (3.8 cm). And that is just the beginning. The prototypes that are now being shown indicate that they can be made even slimmer: 1 cm (0.4 inch) is the next stage in screen evolution. At the same time screen areas are now available that would have been thought of as impossible only a short while ago, with diagonals of up to 150 inches (381 centimetres). High definition on numerous media platforms Large, flat screen televisions with HD-Ready or Full-HD capabilities are making increasing inroads into European homes, thereby creating the basis for a generational change in the world of television. European stations are already broadcasting over 90 HDTV programmes. It has been possible to subscribe to HDTV programmes in Germany since 2006. The public sector networks ARD and ZDF recently unveiled their free-TV roadmap for HDTV, which will be featured in a number of showcases between now and the start of regular broadcasting in February 2010. These two media organisations will be carrying out test broadcasts throughout IFA 2008. Totally networked media There is increasing diversity among multimedia applications. Photos from a digital camera or mobile phone, videos from camcorders, music from MP3 players or from computers, games from consoles or movies from Blu-ray players – all this content can be made available throughout the home. This is all made possible by intelligent network solutions, without any cables and of course in HD quality. MP3 players with Bluetooth, internet radios, hi-fi units with WLAN and Bluetooth, digital cameras with WLAN connectivity, TV sets with card readers or Ethernet connections – IFA 2008 will be using countless examples to demonstrate that the consumer electronics manufacturers are ideally equipped for home networking. 20 www.ifa-international.org IFA International • Monday, 25 th August 2008
PRODUCT TRENDS Spectacular sound to accompany the picture on big screens The ultra-flat screen trend is also encouraging the manufacturers of audio equipment to develop a whole range of new solutions. IFA 2008 will be presenting a wide range of compact, slim audio products with sound and styling that are perfectly in tune with today's home cinemas. Flat “sound bars” and surround projectors which use a single loudspeaker component to produce true-to-life stereophonic sound from up to seven channels are bound to fascinate the public just as much as the ultra-slim stereo sound columns which can be used to reproduce virtual multichannel sound. And the traditional hi-fi sector is also a well-established aspect of IFA and in this area too the dominant feature is the attractive new technology. A growing number of hi-fi systems can store entire music archives on a builtin hard drive. They use network connections to distribute their content throughout the house and, with builtin docking stations for MP3 players, the music stored on these mobile units can also be fed seamlessly into the home. A future which is energyefficient and free of pollution The manufacturers of the best known consumer electronics brands are applying advanced technology and the latest equipment concepts in order to meet serious environmental challenges. In carrying out its development work in recent years the industry has been adopting an ecological approach. In the case of television sets, there have been substantial reductions in the power consumed when they are in use and on stand-by. Nowadays, LCD and plasma TVs consume between 25% and 35% less energy than they did just three years ago, and when on stand-by they now use less than one watt, which is only a sixth of the energy that they needed in 1997. This can also be illustrated by the fact that a 60 watt incandescent light requires 120 SONY OLED TV times as much energy as a modern television set on stand-by. At the same time the industry is constantly achieving more success in its efforts to remove pollutants from the production process. Manufacturers have been applying the European RoHS directive, which prescribes lead-free soldering, for example, as well as prohibiting the use of poisonous flame-retardant materials. This development is being applied to an ever-increasing extent. As a result new screen technology is unlocking further potentials for substantially reduced energy consumption. This includes LED backlighting for LCDs and plasma screens with enhanced luminance efficiency, leading to lower energy consumption while retaining the same level of brightness. Moreover larger, more economical OLEDs are likely to go into mass production soon, and commercially viable versions together with a number of prototypes can already be seen at IFA 2008. Fascinating, exciting new experiences and simpler controls are just some of the features of the innovative developments in consumer electronics that can be seen at IFA 2008. A more responsible attitude to natural resources is the other major theme of the CE innovations, and many impressive examples can be seen at IFA 2008. Mobility as the next big trend Mobile devices for entertainment, navigation and communication are among the main factors driving the expansion of the consumer electronics sector. That is why innovations in this field, and above all the latest advances in sat-nav equipment, are of particular importance at IFA 2008. Helping users to find their way is still their main function, but they have many other uses too. For example, they can identify when, at certain times of the day, the shortest route may not necessarily be the best due to the volume of traffic. In addition, supported by additional information from the internet, they can serve as highly effective city tour guides or restaurant finders. Some of these units specialize in providing guidance for pedestrians or cyclists, while others can show the available spaces and the charges at the nearest multistorey car park. With the inclusion of a built-in DVB-T receiver the latest sat-nav devices can even be used to watch television. Cellphones with built-in television viewing facilities are becoming an increasingly important subject at IFA. The decision by the European Commission to support DVB-H as a uniform standard for the whole of Europe will lead to significant advances in mobile television. It is already obvious that mobile players for music, pictures and films are among the smallest but also the most attractive exhibits at IFA, and they are of particular interest to younger visitors to the fair. IFA International • Monday, 25 th August 2008 www.ifa-international.org 21
