The next installment of our series of reader reports from the floor of the Consumer Electronics Show comes from Johnvey Hwang:
Samsung has introduced portable media centers based on Microsoft’s Portable Media Center platform. The Samsung YH-999 sports a 3.5″ LCD, 20GB 1.8″ drive, USB 2.0 interface, and lithuim-ion battery. Available options are an IR remote, docking cradle, and external battery pack.
Matrix 802.11 wireless HDTV is a promising new technology that has the ability to deliver multiple high-definition television streams over a distance of 100 feet and through up to 3 walls. Samsung, LG, and Daewoo were among the exhibitors showing HDTVs with the Matrix system.
A slew of novelty digital cameras from numerous Taiwanese manufacturers was on display, including megapixel SD cameras attachments for PDAs, cameras on hats, cameras in a toy gun, and a camera shaped like Kenny from South Park. Most of the big camera manufacturers are waiting to release their new wares at the PMA show later this spring, so there were few major announcements.
Samsung was among the many exhibitors who demoed camcorder phones like the SCH-V410 that can stream video over 1xEV-DO and can record up to 2 hours of MPEG-4 video.
Samsung also announced an 80-inch plasma display, touted as the world’s largest [Editor’s note: This is the only one they’ve made, and Samsung actually has a bodyguard who is charged with protecting this TV at all times. No lie.], and what they claim is the world’s smallest MP3 player, the YP-T5, which comes in 128/256/512MB models.
MediaVision showed off their new floating displays, including a screen combined with surface-mount speakers, a mirror display (pictured above), and a self-contained floating display unit.
An interesting prototype from LG of a stylish CD changer coffee table that holds 4 CDs right underneath its glass top.
Montage of LCD flat panels at the entrance to Panasonic’s part of the show floor.
