People keep asking me, now that HD is here, what comes next? Higher definition HD! Sharp was showing a prototype of a 64" LCD flat panel with 4K resolution, which equates to around 4000 pixels across and 2000 vertical. That adds up to nearly nine million pixels!

Here’s an interesting demo showing the difference between 8-bit and 10-bit color (that's 10 bits per primary or 30 bits total). One of the Sony LCD sets was modified to operate at 10-bit while the other was stock. The whole point of the demo was to show the improvements possible with HDMI 1.3, which is required for 10-bit color to be delivered to the display. I expected and saw a much smoother grayscale without visible transitions, especially at the dark end and a complete elimination of false contouring. I didn’t expect the not so subtle difference in color. Though I was told the color space of set number 2 wasn’t altered and saturation was identical, each color appeared deeper and richer. 10-bit allows a far greater color depth and it shows. While a number of display technologies run at 10 bits or higher, there has never been a way to deliver that from the source, plus the source material (even HD-DVD and Blu-Ray and current video games) aren't 10 bit yet. The HDMI group is hoping that manufacturers will take advantage of 1.3's greatly increased capability and improve their sources accordingly.

The first item on the menu at Sharp's box luncheon/press conference may have been a deli sandwich, but the first item on Sharp's menu was a new, 108", 1920x1080 LCD display. Our TV is bigger than Your TV hits a new high! No price was announced. As I glanced into the room following the press conference I saw a dozen workmen standing around, either figuring out how to pack it and move it (presumably for transport to the convention center) or how to pick up the NFL playoffs.

Samsung announced major improvements to its line of LCD TVs. For 2007, it's adding several technologies designed to increase contrast ratio, improve blacks, and reduce motion blur. Super Clear Panel adds a filter to cut down on stray light. Local Dimming adds LED backlighting which treats specific areas of the screen, where needed, to increase contrast ratio up to a claimed 100,000:1. And Double Frame Rate 120 Hz is said to reduce motion blur.

Did the HD DVD Group announce a bunch of hot HD DVD titles that will be coming our way in ’07? Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? HD DVD’s supporting studios will be releasing an awesome slate of new release and catalog titles, but for myself and fellow sci-fi buffs many of these pale compared to this double whammy: Not only has Warner announced that 2007 is the year that Ridley Scott’s classic Blade Runner will see a remastered release in HD, the remastered versions of the original Star Trek series will be released by Paramount on HD DVD this year as well. Someone pick me up off the floor!

This is Sony's second Sapphire prototype standalone Blu-ray player. This unit is so slick I can't even tell where the discs load!

Sony never does anything small at CES, and wowed the gathered press with a introduction and demonstration of a 70" BRAVIA LCD flat panel- the KDL-70XBR3. Yep- a 70" LCD flat panel.