CES: What's ahead in TV technology

Too bad you can't afford it.

All of this state-of-the-art TV tech -- much of it not yet available -- is extremely expensive, which is even more of a consideration for buyers in these recessionary times.

But it's fun to dream. Besides, prices for new consumer electronics products almost always plunge when (and if) they become popular.

Only four years ago, a 46-inch LCD TV -- then considered exotic -- retailed for about $10,000. Now you can pick one up for about $1,000.

By the time this year's new products get down to an earthly level, perhaps the economy will be bouncing back.

Here's a sampling of the new TV technologies on exhibit.

* 3-D display: There's been lots of talk about 3-D for TV. But it was Panasonic that stole the thunder with the first presentation outside Japan of its proprietary system, meant for movie theaters as well as TV.

And how did it look?

Fantastic. The several clips shown from movies and live-action events, including sequences from the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in Beijing, had extraordinary depth and brightness.

But they were shown under ideal conditions, in a darkened room on a 103-inch plasma screen. And the basic hurdle of home 3-D remains: the glasses that transform the blurry images on the screen to 3-D. Every time you'd head to the kitchen for a snack, turn to a friend to chat or do any other activity apart from watching the program, you'd have to take off the glasses to see the real world.

Also, there could be a physical problem. After the showing that lasted about 10 minutes, some viewers reported eyestrain and a tinge of nausea.

* Battling the blur: If Santa just brought you an LCD television with a 120Hz refresh rate -- which eliminates much of the blur in fast-action sequences on standard 60Hz LCD televisions -- you're already passe.

Sony, which introduced a 240Hz set in the fall, debuted nine models at CES with that refresh rate. No pricing was giving for the new sets due out in the spring, but the current 52-inch Sony model with 240Hz lists for more than $4,000.