Even that refresh rate was put to shame by LG Display, which demonstrated a 480Hz monitor. It looked extremely sharp on an action sequence from the movie "Transformers," but it was impossible to tell without a side-by-side comparison just how much better it was than a 240Hz or even 120Hz display.
Wireless: Flat-panel HDTVs look great mounted on the wall, but the hookup wires and power cord pose problems. They have to be hidden in the wall (which requires the help of an installer unless you're especially handy) or left to hang loose.
At CES, a few manufacturers said they would be making wireless systems robust enough to handle high-definition signals. Panasonic said they would be worked into its Z1 line due out this year. Marketing executive Bob Perry didn't get into specifics of how far the signal would carry from a control unit to a screen but said it would be a "same-room" technology.
No pricing for Z1 sets was disclosed.
Thin is in: Although the trend is against ultra-thinness in people, in TVs the race continues to produce skinnier TVs, partly because they often go hand in hand with energy savings.
Several companies, including LG Electronics and Samsung, announced new lines of LED-backlighted LCD sets, which are not only thinner and require less power but also don't use mercury, which can be harmful if it ends up in landfills.
One of the most impressive demonstrations of thinness was a Panasonic plasma prototype less than a third of an inch thick. But the company said it wouldn't be ready for the marketplace until at least 2010.
Satellite TV on the road: Satellite TV in cars has been pretty much a disaster so far, with the picture and sound freezing every time so much as a light pole blocks the signal. To duplicate the effect at home, hit the pause button randomly on your TiVo about 20 times a minute.
A new system by AT&T CruiseCast, though not perfect, is a huge improvement. During a ride in a test vehicle at CES, the CruiseCast system managed to play live cable channels almost seamlessly while riding through Las Vegas neighborhoods.
The system uses a buffer regimen to keep the channel playing even when momentarily blocked.
"As long as we can get a signal 1 1/2 minutes out of every three, it will keep going," said Winston Guillory, president of RaySat Broadcasting, which has partnered with AT&T on the system.
