Consumer Electronics Assn

Sales of consumer electronics devices are expected to grow by 6% to more than $95 billion in 2001, powered by a thirst for hot digital products such as DVD players and cameras, according to a recent study. But the growth, while representing the industry's 9th year in a row of better sales, is expected to slow from last year's 10% bump, as consumers, faced with a slump in the economy, delay purchases of CD and MP3 players, televisions and camcorders, items that often cost hundreds of dollars.

The Consumer Electronics Show's exhibitors have long employed lavish parties, Hollywood star power and Las Vegas headliners to draw attention to a new technology. Seldom, however, has a promotion involved organized fisticuffs. ESPN, Walt Disney Co.'s dominant sports network, put on the gloves — literally — in its promotion of 3-D television by staging a series of boxing matches in the center of the annual event's exhibit hall Thursday at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Americans love their electronics, but all those TVs, computers, phones and DVD players suck up energy and end up clogging landfills. How can you stay plugged in while minimizing the effect on the environment? A good starting point is MyGreenElectronics.com, a website launched last year by the Consumer Electronics Assn. of Arlington, Va. The site offers lists of low-energy-use electronic products, tips on how to limit energy consumption by electronics you own and advice for making your electronics last longer so they don't have to be thrown out so soon.

In just under eight years, Vizio Inc. has gone from a no-name brand to the nation's top seller of LCD televisions. Now the Irvine company has set its sights on becoming the largest consumer electronics company as it quietly rolls out such home entertainment gadgets as speakers, Blu-ray players, headphones and even Internet routers. FOR THE RECORD: Vizio: An article in the Dec. 25 Business section about TV maker Vizio Inc.'s branching into other types of consumer electronics said that most of the company's 300 employees work in sales.

The influential lobby group Consumer Electronics Assn. is fighting what appears to be a losing battle to dissuade California regulators from passing the nation's first ban on energy-hungry big-screen televisions. On Tuesday, executives and consultants for the Arlington, Va., trade group asked members of the California Energy Commission to instead let consumers use their wallets to decide whether they want to buy the most energy-saving new models of liquid-crystal display and plasma high-definition TVs. "Voluntary efforts are succeeding without regulations," said Doug Johnson, the association's senior director for technology policy.

The Consumer Electronics Show's exhibitors have long employed lavish parties, Hollywood star power and Las Vegas headliners to draw attention to a new technology. Seldom, however, has a promotion involved organized fisticuffs. ESPN, Walt Disney Co.'s dominant sports network, put on the gloves — literally — in its promotion of 3-D television by staging a series of boxing matches in the center of the annual event's exhibit hall Thursday at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

In just under eight years, Vizio Inc. has gone from a no-name brand to the nation's top seller of LCD televisions. Now the Irvine company has set its sights on becoming the largest consumer electronics company as it quietly rolls out such home entertainment gadgets as speakers, Blu-ray players, headphones and even Internet routers. FOR THE RECORD: Vizio: An article in the Dec. 25 Business section about TV maker Vizio Inc.'s branching into other types of consumer electronics said that most of the company's 300 employees work in sales.

Sales of smart phones, tablet computers, Blu-ray disc players, digital book readers and, to some extent, 3-D television sets are expected to take off this year, helping offset declines elsewhere in consumer electronics, according to an industry group. As students begin to gear up for school and everyone else starts drawing up their holiday wish lists, the Consumer Electronics Assn. is betting that certain devices will more than make up for shortfalls in MP3 players, digital cameras and car stereos.

Picking a holiday gift for the nerd in your life is never easy. In the shopping stampede, it's all too easy to end up with an outdated gadget or obsolete program. And mistakes can be costly. U.S. shoppers plan to spend an average of $222 on consumer electronics this holiday season, up 8% from last year, according to the Consumer Electronics Assn. Here are a few items between $50 and $100: Hercules Dualpix HD7 20p Web camera Everything else in life is going HD, so why not Web cameras too?

Jazz musician Bill Cunliffe loves television -- but he doesn't watch it on a TV set. "I can watch anything I want, any time I want," he said, "on my bottom-of-the-line Mac PowerBook." Cunliffe, 53, is one of a growing number of TV viewers who get all their programs via the Internet. For reasons that include saving money, convenience, personal choice and a hatred of commercials, these viewers are cutting the cord from cable, satellite and telephone suppliers of TV service, and even throwing away the rabbit ears and other antennas that brought in over-the-air broadcasts.

Sales of smart phones, tablet computers, Blu-ray disc players, digital book readers and, to some extent, 3-D television sets are expected to take off this year, helping offset declines elsewhere in consumer electronics, according to an industry group. As students begin to gear up for school and everyone else starts drawing up their holiday wish lists, the Consumer Electronics Assn. is betting that certain devices will more than make up for shortfalls in MP3 players, digital cameras and car stereos.

Picking a holiday gift for the nerd in your life is never easy. In the shopping stampede, it's all too easy to end up with an outdated gadget or obsolete program. And mistakes can be costly. U.S. shoppers plan to spend an average of $222 on consumer electronics this holiday season, up 8% from last year, according to the Consumer Electronics Assn. Here are a few items between $50 and $100: Hercules Dualpix HD7 20p Web camera Everything else in life is going HD, so why not Web cameras too?

Jazz musician Bill Cunliffe loves television -- but he doesn't watch it on a TV set. "I can watch anything I want, any time I want," he said, "on my bottom-of-the-line Mac PowerBook." Cunliffe, 53, is one of a growing number of TV viewers who get all their programs via the Internet. For reasons that include saving money, convenience, personal choice and a hatred of commercials, these viewers are cutting the cord from cable, satellite and telephone suppliers of TV service, and even throwing away the rabbit ears and other antennas that brought in over-the-air broadcasts.

The influential lobby group Consumer Electronics Assn. is fighting what appears to be a losing battle to dissuade California regulators from passing the nation's first ban on energy-hungry big-screen televisions. On Tuesday, executives and consultants for the Arlington, Va., trade group asked members of the California Energy Commission to instead let consumers use their wallets to decide whether they want to buy the most energy-saving new models of liquid-crystal display and plasma high-definition TVs. "Voluntary efforts are succeeding without regulations," said Doug Johnson, the association's senior director for technology policy.

Americans love their electronics, but all those TVs, computers, phones and DVD players suck up energy and end up clogging landfills. How can you stay plugged in while minimizing the effect on the environment? A good starting point is MyGreenElectronics.com, a website launched last year by the Consumer Electronics Assn. of Arlington, Va. The site offers lists of low-energy-use electronic products, tips on how to limit energy consumption by electronics you own and advice for making your electronics last longer so they don't have to be thrown out so soon.

Struggling to keep pace with the fast-changing market for consumer electronics, Good Guys Inc. found it wasn't quite good enough. The retailer, which specialized in higher-end televisions, home audio systems and other cutting-edge electronics gear, catered to savvy technophiles while providing trained store personnel to educate less sophisticated customers.

Even during the slump, the technology industry could count on Gwen Marker. Over the years she bought a DVD player, a PlayStation 2, a laptop computer, a Palm device and, recently, a new cellphone. And now she feels technologically maxed out. "I have most things I think I need," the 29-year-old USC graduate student said, though she added: "A digital camera would be nice." Consumers like Marker are no longer a major driver of the sector's growth. But the tech industry isn't despairing: Corporate America is starting to pick up the slack.

Struggling to keep pace with the fast-changing market for consumer electronics, Good Guys Inc. found it wasn't quite good enough. The retailer, which specialized in higher-end televisions, home audio systems and other cutting-edge electronics gear, catered to savvy technophiles while providing trained store personnel to educate less sophisticated customers.

Even during the slump, the technology industry could count on Gwen Marker. Over the years she bought a DVD player, a PlayStation 2, a laptop computer, a Palm device and, recently, a new cellphone. And now she feels technologically maxed out. "I have most things I think I need," the 29-year-old USC graduate student said, though she added: "A digital camera would be nice." Consumers like Marker are no longer a major driver of the sector's growth. But the tech industry isn't despairing: Corporate America is starting to pick up the slack.

Sales of consumer electronics devices are expected to grow by 6% to more than $95 billion in 2001, powered by a thirst for hot digital products such as DVD players and cameras, according to a recent study. But the growth, while representing the industry's 9th year in a row of better sales, is expected to slow from last year's 10% bump, as consumers, faced with a slump in the economy, delay purchases of CD and MP3 players, televisions and camcorders, items that often cost hundreds of dollars.