CES 2008 'Better Questions' contest winners

After culling through over 300 entries, we have selected the best questions from our CES contest and attempted to find the answers. Winners will be contacted via e-mail next week regarding their prize.

Without further ado, in no particular order:

IamImhotep: "Samsung, your 73" LED DLP Is killer and the price is very competitive over Plasma and LCD, are you going to abandon your customers and drop DLP's as Sony has decided to do?"

Answer: Samsung said it remains fully committed to the DLP platform, but acknowledged that the market seems to be moving toward LCD and Plasma now that costs are falling. Still, the company was proudly showing off its Series 6 and Series 7 displays at CES.

cdward: "Set-top manufacturers (Motorola & Cisco/Scientific Atlanta): Will OCAP (Open Cable Applications Platform) ever become widely available to developers looking to create applications for the iTV environment? The barriers to entry in this emerging market are still very high, and stifling innovation."

Answer: This is a good question, but we couldn't get a straight answer on it. The companies acknowledged the power of developers, but had nothing specific to announce.

tigger4046: "Currently we can listen to our own .mp3 via Tivo Desktop and access Live365 and Rhapsody by Real Networks. When will we have the access to logon to our own XM or Sirius satellite accounts?"

Answer: TiVo has no specific plans to offer XM or Sirius integration, but has designed its system to easily add in more services over time. If customer demand is there, and if XM and Sirius are open to it, TiVo could add the option in the future.

angeltenchi1: "To Microsoft: Is there a possibility for IPTV to be offered as an a la carte service where users could select the channels they want to subscribe to and avoid channels they are uninterested in?"

Answer: Because Microsoft just offers the back-end software for IPTV -- known as Mediaroom -- it is up to the operators how they sell their services. However, it's unlikely IPTV will go full a-la-carte, because neither cable nor satellite TV are.

jimvaughan: "Given the lackluster sales of HD DVD and Blu-ray players. What makes anyone think that either will "Win". Isn't the distribution of movies headed for the on-line world? If that is the case what format for on-line distribution is going to be successful and will it use DRM and if so why?"

Answer: While online distribution of movies will surely increase, physical media isn't going anywhere anytime soon for a couple reasons: consumers still want discs, and Internet connectivity isn't there yet to stream full 1080p HD video with 7.1-channel lossless audio. No streaming video provider foresees DRM disappearing, because content owners want to protect their assets, especially when it's full HD.

usofascott: "Tivo has succeeded in defining the DVR market, even if they have not fully exploited the market. Does Tivo forsee more strategic alliances with service providers to get more set-top boxes running Tivo OS?"

Answer: TiVo definitely plans to get its software onto more boxes. The company was showing off a Cox cable box with TiVo software at CES and already has Comcast deployments. In addition, TiVo is on boxes in Mexico and China. At the moment, it has no further partners in the United States to announce, but is very much open to the idea.

suppanova: "Ask cell phone operators and industry observers - Do you see a move towards cell operators opening up their network to devices not sold by them?"

Answer: We received a mix response on this question. While the industry will continue to slowly move toward openness, handset vendors still rely on network operators to sell and promote their products. In addition, there is a feeling in the industry that consumers don't really care about an open network since most rarely change wireless carriers.

Chriz78: "When are we going to be seeing LED backlit based LCD monitors released instead of the current bulb based backlights?

Answer: More LED-based laptops and monitors are coming from a number of manufacturers. ViewSonic had one on display at CES, and we're likely to see more products in 2008.

MikeTechno: "Ask LG: When will their dual-format Blu-Ray/HD DVD combo players sell at a price low enough that the average consumer actually will be able to afford them? (aka the "magical" sub $200 price point)"

Answer: With very few manufacturers pushing the hybrid players (LG was the only one at CES), and Blu-ray not interested in promoting them, the chances of prices dropping a great deal are slim. It's unlikely they will reach the sub-$200 price point unless both HD DVD and Blu-ray agree to co-exist and promote their development. Panasonic, Pioneer and Sony have no interest in hybrid players, they told BetaNews.

alohanela: "Is there a plan in motion to designate a sort of "green" certification for consumer electronics? Not just energy star, but also other measures to qualify the manufacturer's commitment to environmental sustainability.

Answer: This is a great question. While manufacturers at CES were touting more energy efficient designs and being more thoughtful about their impact on the environment, there was no specific talk of a certification. Corporations are also helping in other ways, with Lenovo promoting Kiva.org at CES.

Cobofamilia: "The transition to digital broadcasting in the year 2009 has been a profound issue for the television industry, yet, how will the transition to digital broadcasting enhance the television experience of Americans to a new level?"

Answer: In the beginning, it won't. However, the idea is that it will open the airwaves for new wireless services to be offered to consumers, which could, in turn, improve the way we receive our media. It will be a slow process, the fruits of which probably won't be evident until 2011 at the earliest.

billym99: "Ask both Blu Ray and HD DVD promotions group: For 2008 what is your specific strategy for getting consumers more interested in your HD media format than that of your competitor?"

Answer: The answer to this question on both sides was clear: interactivity. Both formats believe consumers need more interesting features to attract buyers. Education will also play a big role, as Blu-ray is planning a major marketing push to establish itself as the successor to standard DVD. Nonetheless, HD DVD isn't going anywhere, which means that confusion will continue and adoption of both formats will remain low compared to DVD.