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More CES Videos on the Way
I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I have no choice. We are not going to have a video from Day 4 of the CES show ready tonight due to the draining effects of the show and travel. After a good night's sleep, we'll be back with more great content from the show. We have a lot more to show you, so stay tuned. I'll follow up with a look at what Google really has in store for their new Video service.
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2. Posted by: Ed Kohler on January 10, 2006 12:00 AM:
Thanks Jeff.
I passed right by the eBook when I first arrived at the Sony booth. It seemed like something that's been tried before and failed. However, having now actually held it and tried it, I think it may have a chance this time.
Things are moving to downloadable content, so you may be right with your Blu-Ray vue HD DVD call.
Apple will certainly have something to say about the future of video at Macworld. What an interesting week.
3. Posted by: Jeff Deitch on January 10, 2006 9:18 AM:
It seems to me that most new technologies that try to replace a tried and true older technology usually fail at first. Once a new technology becomes available, a company will try push it, but it will usually have some serious limitations. Remember laserdisks trying to replace VHS?
However, after a few years, all the kinks are ironed out, and a true replacement will emerge (DVD's, and now HD DVD's and Blu-Rays's eventually replaced VHS). I think with electronic books the technology that is needed is a medium to read from that as easy on the eyes as paper, and as easy to transport as a book. I think Sony's product looks promising. After a few more revisions it might start to become mainstream.
4. Posted by: Ed Kohler on January 10, 2006 9:29 AM:
Moving from VHS to DVD or DVD to Blue-Ray or HD DVD both have a similar challenge: They need to both set a new standard, and get people to buy hardware that supports the new standard.
If downloading becomes the primary distribution channel for this content, media centers could become the device of choice for playing the content.
One thing Sony's eBook doesn't address is the social side of book reading. How do you strike up a conversation with someone based on a book on their bookshelf or what they're reading on the plane if the books are in the eBook and you can't see the cover?
5. Posted by: Jeff Deitch on January 10, 2006 2:54 PM:
I suppose the same could be said for the social side effects of my music and video collections. I no longer have a huge rack of CD's in my room that someone could view and then strike up a conversation, and soon my video collection will no longer be in a rack by my tv. I suppose for the next few years, a conversation on a plane regarding books won't be struck up from which book someone is reading, but by the fact that they are using an ebook.
I suspect over the next decade, people's social lives will move much more online, and then conversations could be started up regaring my online lists of books and movies that are my favorites.
6. Posted by: Ed Kohler on January 10, 2006 5:38 PM:
The comparisons to CD racks is interesting. I think one difference there is a guest may be still be exposed to your music while listening to tunes in your home.
Are you going to pre-order an eBook?
7. Posted by: Jeff Deitch on January 10, 2006 10:26 PM:
As much as I like to be an early adopter of new technology, I'm not sure I read enough to justify the $350 price tag.
I did a search and found that ebooks are generally $3-$5 cheaper than their paperback counterparts. Using those savings to cover the cost of the unit means it would take 100+ books necessary to make the cost justifiable. However, having said that, I still think it is very cool technology, and that in the coming years we will begin to see it in a variety of applications.
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1. Posted by: Jeff Deitch on January 9, 2006 11:49 PM:
Thanks for all the work you have done covering CES for those of us who couldn't make it this year. I thought I would post my comments regarding some of the technology you showcased on your site.
I thought Sony's eBook was pretty cool. That e-ink technology is going to be amazing stuff. I think I read that people read about half as many words per minute on a CRT monitor as on paper, and about a third fewer words per minute on LCD screens. Having a digital medium that is easy to read will be great, especially considering that it doesn't need any power to maintain the image. I can't count how many times I have been reading a book and wished I could do a search and instantly find something I read in an earlier chapter.
I am not too concerned regarding Blu-ray vs HD DVD. I have a feeling that by the time I buy an HDTV I will be downloading all of the content I want for it. I know a lot of people like to have a physical copy of their media, but I am not one of those people. I am waiting for video to go the same route as music regarding online distribution. VIIV looks promising. I have a feeling that Apple might make a major announcement regarding online content delivery tomorrow. We'll see.
Thanks again for all your hard work. I am sure next year we will see even better coverage from your team now that you have had a chance to learn a thing or two.