By Sean Hannam

Greetings from Las Vegas. Well, I’ve had plenty of time to wander around CES, so I thought I’d share some of my initial thoughts on the show with you.

This year, thin is most definitely in – Oled TV is the product that is causing all the buzz out here. Both Samsung and LG have unveiled stunning looking 55in 3D Oled sets that are due to hit the UK in the latter half of this year. Prices have yet to be confirmed, but, rest assured, you’ll need to have been very lucky on the Vegas roulette tables to be able to afford one – several thousand pounds will be the asking price. The Samsung and LG stands were heaving with people clamouring to get a glimpse of these super-slim, sexy TVs and the gasps of amazement from those who’d seen them were clearly audible. 

Sony was also debuting new flat-screen technology, although it wasn’t Oled. Instead, the Japanese brand was showing off an impressive 55in Crystal LED TV, which uses RGB LED technology, rather than back-lit. No news yet on a launch date – the model is a prototype. Sony was also demoing glasses-free 3D TVs – in 24in and 40in models. The 40in was a 4K panel. In fact, 4K2K panels are all the rage at CES, with manufacturers including LG, Sharp and Panasonic unveiling models.

Smart TV is the other big story in Vegas, with lots of new models from all the major manufacturers. Apps are everywhere, including plenty of interactive ones that are linked to consumers’ health and well-being. I’ll need to get one soon, to help me work off all the super-size breakfasts and big burgers I’ve eaten while out here.  

Panasonic was heavily promoting its Smart Viera TVs, as well as its eco message. The company has also launched new, stylish plasma and LED TVs for 2012, with a strong emphasis on slim design, including thin ‘metal in glass’ appearances. Panasonic was keeping tight-lipped about its 2012 product line-up for the UK, but will be announcing its plans in late February.

Other interactive TV technologies on show from the likes of Samsung and LG are voice control, gesture control and face recognition. Now you’ll have even more reason to shout at the telly!

On the audio front, Airplay is everywhere – Apple’s streaming technology has been incorporated into most manufacturers’ docking ranges for this year. Interestingly, Samsung has announced its first move into the audio docks sector and had its new range on display.

By using ‘vacuum tube’ technology, it’s bridging the gap between digital amps and the warmth of analogue valves. Products include dual docking for both Samsung Galaxy S and Apple iOS devices.

Sound bars are also high on the agenda at CES – one of the few growth markets in consumer electronics at the moment. Samsung and Panasonic were both showing models that can be used in the normal horizontal style, but can also be flipped to stand up like more traditional home-cinema speakers. Compact and bijou Blu-ray players are also in abundance out here – models are now smaller and cuter than ever.

In other Blu-ray news, at a special press conference on the Panasonic stand, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment unveiled Bond 50, a collectible box-set featuring all 22 James Bond films on Blu-ray for the first time in one complete offering.

The collection, which will be released later this year, marks the debut of nine James Bond films previously unavailable in Blu-ray and ties in with the 50th anniversary of the movie franchise.

During the press conference, several Bond film directors and Bond girls were also on hand. At CES, you can always rely on something to leave you shaken and stirred.