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3D technology was the clear dominating factor at this years larger gadget show live, with key tech companies showing off their latest weapons in this fast growing and hotly fought over sector.
Almost all of the firms contributing were evangelising the benefits of “active technology” as opposed to the older polarised standard.
LG attracted a great deal of attention with its front room-style setup, demonstrating its huge 47-inch LX9900 3D TV. A demonstration of the Avatar video game was given on the LG 950, which it claims is the current most popular 3D unit in UK pubs.
Panasonic spearheaded its stand with the 50-inch plasma TXP50T20B, and made a big deal out of the fact that it will not produce larger panels as they don’t provide as high a quality of plasma. Under its ‘full HD TV’ tagline, the firm insists this will be a key factor in the development of 3D tech. Panasonic also has an impressive 3D cinema room with a 104-inch screen projector, which serves particularly well at demonstrating the abilities of the sector.
Elsewhere, Sony claims to have the fastest 3D TV at the show, with its 200MHz active shutter devices. A massive 52-inch flagship system demonstrated these claims.
As well as the TVs, 3D PC gaming also represented huge amounts of stand space. Retail giant PC World dedicated much of its exhibition to 3D tech, under its slogan ‘My world in 3D’. A home cinema setup served as the centrepiece, encompassing full surround sound, though the projector itself is not available for another month in the UK. A set of gaming desktops was also on show, rigged up with Nvidia’s 3D gaming peripherals.
Nvidia’s stand itself was almost entirely dedicated to showing off its 3D gaming offering, while the Acer sub-area on the Misco stand was showcasing the new Predator gaming rig, loaded with active shutter 3D technology. The latest version of the iconic desktop brand will emerge in the UK in six to eight weeks, and is loaded with the new Intel Core I Processor.
Elsewhere, the iPad attracted a lot of buzz, though there were not many other tablet PCs to be seen. The majority of the rest of the show was taken up with small form factor PCs, laptops, cameras, and gaming.
The cast of Channel Five’s the Gadget Show probably drew the largest crowd, while areas such as the ‘gadget hall of fame’ and the ‘future technology zone’ also proved popular with the largely consumer audience.
The Gadget Show Live is a larger affair than last year and organisers say it has again sold out. With plenty of big name vendors on board, this could prove to be an increasingly important event in the technology industry’s calendar.
