At CES, progress comes a step at a time

Alex Johnson Reporter • Profile

LAS VEGAS - The International Consumer Electronics Show last January was bristling with optimism, as manufacturers and software firms showed off major advancements in media systems, miniaturization and wireless connectivity.

Technology journalists oohed and ahhed over monster-size televisions, breakthroughs in high-definition TV based on plasma and laser technology, and fully functional notebook computers the size of small paperback books.

Times have changed.

The big consumer electronic debuts at this year’s more subdued CES aren’t whiz-bang computer or gaming systems. They’re innovations designed to finally meet longstanding demands in the technology already used by consumers, who are reluctant to spend big on new toys during a recession.

The unofficial theme at CES isn’t “breakthrough” or “faster” or anything to do with leaps in core technologies. It’s “green” — scores of companies are emphasizing products that use less power and are more easily recyclable.

The Consumer Electronics Association, organizer of CES, found in a survey in September that while cost and features remain paramount in buyers’ minds, “green aspects will increasingly matter.”

In the survey, 89 percent of respondents said they wanted more energy-efficient televisions, clearly labeled with easy-to-use information like the Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star logo.

“Consumers are not being reactive but are being proactive,” said David A. Thompson, president of Electric Manufacturers Recycling Management Co., a joint venture of Panasonic Corp., Sharp Electronics Corp. and Toshiba America Inc. In other words, he said, more consumers are actively seeking out green alternatives, as opposed to stumbling upon them on the showroom floor.

Green: the official color of CES
Few sets with screens smaller than 50 inches in stores today meet the third generation of Energy Star’s TV requirements, which went into effect in November. But most industry officials say nearly all of them will by the end of this year. (There is no penalty for failing to meet the standards; those that do measure up get to carry the Energy Star logo.)

Samsung Electronics Co. impressed many here with its new series of energy-efficient LED HDTVs. The company’s 6000 series of 40-, 55- and 60-inch sets reduce power consumption by as much as 40 percent without sacrificing performance, the company claimed.

LG Electronics Inc. claims that its newest sets will slash power use by half — part of what it calls its global green initiative.

At times, it seems marketing language like that is all you can hear in the exhibition halls this year. Toshiba is “demonstrating its commitment to sustainability”; Nextar Inc. is offering solar-powered hands-free cell phone kits as “the smart and green solution to cell phone driving usage”; the HD-PLC Alliance, a trade group of companies that send broadband over power lines, procalims itself “Green Ubiquitous.”

The CEA, touting this year’s CES as “an Eco-Friendly Electronics Show,” is dedicating an entire program track, with six sessions over three days, to “Technology and the Environment.”

It’s a tough message to get out to consumers, who may only vaguely understand what Energy Star is (a set of government standards that is different from product line to product line), never mind the two dozen or so other green logos that manufacturers can claim from governments, activist groups and trade organizations. The documentation backing up such rankings is often non-existent or buried deep in a corporate Web site.

John Frey, manager of corporate environmental strategies for Hewlett-Packard Co., said consumer technology companies were doing a good job of increasing the energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of their products. The everyday consumer, however, has little idea how much progress has been made, because “the challenge is making the consumer aware at the point of purchase,” he said.

Jeremy Arditi, president Greenzer.com, a shopping portal that aggregates consumer products that meet its standards for environmental awareness, said retailers were “seeing a consumer that is knowledgeable in this space.” But even knowledgeable consumers can’t make good choices unless the data are “right next to the size of the monitor” on the product display, he said.

MORE FROM CES 2008

CES 2008 Section Front

CES shrinks, but organizers are pleased At CES, progress comes a step at a time   Celebrity voices personalize driving experience Intel unveils new generation of netbooks at CES   Look ma, no hands! New toy reads your mind Auto tech takes a big bite from Apple Stevie Wonder: Touch-screens alienate blind AT&T exec says he's open to free TV on phones RealNetworks confident of lawsuit win Tiny handheld PC first with organic LED screen CES 2008 Section Front   Add CES 2008 headlines to your news reader: