Bigger is better with touchscreens and TVs at CES

Computerworld - Touchscreens of all sizes and jumbo TVs promise to be a big draw at International CES.

The biggest touchscreen on display at a preview event Sunday was an 84-in. table-top touchscreen demonstrated by 3M Touch Systems.

Representatives said the device is a prototype expected for production in 2013, but a version of the prototype is already being used to explain science concepts at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

3M began selling a 46-in. touchscreen in 2012 for more than $6,000.

The prototype was running Windows 7, and the software used to build the application was based on Flash, a representative said.

LG also showed off a recently shipped 84-in. Ultra HDTV that sells for $20,000, with glasses-free 3D images. Onlookers oohed and ahhed at the effect, with images of Greek islands depicted on the screen.

A representative said LG will be offering a 55-in. and 65-in. version in 2013, but pricing hasn't been set.

Lenovo also demonstrated a 26-in touchscreen based on Windows 8 and HTML5.

Steve Koenig, director of industry analysis for the Consumer Electronics Association, which runs CES, said that adoption of the jumbo TVs will be slow in the next few years due to the high prices.

Overall growth of television sales is flat due to the effect of more sales of tablets and smartphones, CEA said. Over the past three years, sales of sub-20-in. televisions have declined by about 20% each year, although sales have increase for jumbo sets as prices have declined.

"There's not a need to have a smaller TV at home when you have a display [on a tablet] in your lap," said Koenig.

Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter at @matthamblen or subscribe to Matt's RSS feed. His email address is mhamblen@computerworld.com.

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