While the just completed Beijing Olympics will have meant different things to different people, one thing is certain: A lot of TVs were tuned into the games. And now that the intense viewing of judo, swimming and softball is over, it is quite possible a number of Japanese TV owners are wishing they could have seen more of their favorite athletes in even better detail.
It is hence good timing for the organizers of the Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies (Ceatec), which is getting ready to launch the eighth edition of Asia's largest consumer electronics show at the end of the month. Ceatec is one place where Japanese electronics manufacturers make a special effort to bring the latest and greatest to the market — especially TV sets.
The show grew to 205,000 visitors last year, and a similar turnout is expected this time as well. But in terms of international exhibitors, Ceatec does not overwhelm: Of the nearly 900 companies who opened booths there in 2007, only about a third were from abroad. Ceatec is still a mainly domestic affair.