CES is Sounding Better all the Time

By Liz Savery, Sharp

Anyone who attends CES knows that the major visual here is the TVs.  From the moment you walk in to the convention center, you're assaulted with all kinds of TVs, representing all kinds of technologies and projection methods. Small ones, huge ones, thin ones, backlighting, sidelighting - anything you can think of! The experience of watching TV at home just keeps getting better.  Another area that's changing is television sound - walking through CES ten years ago meant a barrage of straight-line sounds from TVs on display.  Now, though, it's a surround-sound assault as you move from booth to booth.  I hardly know where to stop and listen!  Even though today is the first day and I don't really have a good grasp of the whole show yet, I've noticed that a number of manufacturers are paying more attention to sound. It's the next logical step, after all - we have amazing picture technology, so pairing that with amazing sound creates a home-theater experience that can't be beat.

Sharp has a great product that really enhances home viewing, without a lot of cost or set-up hassle.  The HT-SB300 and HT-SB200 2.1 Channel Sound Bars are lightweight and powerful, and they'll make you look like you're a whole lot smarter about home theater choices than you really may be.  I actually have one of these devices in my home, from another manufacturer (now I'm sorry I didn't wait for the Sharp) and I can honestly say that it makes a big difference, whether I'm watching a football game or a movie. They incorporate left and right speakers and a subwoofer in one nifty low-profile package. The Sharp units are also not at all painful to look at, either - they're sleek and shiny and add a nice dash of tasteful high-tech to your living room, no matter what your décor.

There's another logical tie-in with this product. We may all be talking about technology at CES, but the other thing we're all talking about is the economy.  Last night, at the CES keynote, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer said, "No matter what happens with the economy, our digital lives will only get richer."

And how. For not a whole lot of money at all (about $250) you can bump your TV's sound from fair to fabulous.  Better sound just makes for a better experience.