The event demonstrates the booming trend in flat-screen television sets in Japan and elsewhere in Asia. In the Thai market, Panasonic estimated the total demand for flat-screen LCD television sets would quadruple this year to 55,000-60,000 units, from 14,000-15,000 last year.

The Ceatec exhibition ends on Saturday. A total of 2,936 booths feature displays from 807 companies and organisations, including 283 from 26 other countries throughout the world.

Reflecting the many advancements taking place as a result of digital convergence, the number of participants will surpass those at Ceatec Japan 2005, when 788 exhibitors, including 293 from 28 countries outside Japan, operated 2,775 booths. Show organisers predict the total number of visitors will surpass 200,000, setting a new record.

At this year's event, Panasonic, the leading brand for which Matsushita Electric Industrial Co Ltd is known, showcased its latest technologies and products under the theme "Living in HD - An Enhanced Lifestyle Begins with High Definition".

Together with advanced televisions developed with the latest high-definition (HD) technology, Panasonic presented several consumer-electronics products linked together, including Viera flat-panel-display televisions, Lumix digital still cameras and a wide range of Secure Digital (SD) devices. The company also introduced its 103-inch Viera, the world's largest plasma HD television set.

Panasonic's rivals also launched their latest versions of flat-screen LCD and plasma sets at the event, highlighting the tough competition among the big Japanese players.

Sony introduced the latest version of its Bravia flat-screen LCD television, while Sharp launched its newest Aquos TV, Toshiba its Regza TV and Mitsubishi its Real TV.

The Panasonic booth featured a main presentation stage, and the BD (Blu-ray Disc) Theatre. Displays are under 10 different categories: digital HD televisions; BD and DVD; HD equipment for industrial use; SD memory card/applications; digital cameras; mobile phones; automotive products, including the Strada car navigation system; home-networking solutions, including home-security systems; business solutions, such as network camera and remote monitoring; and core technologies like UniPhier (Universal Platform for High-Quality Image-Enhancing Revolution).

Meanwhile, based on the theme "Presence to Achieve the Perfect Experience", JVC offered a "high degree of realism" by using the high resolution and sound quality of 4K 3D theatre and a pulsating sphere speaker. Beginning with an ultra-large screen D-ILA projection television (sample only), a line-up of TVs are on display, including D-ILA projection televisions, full-HD LCD televisions and LCD sets with clear motion drive.

Visitors can also experience super-high resolution and impressive 3D images from JVC's 4K2K D-ILA projector, with roughly four times the resolution of full HD.

In addition, the JVC booth also demonstrated the Everio hard-drive camcorder and SX-L speaker series. The flagship model of a line-up of wood cone speakers will be released in Japan next month.

Kwanchai Rungfapaisarn, The Nation, tokyo