CES 2017 will be the first of the big tech events on the calendar and there is going to be a number of announcements coming through for Android and the wider tech world. However, this is one of those events where we could see a number of TV-related announcements coming through. In fact, it is one of those events where we should see a number of TV-related announcements coming. Not only is CES an apt-event to release and/or announce a new TV set, TV service, or otherwise, but it is an event which occurs right at the start of the year. So it is the perfect time for a company to set out and make clear its TV ambitions and plans for the year ahead.
At the moment, what these TV-related announcements could be, remains pretty vague. One thing that is clear though, is that all of the big name TV companies will be in attendance. Samsung, LG, TCL and Sony will all be present at the event and it stands to reason that they will have something to announce. In fact, Samsung has already made one early announcement detailing the launch of three new TV services that will be showcased at CES. Ones which look to offer the viewer a more personalized TV experience. It is also quite likely that this will not be the only Samsung TV related announcement to come through at the event, as rumors do point to the announcing of some new hardware models for 2017. Samsung aside, there has been limited details coming through on what Sony, LG, TCL or anyone else, will announce. Although as CES is likely to be the right event for them to make their TV-related announcements, it should be expected that most of the major TV brands will be making announcements. MWC will be more towards their mobile ambitions and IFA is much more towards the end of the year. So any big 2017 models from these companies will very likely get a mention at the event, at the very least.
Of course, then there is the developing rumor that NVIDIA might be showing off a new version of their popular NVIDIA SHIELD Android TV at CES. For those specifically interested in Android TV, then this will likely be one of the biggest announcements to come out of the event. That is, providing NVIDIA does actually unveil a new SHIELD device. Over the last few months there has been multiple spurts of rumors and reports coming through suggesting a new SHIELD device was about to be announced and it never was. So while the current rumor mill is suggesting a new SHIELD at CES, this is still just a rumor for now. Besides the SHIELD, there is not much expected to be announced at CES in terms of Android TV. Which is disappointing, as it is hoped that 2017 will start off better than 2016 finished. Razer for instance, are high due a new Android TV unit. Their previous device, the Razer Forge TV, never really seemed to get off the ground properly, although this was a unit which first debuted at CES two years ago. So now would be an ideal time for Razer to return to the market with a follow-up and vastly improved device. However, as it currently stands, that does seem highly unlikely.
What might be the case though (from the Android TV perspective) is that a number of announcements are made on upcoming TVs that come powered by Android TV. This was one of the areas of Android TV that seemed to gain traction in 2016 and it stands to reason that momentum will keep going in 2017 as well. If all the usual big-name TV makers are announcing a number of new models, then it seems fairly likely that one or two of those will come powered by Android TV. So this will certainly be an area to look out for during CES 2017. Another popular feature to look out for (for both the Android TV and general TV markets in 2017), is HDR10. This has been another TV aspect that has gained massive momentum over the past twelve months and will continue to be a popular feature for manufacturers to tout at CES and beyond. Although, Dolby Vision is another aspect that has started to gain traction recently as well. So it does seem highly likely that any big TV announcements at CES will focus on whether the TV sports HDR10 or Dolby Vision, or both. Either way, HDR in general will be making a big mark on CES 2017. Regardless of what is announced though, once CES 2017 is done and dusted, the overview for how the TV market is likely to play out in 2017 will become much clearer in general.