Eye Sightings

While the death of broadcast television has been widely predicted, this year's CES has shown that the television itself may outlive its original medium. New sets are offering higher-than-HD resolutions like 4K and 8K - something previously seen only in commercial movie theaters - as the next technological leap after 3D; web-connected apps for playing games, surfing the web and controlling a DVR; and creative new interfaces. Expect to see consumers controlling their televisions through voice and gesture commands, as well as repurposing the home TV as a family Skype station. Even Google TV is looking to make a comeback, with much-improved software that it hopes to see installed in a wide range of third-party devices. It may not be connected to rabbit ears or a cable box, but the TV looks like it will remain at the center of the 21st century home at least a little longer.