"It was a 'Ho-Ho-Hum' Christmas for consumer electronics retailers," with snow storms, flat-screen TV shortages, the terror alert, a West Coast blackout and general consumer caution, according to Stephen F. Smith, editor-in-chief of the leading consumer electronics publication, TWICE (This Week in Consumer Electronics).

On the eve of the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opening tomorrow (Jan. 6th) here, Smith pointed out, "Still, retailers are going to CES in a buying mood as inventories are clean, especially for flat-screens and other HDTVs (high definition television) and digital cameras."

In the TWICE special CES show issue just out, Smith and his staff of reporters have compiled five major trends in consumer electronics for 2004. They are:

1. Toss Your Old TV
   That crashing sound you'll hear in 2004 across the country will be consumers throwing away their conventional analog tube TVs for HDTVs, including flat panel displays.  
    

2. HDTV is the Standard
   2004 will also be the year that the cable industry fully embraces HDTV. And there will be plenty of programming from satellite TV providers and broadcasters.  
    

3. DVD recording decks are in
   With DVD players becoming commodity items, the focus of manufacturers and retailers will be on DVD recordable decks during 2004. Any of the three DVD recording formats allow consumers to perform home recording. Adding to consumer choices may be Blu-ray recording decks, an optical recording format designed for HDTVs, which may be introduced in the U.S. this year. However, some suppliers tell TWICE that Blu-ray's introduction this year is too soon and may cause consumer confusion.  

4. Industry In Transition
   Digital technology has brought dizzying changes in products, greater profits for some manufacturers and greater challenges for other manufacturers in recent years. TWICE says to watch closely for major changes with familiar suppliers and retailers during 2004 as new competitors, and more digital products, alter the CE landscape.  

5. Digital Handheld Gadgets Everywhere
   All over the CES show and on retail shelves in 2004 will be what many call "gadgets" or "digital Swiss Army knives." Some of these handheld packages will play music, with others adding video recorded from TV or transferred from a PC. Still more will snap digital pictures like a still motion camera, while others capture full motion video.