Smart is everywhere, on banners, in product names and marketing slogans and perhaps reflects recognition amongst hardware manufacturers that they needed to simplify overall control of the raft of devices, technologies and services that they have on offer and present them in a coherent and useful way to the consumer.

Smart is mostly being used to describe a type of TV interface which enables the consumer to easily control and share content between key devices such as TV's, mobile phones, MP3 players and computers. These control panels are typically called a "Hub", "Dashboard" or "Media Link" and are either proprietary to the TV manufacturer or provided by a third party service provider such as Yahoo!. As well as acting as a portal to the ubiquitous App Store which every TV manufacturer now seems to offer they bring together easy access to Internet based service as well as media storage devices on the home network.

The connected TV as the hub of a multimedia home therefore seems to be becoming a reality and for those with existing TVs LG, for example is offering the Smart TV Upgrader, which brings applications and the Internet to "legacy" devices.

3D TV is again increasing its profile on the consumer technology agenda this year, being the dominant technology being exhibited by the big Korean and Japanese manufacturers. From my perspective working for a broadcaster like the BBC this is somewhat perplexing to see given the relative complexity and cost involved in producing 3D content.

Sony in particular has a significantly revamped and much larger presence than in previous years, emphatically promoting 3D as the core of its product line up. In Sony's case the focus on 3D is lent credibility by the fact that they own a significant slice of the content business in terms of 3D film production; this is not a position enjoyed by most of the other 3D TV manufacturers however and there is little evidence at CES that volume 3D content is a reality.

Tablet computing devices proliferate, largely on the back of the success enjoyed by the iPad (Apple, as usual, isn't at CES) and it seems that every manufacturer is having a stab at producing their own version. Reactions to these range from the positive such as for the BlackBerry Playbook to the rather less successfully received Panasonic Viera Tablet. Typically a range of screen sizes is on offer from each manufacturer, perhaps hedging their bets as to which is going to prove most popular. A slightly different take on the concept is on offer from Lenovo where the screen of a Laptop can be removed and used as a Tablet PC, and from Dell where the screen pivots within its frame to offer a Tablet interface. Clone devices are available by the dozens but there seems to be an identity crisis evident as to whether they are Tablet PCs or multimedia players. Touch screen devices in general continue to make steady progress, with a notable large surface example from LG with its Pen Touch Multi Board.

A Blackberry Playbook

Underpinning many Tablet computers, as well as being the platform of choice for many other devices is the Google Android operating system, which seemed to be everywhere - in TV interfaces, mobile phones and Tablets. Skype too is becoming a standard feature of many Internet connected TV's, a set-top camera being available as an accessory for most

Wi-Fi connectivity seems to be seeping into the kitchen with notable forays into enabling domestic appliances. The idea is that you can download recipes and wash cycles (hopefully to the appropriate appliance) and control and monitor these from your Tablet device. Both Samsung and LG were displaying examples of Cookers, Fridges and Washing Machines with these capabilities offering the potential for energy savings, optimal cooking times and even being able to text you when your food is cooked.

CES 2011 is certainly much more busy than in the previous two years and there is a much more upbeat atmosphere which suggests that confidence is returning in the ability of the consumer to spend their money...

Rolland Allen is Head of Technology Liason, BBC Future Media & Technology.

Some BBC News stories about CES 2011.

Follow The Blue Room on Twitter for more pictures.

The enthusiasm and hunger for knowledge about the consumer technology experience from the perspective of those who produce and also those who consume media seems to grow consistently. Our most popular exhibits have been our two 3DTV systems and our observations of those who have experienced these are quite intriguing.

Now I must stress that these are purely anecdotal and non-scientific observations.

However it would seem to be the case that there are two sets of demographic preferences at play when it comes to the subjective differences between the Polarised and Active Shuttered 3D TV systems, both of which are now available on the consumer market.

Firstly, there seemed to be an age related trend with the preference for younger viewers leaning towards the Active Shuttered system; older viewers seem to prefer the Polarised experience.

Secondly, there was a notable preference amongst those who work in TV and Film in a professional capacity towards the Polarised system.

Again I must stress that these are personal observations based on the people who attended the Blue Room events and are not based on any form of systematic research. However given the seeming dominance in the fledgling 3D TV market in the UK of the Active Shuttered system an interesting division seems likely to arise where the Cinema 3D experience will be largely based on the Polarised 3D experience and the home 3D TV market on the Active Shuttered system. Only time will tell...

Watching 3DTV in the Blue Room

I was also been struck by the number of visitors to the Blue Room Live who have already purchased a 3D TV, or have stated that they will in the run up to Christmas. However, musing on the practicalities of 3D TV ownership there are a number of potential pitfalls to overcome in this new stereo vision world. One example: there is no single standard amongst the Active Shuttered 3D TV manufacturers so accidentally sitting on a pair of specs on your sofa won't necessarily be solved by rushing over to your friend's house to borrow a pair of theirs so that you don't miss the big 3D film...

The BBC's Danielle Nagler, Controller of HD and 3D TV recently commented on where we as an organisation are likely to go with 3D TV, and we in the Blue Room will continue to monitor the consumer experience and report back to you.

Roland Allen is Head of Technology Liason, BBC Future Media & Technology

Follow the BBC Blue Room on Twiiter at BBCBlueRoom

From the Blue Room's Twitter: "#IFA2010 One of the many specs-free 3D Displays at IFA, this from Vestel. Perhaps 3-5 years away?"

The Blue Room last visited IFA some three years ago when it was a relatively modest affair and as per previous experience we found that the general attitude amongst exhibitors in respect of the UK market was largely one of indifference or at best ignorance.

How things have changed.

IFA 2010 is expanding on a scale to compete with CES with a confidence and enthusiasm to mark this, its 50th year. The profile and importance of the event was reinforced in by the presence of the German Chancellor Angela Merkel officially declaring the show open, as well as the prominence being given to the event in the German media. A more visible touch is the large bow tied to the radio mast in the middle of the ICC exhibition complex

From the Blue Room's Twitter: "The LG 31" OLED display is probably the most impressive thing we've seen at IFA so far - quite stunning."

Focussing on our primary interest for being at IFA we have identified a number of trends that we think are of interest:

• Most notably 3D everywhere and in many different formats: TVs, Projectors and Laptops
• A surprising number of glasses-free (auto stereoscopic) 3D displays in evidence albeit in prototype form and realistically 3-5 years away from production
• An explosion in the number of Tablet PC/Apple iPad clone devices
• Numerous examples of all-in-one computing devices where the processor and storage are built in to the display screen
• The Google Android OS appearing on a wide range of TV sets powering the applications available as a result of the growth in IP connectivity
• As predicted, e-Reader devices becoming cheaper, sometimes at the cost of functionality such as Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity but as a result seeking to occupy a different market space to the Tablet/iPad class of product.

From the point of view of specific products the ones that stand out for us are:

• What Panasonic claim to be the first 3D consumer camcorder, the VW-CLT1
• The stunning 31" OLED display from LG (watch the Blue Room video on YouTube)
• The Samsung Galaxy Tab device, possibly generating more interest than anything else we saw
• Cinema 21:9 display from Philips

We hope to get our hands on some of these new devices over the next few months in order to study their potential impact for our services.

If you'd like to see more from IFA 2010 you can follow us on Twitter, Flickr and YouTube as BBCBlueRoom

Roland Allen and Richard Robbins.

A bit of background for those who haven't heard about the Blue Room - basically it's a room in the Broadcast Centre here in London and it's blue. But it is also a concept, a "media lab" facility lovingly developed and managed by my colleagues Trevor Robinson and Richard Robbins. It also regularly gets packed into a van and taken around the country to other BBC sites so to share the benefit amongst as many people as possible.

Our mission relates directly to the BBC's 6th Public Purpose: "BBC viewers, listeners and users can expect the BBC to help everyone in the UK to get the best out of emerging media technologies now and in the future". The Blue Room exists to assist our colleagues in delivering this by ensuring they have an awareness of how the world of consumer technology is changing the way that we all consume media.

"But", I hear you ask: "surely BBC staff should all be wise to this sort of thing?"

To some extent yes. However like most organisations we comprise staff with a wide range of vocations such as Programme Makers, Designers, Lawyers as well as Technologists to name but a few and whilst I count myself lucky to work with some of the best and brightest it takes quite a degree of focus to keep fully across the rapid pace of development in the consumer technology arena, hence the role of the Blue Room.

So, back to CES.

Now that the dust has settled on this year's event what should we be choosing to highlight in the Blue Room as a result?

Well 3D TV was one of the predominant themes and a lot of my colleagues are keen to understand more about it. Our plan then is to expand our displays of Anaglyph and Polarising systems to include Shuttered and Autostereoscopic systems, subject to these being available in the UK; inevitably there is always a time delay between what is on show at CES and when it appears on the UK market. We will also be looking at some of the boxes we saw that performed real-time conversion to 3D and perhaps Panasonic's "end-to-end" 3D with their integrated 3D HD Camcorder.

Multi-touch technology was another growth area at this year's CES - indeed I spotted several people pawing at various displays on the assumption that they were multi-touch capable, such is the expectation. We already have a Microsoft Surface (much in evidence at CES and not only on the Microsoft stand) but will be looking to augment this with other display devices, possibly from Asus or Samsung.

TV Remote Controllers have come alive this year with multi-touch devices with integral screens on offer from Slingmedia and Samsung (see picture above),and a Wii type pointer from LG. (I can just picture your kids saying: "Ooh! A tiny telly!" and wandering off with it to their bedrooms...)

Above: A Parrot AR.Drone - iPhone-controlled helicopter with built-in cam that streams video output to said iPhone - from the Blue Room's photos on Ping FM

The eReader market seems to be really taking off, highlighted in some part by the number of rather cheap and unimpressive devices on show. The media industry in general is becoming quite excited by the prospect of sending content wirelessly to these devices and we hope to have some example from the higher end of the market on display, including the Barnes & Noble Nook and perhaps later in the year the Plastic Logic Que.

Other exhibits we hope to get our hands on include the Asus Eee Keyboard PC, various Pico projectors, the Light Blue Optics Light Touch, D-Link Boxee box, Panasonic and LG TVs with Skype and maybe even something new from Apple...

I hope to update you in due course as to our impressions of these devices in use and how we think they will affect what we do, in the meantime we continue to Tweet...

Roland Allen is Head of Technology Liason, BBC Future Media & Technology

N.B. More videos from Vegas are available on the Blue Room's You Tube channel

Roland Allen shows us around the vast array of mobile tech at our disposal.

Roland Allen is Head of Technology Liason.

Copious amounts of reading, web browsing, attending industry events, chewing the cud with colleagues and (very importantly) regularly visiting high street outlets to view the reality on the ground all help to maintain the knowledge base, but even then you are often taken unawares by some new gadget or trend.

Imagine, then, that as an organisation you are tasked with "help[ing to] build digital Britain" and that a sizeable portion of your workforce is as overwhelmed and baffled by the rapid changes in consumer technology and the implications for the BBC? This is where the Blue Room comes into its own.

The Blue Room was set up about four years ago by Huw Williams (previously Head of BBC Research and Innovation) to investigate the impact of the rapidly changing consumer marketplace in the context of potential new platforms for BBC output and the changing nature of consumer behaviour. The facility has developed into a showcase of "must know" items, largely as a result of the talent and expertise of its resident expert: Trevor Robinson, the BBC's External Context Advisor. We are not alone in this, of course; several other companies have established their own "Media Labs" along similar lines.

Our mission is to reach as many BBC staff as possible via a series of two-hour sessions: typically, we take a group of about ten staff around the various exhibits, explaining their importance and relevance to our activities and then inviting them to get to grips with the gadgets and devices to see for themselves what they do and how.

It is gratifying to see colleagues who arrive in some trepidation at the thought of touching or breaking some gadget actually getting to grips with a shiny box and discovering what it is all about. Let's face it: most of us don't have the time or the money to indulge the range of technologies on display which range from set-top boxes, MP3 players, HDTVs and players to robotic toys which interact with TV programmes.

A wider aim is to support satellite facilities at BBC regional locations, an example of which is at BBC Belfast next month where they are running a technology event. This involves us taking the Blue Room "on the road" and in this context we also hope to contribute to events with a public-facing element where resources allow.

I hope to be able to share some thoughts on consumer items which interest us in future posts...

Roland Allen is Head of Technology Liaison, BBC Future Media & Technology