Every January, Las Vegas hosts the Consumer Electronics Show, one of the biggest electronics shows in the world. Five years ago, vendors treated attendees to such innovations as megapixel cameras, next-generation DVD players that used the latest H.264 compression technology, large flat screen TVs and monitors, and new wireless technologies with much improved bandwidth for moving more data over the network. Fast forward to 2008 and look what vendors at the big physical security shows -- ISC West and ASIS -- are now showing: megapixel cameras, H.264 compression, wireless technologies with higher bandwidth and large flat-screen monitors.

In the '70s, it was the military and government that drove technology advancements. In the '80s and '90s, it was the business sector providing the push. Today, the enormous consumer electronics market is the driving force behind new technologies. The shift should not be surprising considering that Consumer Electronics Association reports that consumer electronics have grown into a $700 billion market worldwide. In the $10 billon video surveillance market, vendors are realizing it is smart to piggyback on innovations originally developed for consumers and repurposing them for physical security applications.

The following are just some of the consumer electronics trends that will play out in the physical security video surveillance arena in the coming year.

HDTV: Bigger and Better Images

The switch to all-digital broadcast television by February 2009 will soon relegate big picture tube TVs with a mere 480x720 resolution to a footnote in electronics history. With its vastly improved 1920x1080 resolution, guaranteed 30 frames-per-second frame rate, exceptionally crisp images and vibrant colors, consumer adoption of flat-screen, HDTV technology is progressing at an amazing pace. Fueling the success of HDTV are industry standards ensuring compatibility among home entertainment components, which opens the field to greater competition. This, in turn, drives cost down and makes the technology more affordable for a wider audience.

The success of HDTV will spill over into the video surveillance market in 2009 because the 16:9 aspect ratio is ideal for large flat-screen video monitors. In addition, the higher resolution standard delivers the image clarity so critical to real-time surveillance and archived video that be used as evidence in criminal proceedings. In a few years, 1920x1080 might very well become the standard resolution on most video surveillance cameras as well.