Day 4

7:00 AM: iPod comes on playing Madonna's "Justify My Love." I'm in no shape to justify anything, let alone Madonna's love. I hit the snooze button.

7:15 AM: I swear, my iPod starts playing MC Hammer's "Let's Get it Started!" Now this is music you can wake up to.

7:45 AM: I pass the Starbucks on my way to a press event. From previous experience, I'm certain that this is a press breakfast so I resist the urge to pull in for my now routine $5 latte.

8:00 AM: I arrive at the D&M press event and, sure enough, there is food and coffee aplenty. Also free WiFi. I have been unable to get any connection — pay or otherwise — in my room during the entire stay, so I jump on for a second while I eat some scrambled eggs and sausage.

8:20 AM: I check out the wares of the D&M group, namely Denon, Escient, Marantz, Snell and McIntosh. Escient's new Vision server is super cool and I ensure that it will be at the top of my review-sample list. I sit through a demo using Denon's new $10k+ pre-pro/amp combination driving $30k worth of Snell Illusion LCR speakers. I'm the only one in the room, so I request "Grace is gone" from the Dave Matthews Blu-ray. It sounds terrific.

The McIntosh demo is even more impressive. They play a demo from Ratatouille that I've seen several times but I still jump at the dynamic range of [warning: plot spoiler ahead} the lightning blast striking Little Chef. I expect the system to cost upwards of $300k, but it's surprisingly "affordable" at only $150k.

10:00 AM: I grab the D&M free limo shuttle back to the convention center.

10:20 AM: I head over into the North Hall on my way to my Sound & Vision Radio spot. The North Hall is the home of all the car audio demonstrations so I walk around for a bit and check out some of the outrageous cars. I see a Lambo, a Ferrari and Jay Leno's Jet Car. The entire time I'm walking around, I'm bombarded by a constant, bowel-loosening level of bass from every direction.

10:40 AM: I do my radio spot. I mainly talk about the things that really stood out for me at the show. The Pioneer Elite Extreme Contrast TV is at the top of the list.

11:15 AM: I head back over to the Central Hall to look at stuff I missed on my first pass, namely the Sony booth. On the way, I spend lots of time at the Samsung and Hitachi booths. The video theme this year is definitely blacker blacks and thinner thins. The next 12 to 18 months will be very exciting for TV development.

I look at my watch and realize I won't have time for Sony. This means I'll be returning to the Central Hall again later. Feet are not happy to hear this news.

12:30 PM: Long walk over to the South Hall to do a live feed for Fox News. He asks about the things that have really stood out for me at the show. Guess what I mention? (Pioneer, can I get any advertising credit applied toward one of those sets?) He also asks me about the whole Green push and what I've seen in that market. We talk about the recycling partnership that several manufacturers have formed. I ask him how much power he thinks Panasonic's 150-inch Plasma sucks from the earth's core.

12:50 PM: Off to the press room for lunch. This selection is definitely getting worse each day. Today it is BBQ'd beans and beef brisket. It seems like the entire staff from Gizmodo is sitting at my table. They speak in a language that is totally foreign to me with terms like clicks and digs and farking. I feel old and out of touch. But then I remember that I'm writing this missive exclusively for the Sound & Vision Web site. Now I'm feeling really meta, baby (err, I think I am — that's some other Web term. Not sure what that means either). And frankly, I'd like to challenge these fanboys to a Plasma TV-hanging challenge. Then we'll see who the real Jedi Master is. Chest swelling with pride, I exit the press room.

1:30 PM: There is an entire second level to the South Hall so I decide to check it out. One of the first booths I encounter is HP. Good news! The laptop I purchased about two weeks ago has already been replaced and upgraded! The new model has a much better screen for the tablet PC. I immediately start planning my return procedure for the fossilized version I now own. Most of the other booths are filled by computer hardware or peripheral or storage companies, plus a lot of cell phone and cameras and more gaming stuff.

2:00 PM: There are several booths set up circus-tent-style out in the parking lot so I decide to give them a look. Nothing really interests me, but I talk to the folks at LifeWare a bit.

2:30 PM: Back to Central Hall. It's really every bit as tiring as it sounds. Again I'm distracted on my way to Sony. I wander through Panasonic's booth and check out their hallway of technological delights. I pass by the AR booth and decide to drop off my card, reminding them I want to review the remote they debuted at CEDIA.

I spot the Sony booth off in the distance and head towards it. Then my ADD kicks in and I see Toshiba. I recall from their press conference that they'd be demonstrating their cell processor technology, so I swing in. The processing is very cool, especially the SD upconversion. I wander around for a bit, then make a crucial mistake. I leave the booth from a direction different than where I entered. I'm turned around and wander lost for 10 minutes before I ask for directions. I'm told Sony is behind me. At the end of the hall. I head over without further interruption and give the booth a once over. A band named Jypsi is playing some blue-grassy music so I sit and listen for a bit. I'm really more excited about the chair than the music.

4:00 PM: Stick a fork in me, I'm done. In fact, stick the whole silverware drawer in me. I head over to the Dolby lounge and it welcomes me into its cool, leather chair-filled bosom. The bar man is quick with a beer and I'm even quicker to drink it. I wolf down a bag of chips and a cookie.

4:20 PM: I head for the exit, but my path takes me by Sherwood. S&V executive editor, Rob Sabin, mentions that they had a really cool demo of some acoustic correction software so I check it out. The demo is very impressive, and at only $1,800, the new 972 receiver seems to offer an amazing feature set.

4:50 PM: If I want to beat the cab lines, it's time to leave. Of course, I walk out the wrong door, and have to take a shuttle to get to the cab line (I need to bring a GPS with me to CES next year). My cabbie takes the longest, most back-street way home I've yet traveled. I'm sure we're avoiding traffic, but we're also racking the meter. Honestly, I'm too exhausted to even care. Just get me to the Mandalay so I can lie down for a minute. Fare $20.

5:15 PM: I throw on some music and lay on the bed to type for a bit and have a few moments of what I like to call "John time."

6:30 PM: Sound & Vision's new VP/Publisher wants to meet with me, so I head down to the lobby. We discuss some different custom related ideas for a bit before he heads off for dinner.

7:00 PM: Definitive Technology's Sandy Gross has invited me to dinner at the Mayflower, a restaurant a ways off the Strip. I grab a cab and head out to make the 7:30 dinner. Finally, a cab driver who isn't afraid to drop the hammer. I watch the tach soar past 6,000 RPM and we're off. Fare $26.

7:30 PM: I kick the evening off with a Grey Goose L'Orange martini. There's a great mix of people at the restaurant and I sit next to fellow Sound & Vision writer, Pete Pachal. Pete has an iPhone and likes to show YouTube movies on it.

11:00 PM: A hired car leaves to take us back to our hotels. The Mandalay is the last hotel on the Strip, and I fear I'll be the last one dropped off. I'm beat and all I can think about is getting up at 4:45 AM to make my early flight.

12:00 AM: Yep. I'm the last one dropped off. It's been a good CES, with a ton of cool, new video technologies, but thoughts of walking the show floor another day make me both sad and angry and I'm glad I'll be going home tomorrow, err, today.

Day 3

7:30 AM: Wake to iPod. Good morning to you, Mr. Hootie and your Blowfish!

8:15 AM: Starbucks, venti latte. Not really very hot. Definitely not worth $5. Yet, I already know I'll get another tomorrow…

8:20 AM: I find myself in a fair sized cab line with nary a cab in sight. A group all headed to the same destination (the Sands Expo) decide to share a ride and split the cost of a town car. $12 spent, and many minutes saved.

8:45 AM: Roll into the press room at the Sands and check email and write for a bit. Run into Sound & Vision contributor Pete Pachal and he regales me with tales of the "big bag o' swag" that I missed at last evenings DEG party. It makes me sad in my heart.

9:45 AM: I decide to check out some of the exhibits in the Venetian rooms. Notable are Kaleidescape and Thiel. Thiel demonstrates a proof of concept system called ThielNet that will be available later in the year. It streams music to as many as 64 speakers wired or wirelessly. Each speaker can be configured as left or right or as any channel in a 7-channel home theater. Impressive. Most impressive.

11:00 AM: XStreamHD press conference. I'll be honest. I really only attended because Michael Douglas was going to be speak, but the concept sounds incredibly viable, and has me totally intrigued. If they can pool together enough movie studios to supply content, this will be a home run! Excited, I head over to the press room for lunch.

12:00 PM: I won't be completing a steak fajita hat trick. I enjoy a Caesar salad and chicken breast. The drink choices are hot coffee, hot tea and water. I would hurt someone for a Coke.

12:30 PM: Following lunch, I decide to use the press room computers. I jump on a machine where the previous user has neglected to log out of his email account. All the messages are in Italian, so I decide to look through a few. Harmless fun, right? Turns out the dude likes to take close-up shots of his ass and, err, junk with his cell phone, then send them to people. I can't log him out fast enough. Reading my own e-mail is far less exciting, but also much less hairy.

1:15 PM: I decide I'll walk up and down each aisle of the Sands Expo Convention Center. It's a daunting task, and my feet are already considering a rebellion, but for some masochistic reason, I've settled on the fact that it must be done.

Most of the Sands Expo could be likened to Chinatown or Little Korea. There are many, many companies I've never heard of selling things like iPod cases, robots, CD/DVD replication facilities, cell phone accessories, and computer paraphernalia of all kinds. Halfway through the aisles, I wonder why I've challenged myself to see it all. Self has no answer. Then I spot an obscenely expensive gold and diamond encrusted Rolex on the arm of a guy running one of the booths. That watch can only belong to Bryan McLeod — the man who sold Harmony to Logitech and made mucho money. He's now involved in a new company that does automatic backup for computer disc drives. It sounds like a great idea. I joke that maybe Bryan will sell this company and buy a jet. He says, "Yes."

3:30 PM: There are several high-end companies exhibiting in the Venetian Tower suites, so I decide to check them out.

First stop is Definitive Technology and their new, smaller Mythos ST tower speakers sound amazing. Equally amazing is the high roller suite they rent on the 35th floor. If you ever achieve high roller status, take comfort in the fact that you'll be staying in one sweet room. I take the elevator to the 34th floor for a guilty pleasure.

Since I "discovered" them three years ago, I always seek out the TAD audio demo. Founder Andrew Jones was playing some of his favorite selections in high-resolution formats and it made my heart smile. All thoughts of grainy, close-up, Italian man-ass shots are forgotten. Grazie!

The 30th floor housed Meridian, but sadly they weren't showing their awesome iPod dock from CEDIA. I dropped a card off at Sooloos, makers of one of the sweetest music server systems I've seen, and told them we want to set up a review of their system. Then I stopped into DCM Loudspeakers where I heard the finest sounding $1,000 towers I think I've ever experienced. The gentleman running the suite offers me a glass of nice Mondavi Cabernet, and I graciously accept. By "glass" he meant "plastic cup" but you know what they say about beggars.

As I leave, someone from Siltech tells me I need to hear their speakers. I agree and head in. I listen to their hulking $130,000/pair Pantheon 25s. The source material is not very dynamic and surely doesn't show off the awesome potential (virtually flat to 10 hertz) that these speakers are capable of. I think I'd take the DCMs and the $129,000. Plus there is no offer of wine, plastic cup or otherwise.

4:30 PM: Fearing a long cab line, I decide to return to the hotel. Good news! There's a long cab line! More good news: I left my jacket back in my hotel!

5:00 PM: My cab is a technological marvel. The guy has the same iPod radio as my hotel room (I resist the urge for a quick docking), a SanDisk portable MP3 player, an XM satellite receiver and a laptop computer! I neglect to ask him his stance on the HD DVD / Blu-ray battle.

Traffic is slow, but the conversation is good. He has seen every show in town, and describes them to me as we pass each hotel. He's a big fan of all the Cirque de Soleil performances.

Fare $18, but I leave the cab smiling.

5:20 PM: An ever-so-brief respite before heading off to the Sound & Vision Editors' Choice awards event. I eagerly await some libations and food. Then some more libations.

6:00 PM: Arrive on the 64th floor of The Mix at The Hotel nightclub. The view is spectacular and so is the vodka selection. I start with a Ciroc martini.

There are tons of people, but I spend the majority of my time with the folks from Philips and ReQuest who are there to accept awards for products I've reviewed.

I sneak in a shot of black cherry infused vodka somewhere during the awards. As the evening winds down, I make the tragic mistake of ordering a water after the open bar is closed. Cost of a bottled water at The Mix? $8. I've enjoyed several bottles of wine for less than $8. However, none of them were on the 64th floor of a Vegas hotel. I savor every drop, then contemplate whether I should lick the condensation off the bottle. I decide against. It was without a doubt, the best $8 bottle of water I've ever had.

8:45 PM: The majority of the Sound & Vision staff heads down to a restaurant in the Mandalay for a big year end celebration. The waiter asks if we would like to try "duck fat fries." I respond, "What?" "Duck fat fries. French fries cooked in duck fat." Here is a man who clearly needs to learn how to sell the sizzle. I still try them. Tastes pretty much like regular fries.

I'm sitting next to culinary expert Rob Medich who finds everything below par and labels the restaurant "bad." [Note from Rob Medich: I'm no culinary expert, but people did keep offering me a taste of their entrees, so I feel justified in my verdict.]

Also at my table is "Installer of The Year" winner Chris Wylie. Chris is an ex-Navy SEAL, so I ask many a question about his time on the Teams.

The service is slow, but the red wine keeps coming and before I know it, it's 11:45 and time to head up for bed. Tomorrow is the last day of the show, and it's already shaping up to be a busy one. Feet, don't fail me now!

Day 2

7:30 AM: iPod goes off and I'm up. But not at 'em.

8:00 AM: I'm out of the shower and dressed and decide to write for a bit before heading out for the day.

8:45 AM: I stroll into Starbucks and order a $5 Venti latte. I've learned from my mistakes, and am therefore destined not to repeat them (see Day 1, 7:30 AM).

8:50 AM: Jump into the day's first cab and head over to the Mirage for my first appointment. Traffic is surprisingly light, and we make good time. $13 fare.

9:00 AM: I meet up with LucasArts, the video game arm of George Lucas' empire, to check out two of their latest videogames. They had me at Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. But for the record, it looks awesome. Star Wars fans, The Force will be with you this summer.

10:00 AM: Back in a cab headed to the convention center. The cabby says it just took him 40 minutes for his last trip and he suggests a different, slightly longer ("a few extra blocks") route. I'm game. It turns out to be a few extra miles, but we make good time. Adios $18.

10:20 AM: People ask me how I prepare for CES and I say, "How do you prepare for a kick in the nether regions? You just take it, then move on. And on I move into the South Hall to "officially" begin my CES 2008. The South Hall is where all the A/V manufacturers are located. However, this year, many of the big names that you'd expect to find are absent. In their place are many companies that I've never heard of and lots of gaming companies. I did enjoy DTS' new Surround Sensation technology which does a really good job of simulating surround through just two speakers. I also got some programming tips from the guys at Universal Remote Control. Then I had my picture taken with THX's Tex. "Hi, I'm John, and I'm a nerd."

12:30 PM: I head to the Press Room to check email and grab lunch. This must be my week for steak fajitas, because that's what they're serving. The room is packed with people eating while huddling over laptops and jabbering away on cell phones. I manage to find a single chair and try not to spill food over the Mac which is sitting dangerously close to me. I decide to leave when a guy with a Tuberculosis-sounding cough joins our table.

1:15 PM: I make my way to the Central Hall, the land of the big video companies with booths that resemble mini-cities.

1:25 PM: I swing into the small country which is Microsoft's booth. I have recently purchased a new laptop and I have a Vista question. Surely, here is a place where I can get an answer. "Hi, I have a question about Vista." "Oh, I'm not on that team. I'm with mobile. You need to talk to someone over there." "Hi, I have a question about Vista." "Sorry, not my team. I'm part of Office. You need to go over there." All told, I talked to five people. Five! Apparently no one at Microsoft is actually on the Vista team. I guess I'll just have to live with that annoying pop up window . . .

Other highlights of my Central Hall visit:

Pioneer's new extreme contrast concept Plasma. The black levels are staggering. It is so good, you want to gouge your eyes out so you never have to look at another set again.

Texas Instrument's 240 hertz technology demo. Just when you thought 120 Hz was good enough, something even better comes along.

Sharp's new ultra-thin LCD TV with black levels that would have been really noteworthy had I not already gouged my eyes out at Pioneer.

LG's demo of their new Mark Levinson designed audio system.

Panasonic's 150-inch Plasma TV. I know . . . if you read my Day 1 report I said they didn't unveil it, so I guess the rumors were right and they were just holding it off as a booth surprise. It is huge and mighty good looking, and probably requires a small nuclear generator to power it. But who cares? You'll have the biggest Plasma in the world.

4:45 PM: My feet are begging for mercy after walking the technology Trail of Tears, so I head back over to the South Hall and stroll into Dolby's VIP lounge for a quick rest. Yes, bartender, I would love a drink. Thank you, dear man.

5:15 PM: My Sound & Vision badge gives me cuts to the front of Dolby's demo line. I smile politely at the people who have been queued up for probably over an hour. TrueHD audio sounds great, and my feet are enjoying another opportunity to sit for 10 minutes.

5:30 PM: I find out that the folks from DTS are heading over to the Venetian, my next stop, and I ask if I can hitch a ride. I pile into the back of their VW Bug and do my best to enjoy the ride. The backseat of a Bug is really not meant for passengers over 6 feet tall.

6:15 PM: I get off at the wrong floor and run into a PR friend, Sue Toscano, and we swap baby stories and pictures for a bit. She has photos, I have my iPod.

6:45 PM: I arrive at Bang & Olufsen's press event. They reveal a $3,950, 32-inch LCD TV with 1366 x 768 resolution and a $600 portable MP3 player with 4 gigs of storage. B&O is excited about these new low price points which they hope will attract many new customers. I keep my comments to myself thinking about the kind of displays $4k will get you and about my 80 gig iPod, and enjoy the decent wine they are serving.

8:00 PM: I grab a shuttle to the Palms for the unveiling of Mitsubishi's Laser TV.

9:15 PM: On the 53rd floor of the Palms with a white chocolate Godiva martini in my hand, Mitsubishi unveils the TV. I have been waiting like three years to see this set and it is pretty amazing. The colors are incredibly vivid, especially the reds (I'm guessing because of the red laser). After Pioneer, this is the second best TV I've seen today.

10:30 PM: After a 15 minute wait in the cab line, I head back to the Mandalay. Traffic is mercifully light and my driver is funny and fast. He tells me about different celebrities he's picked up, including Mike Tyson and Shaq. He says Tyson gave him a $500 tip. I told him to lower his expectations. $15 fare.

10:50 PM: I'm lying in bed, listening to my iPod radio and typing away getting ready to start all over again tomorrow . . .

Day 1

6:30 AM: I awake to music coming from my iPod out of the hotel's cool clock radio. I'm pretty excited to get CES 2008 underway, so I jump out of bed and head into the shower.

6:45 AM: The alarm on my cell phone — used as a backup in case the "wake to iPod" feature on the alarm clock lets me down — starts going off. The phone beeps. Incessantly. Over and over. I'm in the shower and can do nothing.

7:30 AM: I walk past a Starbucks on my way to the Mandalay Bay's taxi stand but decide I'll just get some at the first press event. I mean, they're obviously going to have coffee at an 8 AM press conference, right?

7:40 AM: Slowest, most cautious cab ride I've ever had. The guy was driving like it was his grandmother's car out on loan. Mandalay to Sands Expo: $15.

8:00 AM: LG press conference. It is packed and there is no coffee. Not cool. I really wanted to hear details about their new partnership with Netflix, but disappointingly, LG offers no new details.

9:00 AM: Pioneer press conference. Again, no coffee. They talk about how black their Kuro sets are and how the next gen panels will be even blacker and amazingly thin.

9:45 AM: I get some coffee out of an urn in the hallway. It's in a horrible Styrofoam cup. Note to self: Do not make this mistake tomorrow.

10:00 AM: Toshiba press conference. We're all waiting like jackals to hear what Toshiba will say about the recent Warner announcement to discontinue support for HD-DVD. Admirably, Toshiba is very forthcoming about their shock and disappointment, but says that "reports of HD DVDs death have been reported before."

11:00 AM: Panasonic press conference. There were lots of rumors going around the press corps that Panasonic was going to unveil a 150-inch Plasma TV. No such luck.

12:00 PM: Sharp press conference. We're greeted to a full box lunch. Out of the entire Sound & Vision team, only my box contains a unique, wagon-wheel sized brownie. I feel like I've won a prize. I then eat my prize.

1:00 PM: Philips press conference. They unveil the girliest looking TV I have ever seen. They're clearly marketing this toward women, but I think any woman who brings this TV home would be greeted by looks of hurt from her husband. Clearly she doesn't want her man to have any friends or feel good about himself when he's watching this new lady-set.

2:00 PM: Samsung press conference. Their new "Touch of color" sets buck the all-black trend, but not in the womanly way of another non-black TV I saw. Their sets have a subtle touch of red that's actually pretty cool and arty looking. After they give us a big buildup of how simple one of their new technologies is to use, their president was unable to make it work. Classic!

3:00 PM: Off to the press room to fire off three blogs for the day. Usually the press room is stocked with drinks and some snacks. My choices are water or nothing. I go for the water.

4:00 PM: Cab ride back to Mandalay Bay. I joke with my cabbie about my earlier driver. He's not much better. Same $15 price though.

4:30-6:30 PM: Decide to kill some time before my next event by walking around the casino. I'm drawn to the high rollers Baccarat and Black Jack tables. Something about watching people bet $200 per hand is more exciting and less depressing than watching old women shovel pennies and nickels into slot machines. After watching for a while, one thing is clear: These big, beautiful hotels all over the city were not built because people win.

6:45 PM: Cab ride to Caesar's Palace. This guy is all business, takes a back road and gets it done. I like his style. $12.

7:00 PM: There's a girl at the front door dressed as a cheerleader with a sign that says "Ask me how to get to the Digital Experience." I ask. I am concerned when she says, "Walk down that hallway. Now it is going to be a really long way, but keep going…"

7:20 PM: Tired, I eventually make it to the Digital Experience. There are about 150 different manufacturers spread throughout a Vegas-sized ballroom. I come up with a plan to methodically walk the aisles. But first, some food.

7:30 PM: Halfway through a steak fajita, features editor Mike Gaughn calls and asks if I want to join him for dinner around 9:30. Sounds good. See you in hell, steak fajita!

9:10 PM: I happen across another Sound & Vision staffer at the very front of the cab line. Sweet!

9:50 PM: We did say 9:30, right? Gaughn, where are you?

10:15 PM: I'm really not as hungry as you might think, what with my body clock thinking it is 1:15 AM and all. I just don't sit down to dinner that late usually. Nonetheless, we go to a great seafood restaurant, and I wuss out and share a tuna entrée with a woman who describes herself as the "Chic geek." That would be entertainment lifestyle specialist Janna Robinson.

12:00 AM: Back in my room, feeling beat. Set the alarm clock for 7:30 to make my first appointment at 9:00 AM. I fully trust the "wake to iPod" feature, and discard my cell phone like an analog TV.

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