CES 2009: G4’s CES ‘Best of the Best’ Brings Out Cable’s Best
EchoStar's New Place-Shifting Products Among Those Lauded By Judges
By Linda Moss -- Multichannel News, 1/8/2009 9:59:00 PM
Las Vegas—G4’s CES: Best of the Best presentation has become a meeting ground—and schmoozefest—for cable-industry executives attending the International Consumer Electronics Show each year. And this year, the event’s seventh, was no exception.
(Click here for more of MCN's CES coverage.)
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, Time Warner Cable president Glenn Britt and Cox Communications president Pat Esser were among those attending G4’s event Thursday night at the Wynn hotel.
The trio of cable bigwigs together got a private rundown on the products that G4 deemed the best of the CES this year, before the full-blown presentation to the assembled crowd.
Ironically, among the items they saw demonstrated and that were given the G4 nod were from their rival, Dish Network CEO Charlie Ergen. That was EchoStar’s ViP 922 SlingLoaded HD DVR and the SlingPlayer Mobile, products with place-shifting capabilities.
In fact, two of G4’s judging panelists, Attack of the Show host Kevin Pereira and Wired’s Chris Hardwick both picked EchoStar’s Sling products as their very favorites out of the entire 2009 CES.
G4 president Neal Tiles lead off the presentation. And since the network is part of the Comcast Entertainment Group, it’s no surprise that the president of that unit, Ted Harbert, and his boss, Comcast Programming Group president Jeff Shell, were also at the Best of theBest event, as was affiliate sales chief Brad Fox. And Cox’s chief marketing officer, Joe Rooney, was also in the house.
Some of G4’s other 15 Best of the Best CES picks included the Sanyo Internet Radio, the Nextar GPS, the LG LHX 55-inch TV, the Neo Freerunner Android phone, the Sony Walkman X series, Checkolite Lamp Speakers and the Samsung foldable OLED.
G4 streamed its Best of the Best event live Thursday night on the Web.
G4’s 'Best of Best’ a CES Fest
01/11/2009Roberts Snubs Wireless in CES Address
01/08/2008At CES, Cablers Rave Over HD
01/12/2003
