As exhibitors were busy building their booths, the CEA offered a sobering look at the impact of the economy while still identifying areas of opportunity. Steven Koenig, director of industry analysis at CEA, and Shawn DuBravac, economist at CEA, presented this report on the state of the industry in an address titled “Stability and Opportunity in Recessionary Times.”

The downside: CEA recently surveyed 5,000 executives in the CE space. Ten percent of these technology insiders said the tightening credit has had a severely negative impact on their business, while 37% said it had a moderately negative impact.

The upside: Some product categories enjoyed a significant growth rate this past year. Notables include LCD TVs with 120 Mhz+ Refresh rate (810%) and HD Flash camcorders (190%). DTV saw 24% growth; and smartphones made up 50% of cell phone sales, which totaled $23 million.

For 2009, CEA predicted 149% growth in OLED displays, 106% growth for HD Flash camcorders, 62% growth for next-gen DVD players and 30% growth in HTIB w/Blu-Ray.

OLEDs on the rise in '09?

CEA’s sales predictions for 2009 included 5.8% growth for digital displays and 5.1% growth for PCs. The outlook for game consoles was 2.8% growth, and speakers suggested that next gen game consoles could be expected around 2013-2015.

Among the broader trends, CEA noted that green (including power and recycling programs) is becoming a purchase factor, and that consumers are showing a willingness to pay for it.

For details: State of the Industry (pdf)