A new year brings another edition of the CEA’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Traditionally, this has been a “gadget” show, but in recent years, the telecom issues such as video delivery, broadband and voice services have played a larger role.

A few news stories related to the cable industry have already emerged this week.

When Comcast launched the Xfinity app back in November, there were references to streaming video coming soon. This was the week that Comcast announced the arrival of that streaming video. It was not in Vegas (as in ’08), but rather at the Citi Conference for Media, Entertainment and Telecommunications, that Brian Roberts announced that Comcast would support live TV streaming on tablet devices later this year. Read more here, but you can imagine how this made a stir at CES, with the emphasis this year on tablet devices.

Cisco CEO John Chambers presenting the company’s “Videoscape” TV platform yesterday, a new hardware and software system that will (to quote their press release) bring “together digital TV and online content with social media and communications applications to create a new, truly immersive home and mobile video entertainment experience.”

From the Wall Street Journal‘s coverage:

Consumers won’t be able to buy the Cisco boxes directly, as they do other devices already available from companies like Roku Inc. and Apple, which allow users to access the Web from their TVs but don’t offer a cable connection. Rather, Cisco will sell its hybrid boxes to cable operators who, in turn, will lease them to subscribers, the people said. Cable operators will be able to customize the software interface and decide on pricing for the boxes.

Read more here, here here, and here.

Sony announced a plan that would allow Time Warner Cable to deliver programming to their subscribers through the use of Sony’s Internet-connected Bravia HDTVs. Yahoo said they were working with programmers such as ABC, CBS, HSN, and Showtime Networks to provide enhanced interactive TV features through broadband-connected TV sets and other devices.

Of course, the manufacturers aren’t just pushing connected TVs, but also 3D sets. “3net” was announced, a 24-hour 3D network that’s a joint venture of Discovery Communications, Sony and IMAX. On a related note, a company called Marchon announced they would be offering 3D glasses with designer frames, such as Nautica and Calvin Klein. Prescription lenses will become available later this year.

UPDATE: I missed the announcement of Hollywood’s Ultraviolet initiative, which will allow consumers to purchase content once and view it on a variety of platforms.

There are a few interesting nuggets to mull over from last week’s show. It really did feel like the first time that cable played a major role at CES. Heck, we’re not the only ones in that position; just as Comcast’s Brian Roberts was the first cable executive to address CES, General Motors Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner was the first auto exec to do so. It’s great that we’re in the game, but it begs the question of what we do next.

Will Richmond had a post about how content players and consumer electronics companies will deal with their intertwined future:

…both industries recognize that we are moving into what I would call the “experience era” for video. That’s to say, success with consumers is going to rest more on these industries’ ability to deliver superior experiences which integrate content and technology in new and compelling ways. Rather than oohing and ahhing about their new TV’s picture quality or how hilarious a certain episode was, going forward consumers will increasingly cite “how cool” something is.

“How cool” are code words for “how compelling is the experience”. The new currency of video hipness will require that when I invite friends to my house and want to show off, I need to have more than just a honking-big screen or a digital collection of old programs – those will be commonplace. Instead, the experiences are what will matter. Things like seamlessly accessing broadband content on my TV, interacting with it — along with other viewers — from my couch, and moving it around my house for playback anywhere, in a snap. Delivering these types of experiences (and more) is the new competitive bar that content and technology firms should be aiming for.

Cable is currently offering choice, value and convenience, by which I mean lots of viewing options, hi-speed data access, hi-def pictures, time-shifting options, attractive bundling options, and so on. I guess for some people what once seemed extraordinary can become commonplace.  But there is even more in the works. While I won’t go into detail here, cable does have some “cool” new things coming up that should prove to be pretty compelling.

The performance by Flight of the Conchords at CES had not been available at Comcast’s CES website. They’ve rectified that and you can now catch Jemaine and Bret in action. Skip to about 12:10 left in the clip.

While most of my fellow CES attendees are staked out at the slots trying to get in a little more gambling, I’m staked out on the laptop cropping photos, and trying to get in one last post.  I had been looking for the cool, new toys here at the show and finally found some I think fit the bill.

As a dad, I dread the day my kids get old enough to want their own PSP or Nintendo DS.  I just know they’re going to lose them.  If the good folks at LeashTec have their way, maybe not.  The Game Leash (buy it online for about $13) tethers the device, Wii controller, or other tech toys to your tot.  Never lose another gadget or watch another nunchuk sail across the living room.

If you want to propose but wish the two months salary you shelled out for all that bling came with a case that would play a video or pictures set to “We’ve Had the Time Of Our Lives”, you’re in luck.  For an extra $200 bucks the Euricase will allow you to upload images or an MP$ and it will playback when the recipient opens the box.

Gaming chairs are all the rage and the show had plenty of them.  From the low end (on the bottom at $600) to the high-end closing on $15,000, you can get your chair configured with multiple displays, flight simulator controls, phenomenal audio, and a drink holder (not actually sure about that last one, but it would make sense.

The iDry is the next wave in clothes dryers (or so they hope).  Your clothes (up to 14 garments) hang in the tall nylon tube and air circulates around them.  It eliminates the need to iron, and doubles as a heather humidifier in the winter.  Warm air flows from what looks like a small space heater at the bottom and the warm moist air exits the top.  Run it in the summer with the heat off (it takes a little longer) and avoid the heating effect.  They expect it to retail for about $200 (much cheaper than that Maytag you’ve had your eye on).

The Argo Cinema 2 provides 3D DVD viewing through a set of personal glasses (similar to the MyVu’s I took a look at on Monday).  The entire set retails at $549 and includes the glasses, remote, and DVD player.  I’m not sure why a personal player needs a remote, but it has one.

Finally, 3DV, a company that apparently provides a lot of very cool stuff for filmmakers enters the consumer electronics field with what appears to be a typical webcam until you see it in action.  The camera in the picture above sits right under the TV.  It reads your body in 3D, strips out the background and puts you in the game (in this case boxing, but combine it with the Wii controllers and first-person shooters and the skies the limit).  It was cool to watch – like a new version of Mike Tyson’s Punch Out, but featuring a body that looks strangely familiar layered over Soda Popinski.  They expect the camera bundle to retail for around $100.

Well, my flight is boarding.  I hope these updates have given you a little glimpse into some of the newest tech toys at CES.

I neglected to mentioned that Brian Roberts had three guest appearances as part of his presentation. Toshihiro Sakamoto, President of Panasonic AVC Networks Company, came out to talk about the two tru2way-enabled HD sets that will be available later this year, as well as the AnyPlay device. The ubiquitous Ryan Seacrest came out to chat up the new Fancast service and let slip a couple of colorful ad-libbed remarks that might have been of interest to fans of Kevin Bacon, Justin Timberlake and Andy Samburg.

Saving the best for last, the event was closed out by New Zealand’s fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo acapella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo Flight of the Conchords. As seen in the photo, Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement showed off their integrated media center, which consisted of a disposable camera, taped to a cell phone, and then thrown on top of a TV equipped with rabbit ears (antennae augmented with foil).

They closed by singing their hit song of seduction, “Business Time.” You can see a video of them performing that song on another occasion.

UPDATE: I am reminded that they then added a toothbrush to their converged device by placing a toothbrush on top of the TV as well.

UPDATE #2: You can now see the video of their performance by clicking here and then fast-forwarding to the last 12 minutes.