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This years event is very different from last years. Last years show was held in a big hall at Olympia covering everything from digital cameras to 'personal submarines'. This year was a more sedate and professional affair, mainly populated with the major manufacturers. Gone this year are the little and often interesting side-stands from the smaller companies.

I spent a good deal of time on the Elonex stand as they showed off their new 'Digital Home' range of systems. At the heart of this range is the new 2005 version of Microsofts Media Center edition. The styling is good, and covers systems to cater for most requirements, but with the emphasis very much on entertainment. You can use these systems as computers, but they are really competing with a whole range of other products. Firstly, they compete with the range of DVD/HDD video recorders from the likes of Panasonic and Sony and with more integrated products like Sky+ and Tivio. If you already have a TV and are happy with it then they have units that look like video recorders, if you want a new TV then they have units that that look like a TV set. Top of the range is a £2299 32" wide screan LCD TV unit, with integrated DVD writer, 200Gbyte HDD abd of course a top of the range Pentium PC. Looking at the current stack of devices in the corner of my living room, this single product could replace them and remove the cables. The lowest product in the range comes in at £629, which is the price meny companies charge for a DVD/HDD combination.

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Gizmodo were showing off their forthcoming PocketPC based games machine that looks very promising. It's a similar layout to other handheld game machines allowing both thumbs to get involved in the game. This should be shipping in the next month or so in time for Christmas so save space on your Christmas list! Hopefully someone will get their hands on one soon and we can have a full review.

Philips have entended their range of home-entertainment products, trying to reach into the 'entertainment everywhere' with wireless devices to make sure that whereever you are you don't have to be without music. These products and the kind Elonex have to me are the biggest change in the market from last year. I remember seeing a 'home wireless music system' last year being proudly displayed by one vendor. It was simply a posh MP3 player and some WiFi receivers. Last year they had a starting price of £2000. Now you get all that plus video for less than £1000.

Sony had there 'iPod killer' - the Network Walkman NW-HD1 along with the rest of their products. I've managed to acquire one of these - it's busily moving my MP3 collectiong onto it right now. Watch this space for a review.

JVC were showing off a new video camera using one of the 4Gbyte hardrives for storage. These are the same types of device common in music players. They are claiming a world first for a video camera. Great idea, but I ddin't get a close look.

There were a number of other good products in the show - but for the most part these were really just refinements on things that have gone before. Better phones, better printers, better cameras.

There were a few notable absences which would have improved the show. Last  year Panasonic were showing some very exciting exciting products, they aren't here this year.

The show was very friendly with a good atmosphere with people in the stands that actually understood their products and could talk about what they are trying to achieve. If you like gadgets and can get there then I'd recommend a visit. You can get into the What*HiFi show. Check on their web-site first though - it's a smallish venue and they are restricting tickets to avoid crushing people.