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LAS VEGAS — Despite a lot of talk about the impact of a global economic crisis, top consumer electronics manufacturers on Wednesday trotted out their key lineup additions for this year, promising to deliver those things consumers still are craving.

Many new products and initiatives focus on convenience, easier ways to connect to a wide range of entertainment options, and environmental friendliness.

Companies are offering easier ways to return electronics items that have reached the end of their usefulness, while also offering new products aimed at making previous models obsolete.

Among the products unveiled at the show so far:

Sharp has melded two high-demand items: the LCD television and the Blu-ray Disc player. The smallest of the sets features a 32-inch screen, while the largest features a 52-inch screen. The AQUOS BD series television/player should hit the market in February, with the cheapest model starting around $1,099.

Everyone wants to know which TVs are selling the best. TV makers such as Sharp say one of the strongest categories is the smaller range — around 30 inches.

Sharp executive Bob Scaglione talked about how the company (and the entire industry) has spent the past couple of years focusing on making flat panel TVs bigger and thinner. Not this year.

"We are deeply aware of the times we live in," Scaglione said.

Toshiba is promoting advancements in its Regza LCD models. These are the pricier sets in Toshiba’s lineup, with a host of new features, including better volume control and stronger picture enhancements.

But there’s another aspect of these TVs that seem to fit a theme that’s fast emerging here: The ability of consumers to have more control over all of the forms of entertainment they enjoy: television, dvds, downloaded movies, MP3 files and Internet content.

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It’s interesting to watch what seems to be a race to replace the home computer. Will it be the cell phone or the television that does it in? Maybe a combination of the two?

LG Electronics officially revealed its new wrist phone, the LG-GD910. It features 3G compatibility, touch screen interface and video calling. You can text with it and use blue tooth devices. Just don’t expect to do a lot of heavy viewing on this device, which features a rather small (1 fast personal short loans.43-inch) screen. It should be available later this year, though only in Europe initially.

The Meade ETX-LS telescope promises to eliminate one of the great hassles of astronomy. You know, the one where you actually have to find stuff in the sky. The ETX-LS does it for you. Set it up in your backyard and it automatically will scan the sky. Want to see Jupiter? Just type that into the keypad and you get to see Jupiter, assuming it’s actually visible at the time. Price: $1,299.

The Pacemaker is a handheld music lab. It has a 60 gb hard drive, two "turntables" and a mixer for $550. he manufacturer says anyone can take it out of the box and push a button and it seamlessly blends the music together like a real DJ. It should hit the stores this spring.

3D TV Panasonic’s U.S. boss, Yoshi Yamada, talked about the company’s belief in 3D technology, particularly in the home television market.Yamada said Panasonic is working with other major industry players to develop an accepted standard that will allow 3D technology for television sets to go mainstream. Yes, you’d have to sit in your living room, wearing those glasses to get the full effect. Products could hit the market by 2010, he said.

Indoor hunting? The Duck Hunter (expected to sell for $29.99 this spring) features a small, mechanical duck that can fly for 30 seconds. Or until it has been hit three times by an infrared pistol.

A new radio by Blaupunkt and Miroamer will let you listen to Internet music stations in your car — so long as you have a mobile phone with bluetooth ability. The signal streams to your phone and to the radio through a blue-tooth connection. Expect it in the second half of the year.

The Eclipse AVN726E and AVN4430, in a partnership with TomTom, are at or near the top end of GPS navigational units. They’ll also operate as a radio and DVD player and can be used with satellite radio or high definition radio. And you can play your iPod through them.

WowWee, the maker of mobile webcam Rovio, is offering a lighter version of the unusual toy. This one is shaped sort of like a softball on steroids, but looks like something out of a science fiction movie. Unlike the Rovio, which can be controlled essentially from anywhere via the Internet, the SpyBall is more of a localized toy and can be operated through a video-game system or home wifi network. "You can torment your dog, chase your brother or sister and spy on your parents," said Steve Hardy of WowWee. It should hit the market in time for next Christmas at $149.

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