And Kurt Scherf, an analyst at Parks Associates, used the example of an animated TV series about a futuristic family to explain why it hasn't taken off.

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"Powerline networking between modems and set-top boxes is being used today by many broadband service providers to reduce capital expenses and support costs associated with delivering new triple play and IPTV services, " said Kurt Scherf, vice president, principal analyst, Parks Associates.

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But Apple or no Apple, Google or no Google, CES still has a firm grip on driving the year's consumer technology trends and is worth the attention it gets, said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates, a research group.

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