• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, January 5, 2016

The Consumer Electronics Show this year brings new expectations for TV networks and producers, though perhaps the products are just improved versions of what’s already out there:  drones, connected TV, wearables, the Internet of things and virtual reality apps.

Can TV programmers and networks incorporate new versions of these technologies into their day-to-day content in a meaningful way?

Already the likes of drone technology has been toyed with for local TV news programmers. But what comes next? Perhaps newer drone uses in scripted TV shows -- dramas, reality shows and perhaps even comedies?

Virtual reality has been on the horizon for some time, with Hulu and Netflix recently looking to lead the charge. NBCU’s Syfy network will now toy with VR for a new show “The Expanse,” offering up virtual reality content through Samsung devices.

And what about one of last year’s most-talked-about consumer electronics themes: 4KTVs? Now set manufacturers and producers are looking beyond 4K TV set technology, which is a good idea since TV networks/companies in large part have been slow to move, except for the likes of Netflix and DirecTV.

TV executives are already looking down the road to so-called high dynamic range (HDR) TV sets with wider color ranges -- all to focus on traditional picture quality more than just extra screen/app features.

Will any of this stuff be ground-breaking? Doesn’t look that way. TV producers will still say it’s all about storytelling, plain and simple. TV advertisers will concur, especially when comes to “content marketing.”

But you know what really comes next? A bunch of stumbles -- all before the next innovation appears with real growth value, beyond even more social media interactions.

Just think about 3D TVs, avatars, and Google Glass. Sure, some of those things may make a comeback — probably in a form not all that recognizable today.

So instead of predicting TV successes in 2016, let’s talk failure -- and lots of it, stuff that’ll be just a memory by December 2016. Care to make some guesses?