By Alfred Hermida BBC News Online technology staff in Las Vegas

Americans will spend almost $100bn this year on gadgets, according to figures released on the eve of the largest consumer technology trade show in the world.

They are increasingly going hi-tech, spending their dollars on DVD players, digital cameras and MP3 players.

The latest digital gadgets will be showcased at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, which runs from 9 to 12 January.

"Consumer electronics continue to capture the imagination and meet the needs of the American consumer," said Gary Shapiro, President of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), which runs the trade show.

DVDs lead the way

The figures for 2003 are part of the trade body's annual report into sales of consumer electronics in the US.

Gadget spending in 2003

DVD players: $2.6bn Digital cameras: $2.9bn Electronic gaming: $12.6bn Camcorders: $2.3bn MP3 players: $213m

According to the study, the consumer electronics industry can expect a record-breaking year, with sales forecast to reach $99.5bn, up from $96.2bn in 2002.

The rise in sales is being fuelled by digital technology, with DVD players standing out as the fastest growing technology of all time, according to the CEA.

A third of homes in the US have a DVD player and a further 20 million machines are expected to be sold in 2003.

Other digital technologies related to home entertainment are helping the boom in consumer electronics, such as digital TV sets and flat panel televisions.

Music on the go

There is similar interest in other digital pastimes, such as digital music players.

The future for our industry is bright, even as some individual companies face challenges Gary Shapiro, CEA President

Despite continuing controversy surrounding music piracy over the internet, carrying your CD collection in a pocket-sized gadgets appears to have caught the public's imagination.

Sales of MP3 music players shot past all estimates, with 1.7 million sold in 2002.

This represents an increase of 51% over 2001. This year, sales of digital music players are forecast to rise by 26%.

As with music, Americans are also going digital when it comes to photography.

'Bright future'

As digital cameras improve in quality and prices come down, sales have gone up.

The CEA says Americans will buy 11 million digital cameras in the coming 12 months, a jump of 26% over 2002.

For the photography industry, this amounts to a $2.9bn spend on digital imaging.

"The future for our industry is bright, even as some individual companies face challenges," said Mr Shapiro.

"From digital video to gaming, from home networking to digital imaging, our industry's products provide consumers with instant access to information and entertainment and enable them to stay connected."

More than 2,000 companies from across the world are exhibiting at CES and 100,000 people are expected to come and see what is hot in consumer technology.