3D TV, Star Of The New Year
There have been numerous announcements at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, from manufacturers showing off the latest technological improvement in the TV industry: 3D Television. They’re hoping that 3D TVs become the hot new thing, already trying to push the industry past HDTV, which incidentally is just now starting to reach mainstream status. For 3D TVs to live up to their potential, a lot of conditions have to be met, and it seems that, at least in theory, things are moving in this direction: updated 3D set top boxes, converter boxes, disc formats (3D Blu Ray) and players, and cable channels (ESPN 3D) are in the works.
Some people are skeptical about whether the 3D trend will pick up at all, but as is the case with many new technologies, you can’t really tell from the start. At the beginning of a new technology’s life cycle, there’s always the price factor. It’s pretty much a given that 3D TVs will be very expensive. Ultimately, though, two things have to coincide for 3D TV sets to become popular: how much content is available, and how quickly prices of 3D television sets fall. This is, after all, what is happening right now with HDTVs.
3D TV has one more hurdle to overcome though: besides the fact that consumers would have to buy new TVs, they would also have to put on special 3D glasses (also called 3D goggles) in order for the picture to give the illusion of depth. Therefore, some people insist that watching 3D TV becomes limited to times when people decide to sit down and focus on a movie or show. It’s not really comparable to the fact that people don’t mind putting on the 3D glasses in movie theaters. When you go to the movies, it’s by choice. Moviegoers are a captive audience. At home, it’s a different story, and you might have to run to the kitchen or to another room, or you might be multitasking, watching TV and cooking for example. Having to wear a 3D goggle is awkward at best.
TV makers aren’t letting these potential problems stop them, however, and they’re revealing their 3D models, some of which will be available as early as this spring. Samsung is planning to have from 10 to 14 percent of the TVs it will sell this year to be 3D capable. Panasonic is debuting four 3D sets this spring, but instead of LCD, they will use plasma technology, their argument being that the image quality is superior to 3D on LCD sets. Sony is releasing its 3D sets this summer. LG is introducing 3D capable 47-inch and 55-inch flat panel TVs in May. Vizio, one of the large set makers in the US, is also joining the fray.
Granted, the technology is worthless without the content to match. This should not be a problem for long. First off, the specs for a 3D version of the Blu Ray disc have been finalized, and 3D Blu Ray players are expected to be on sale this spring. Also, satellite broadcaster DirecTV Inc. said it will send out software upgrades to most of its set-top boxes in June that will enable 3D reception. Two major cable networks — ESPN and Discovery — are already on board to start beaming 3D entertainment into homes for the first time.
I’m particularly pleased with ESPN’s strategy, as it plans to have its channel running in time to show World Cup soccer matches in 3D on June 11. ESPN 3D expects to showcase at least 85 live sporting events during the first year. There will be no reruns initially, so the network will be dark when there’s no 3D event. Among other events planned for 3D broadcast: the Summer X Games (extreme sports), NBA games, college basketball and college football. ESPN is committing to the 3D network through June 2011. Also, Sony announced its development of 3D-ready video games, taking advantage of its powerful PS3 console that’s starting to get traction. Disney declared that all of its future releases would be in 3D in the near future. With their recent acquisition of Marvel Entertainment, we can only imagine what the average superhero movie is going to look like!
Not everyone is sitting around waiting for the content to catch up with the technology, though. Samsung is offering sets which it says will be able to convert standard 2D programming to 3D on the fly. Admittedly, the quality won’t be as good as “native” 3D, but it’s intended as an introduction to the world of 3D viewing at home. Toshiba is adopting the same approach, planning to roll out a new line of five TVs this year that will perform the 2D to 3D conversion in a separate box with a powerful processor similar to one used in the Sony PlayStation 3.
It’s obvious that there’s an entire ecosystem that’s extremely excited over the possibilities that 3D could bring if successful. That excitement is further fueled by the current success of the movie “Avatar“, that’s currently smashing all types of box office records. By last accounts, between 70% and 80% of that movie’s box-office intake comes from 3D screenings, and people are talking about it as a movie that you not only have to see, but as a must-see in 3D.
So the beginning of the year is all about 3D TVs. Let’s see if the trend keeps up!
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