Across the electronics world, various companies are hurrying to release 3-D TVs. Relying on the current 3-D movie trend, Panasonic, Samsung, LG and others are hoping to break into a new market, one in which consumers want to bring their 3-D viewing experience home from the theater.

Indeed, 3-D viewing is becoming increasingly popular. A recent survey by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) found that nearly 40 percent of the 41 million U.S. adults who have seen 3-D movies in theaters in the last year, said they would prefer watching a movie in 3-D to 2-D.

Additionally, “16 percent of consumers are interested in watching 3-D movies or television shows in their homes, while 14 percent are interested in playing 3-D video games,” the survey said. “All told, more than 26 million households are interested in having a 3-D content experience in their own home.”

According to CSMonitor.com, the manufacturers are anticipating 3-D TV success. For example, “(Sony executive Yoshihisa) Ishida predicted that Sony could sell 2.5 million 3-D sets in 2010 – a massive number for such an early market …. Samsung says it will ship 2 million 3-D sets by the end of the year, and Panasonic, which (began) retailing 3-D sets at BestBuy (last) Wedensday, has plans to crank out at least a million 3-D units.”

But, there’s a lot of debate out there about the potential success of 3-D TVs. As a student of innovation, I too have to wonder about the value of such technology. So I did some research. The following are the pros and cons of 3-D TV.

Pros:

• 3-D TVs only cost about 20 percent more than a traditional TV. According to USNews.com, “a 55-inch Samsung LCD that is selling for about $2,500 now costs about $2,950 with 3-D capability.”
• A CNET.com 3-D TV FAQ said “3-D TV technologies are full color and high resolution.” Even better than HDTV.
• Third party electronics companies like XpanD are developing “brand-agnostic” 3-D glasses.
• All 3-D TVs also show 2-D.
• ZDNet.com’s John Carroll said 3-D TV might be perfect for avid gamers. “They are more likely to spend big money building a flash hardware setup to support their gaming habit,” he said, “so 3-D TVs wouldn’t have to go down in price quite as much to tempt them across the line. Most games are exactly the kind of content that would make good use of 3-D”
• Carroll also said 3-D TVs have the potential to do more than entertainment media. “Software, I think, is what could make 3-D TVs actually something people feel they need to have. … That’s why I still think that the company that figures out a way to make a true, TV-attached, general purpose device that offers an easy way to add services that are developed by a large community of third-party developers will make boatloads of cash.”
• Companies are jumping on board. More and more movies are being released as 3-D Blu-ray movies. And ESPN is planning to air the Mexico-South Africa World Cup match this June in 3-D on its new ESPN 3-D network, according to CSMonitor.com.
• According to the CEA report, “more than half of U.S. adults said having to wear special glasses or hold their heads still while watching a 3-D TV would have no impact on them purchasing a 3-D set for their home.”

Cons:

• Only some 3-D TV brands are sold with accompanying glasses. If they are, it’s at most only two pairs. That means a family of four would have to purchase more 3-D glasses in order to watch TV together.
• The 3-D glasses only work with the TV brand they come with. According to CNN.com, “that’s because each TV brand has a sensor that picks up a signal from the corresponding brand of glasses.”
• XpanD “brand-agnostic” 3-D glass still cost at least $125 a pair.
• TV viewers may have to sit closer to their screens. CNET.com suspects “sitting closer or watching on a bigger screen will definitely help with any home 3-D presentation.”
• 3-D TVs might require more power than 2-D.
• In a recent article on betanews.com, technology analyst and reporter Carmi Levy argued that “3-D TV isn’t ready for prime time” because there’s no content, no distribution, no affordability and no relevance.
• According to CSMonitor.com, “many consumers have only just bought new high-definition TVs, and analysts say they are unwilling to spend on another upgrade any time soon.”
• Some say 3-D is better fit for movie theaters because of the size of the screen. “To get close to the 3-D experience in cinemas you need a 3-D projector for your home and a large projection screen,” said i4u.com.

With 3-D TVs only just now being released, it’s too soon to tell how they’ll do. But Panasonic 3-D TVs did sell out in the U.S. during their week. These days, successful technology is personal and fills an unmet need. Perhaps 3-D TVs do that in ways we don’t yet know.

What do you think? Are 3-D TVs valuable? Are you planning to purchase one? Why or why not?

– Kathie

March 19th, 2010 | No Comments Share |
Tags: 3-D TV · Consumer Electronics Association · technological innovation · Technology · technology innovation · value creation