CURRENT.com.au - 3D TV is not standing out; Education is the key

CURRENT.com.au  -  3D TV is not standing out; Education is the key

By Grant Shepherd SYDNEY: Numerous consumer electronics companies are currently producing 3D televisions and many were unveiled at last year's International CES. But 3D TV has received both positive and negative press since the technology was announced, mainly in relation to how it will be received by consumers. Now a recent joint study conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the Entertainment and Technology Center at the University of Southern California, has revealed that many consumers are interested in the new technology, but only after they have been educated on the product and experience it first hand for themselves. The study titled '3-D TV: Where Are We Now and Where Are Consumers?' outlined that 3D technology is well positioned to become a successful part of in-home entertainment, but the category will only grow as more and more people experience the technology for themselves and therefore become more interested in the 3D options available. The study compares 3D TV to other recent innovations like HD TV, where after a certain amount of time, sufficient exposure to the technology will allow consumers to witness the benefits and be more willing to change their viewing habits in the home. The technology has been around, in some form or another, for decades and has proven very popular, most commonly in movie theatres. According to the report, in the past 12 months, nearly 41 million adults in the US have seen a 3D movie in theatres. Of these, nearly 40 per cent said that they would prefer to watch a movie in 3D over 2D. 3D capabilities are also apparently becoming a major purchasing factor for many consumers in the market for new televisions, with 16 per cent of respondents showing interest in watching 3D movies or television shows on their home television. As well as this 14 per cent claimed that they were very interested in playing video games in 3D. These results reveal that 26 million households in the US are interested in 3D TV technology in the home. One of the biggest perceived disadvantages of many of the 3D televisions currently on the market is the fact that glasses must be worn to see the benefits of 3D. While companies are currently developing units without the need for glasses, many consumers responded that wearing glasses was not an issue. More than half of US adults claimed that wearing special headsets or glasses would not have an impact on their purchasing decision. Another interesting thing to come out of the survey, especially for manufacturers and retailers, is the fact that many consumers were willing to spend more for the technology. Roughly half of the respondents claimed that they would spend more for a 3D capable television and 15 per cent said that they would pay roughly 25 per cent more for the technology. Overall the report has demonstrated the huge possibilities for 3D TV in the consumer electronics market and Shawn DuBravac, CEA's economist and director of research, commented "when it comes to 3D technology, seeing is truly believing, today's offerings are changing the way consumers view video content, not unlike the early days of HD TV".

[Mon 23/02/2009 12:08:38]