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29-Jul-2010
by Justin Lebbon
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Consumers happy with 3DTV glasses
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Broadcast TV
Consumers understand the need to wear glasses to watch 3DTV and some will be surprised at how affordable 3D television sets are, but what we need now to grow the market is more content. Those are the views of Tim Page, Senior Manager, Technology Marketing at Sony Europe, whose company is helping to lead the charge towards 3DTV at the production and customer premise ends of the broadcast chain.
Sony provides active shutter glasses with its 3D televisions and Page says: “People understand why they have to wear them. It would be nice for a 3D system without glasses but the technology is not advanced enough and you have to sit directly in front of the television [with autostereoscopic TVs]. We have carried out some studies and people are happy with the design of the glasses, and they do not think they are too heavy.”
Viewing sessions with glasses are unlikely to be very long in the beginning, anyway. Page believes the dominance of games and movies in the early 3D market means people will be watching for two hours at a time rather than all evening. “But this is a ‘chicken and egg’ situation with content,” he adds. “If more 3D content is out there, people will watch for longer but in the near-term it is going to be short duration viewing. We don’t expect people to put glasses on all day long.”
There is a general expectation in the wider broadcast community that even on the early broadcast services, 3DTV is going to be characterized by live events, movies and major productions, making this new format a kind of ‘appointment to view’ experience.
Availability of content is the most important factor for expanding the 3DTV marketplace now, says Page. “We are selling quite a lot of screens and by next year 3D will be another feature that you expect in every television.”
If someone bought an HD television last year, Page does not expect them to upgrade yet but he points out that there are different markets for these new televisions, and that could include gamers with an early 32 inch LCD who are ready to upgrade so they can see some 3D movies as well as games. “Many people buying a flat screen TV for the first time would consider 3D because they know it is coming,” he adds.
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