Are you ready for the 3D TV revolution?
The TV manufacturers, the electrical retailers and Sky are aligning to make 3D TV the next big thing in television
Most of us are still getting our heads around PVRs and high definition TV, but we should brace ourselves for the next big thing in TV - three-dimensional television (3D TV), which will start to hit our screens next year.
Sky has been talking about the planned launch of their first 3D TV channel for some months. The new channel which will launch in 2010, will offer a broad selection of 3D programming, and is expected to include movies, entertainment and sport. It will be available via the current generation of Sky+HD set-top boxes and will require a new 3D Ready TV to view.
And momentum behind 3DTV has taken a huge further leap with the news that TV manufacturers and electrical retailers are eyeing up 3DTV as the next big thing to help shift a new generation of flat screen TVs.
Panasonic, has stated its belief that 3DTV will re-ignite its growth in European markets over the next three years - despite the crunch and the fact that many households have already invested in flat-screen TVs. Fumio Ohtsubo, the president of Panasonic, estimates that, within two to three years, sales of 3D-enabled televisions would account for up to 30 per cent of Panasonic's TV sales.
Sony meanwhile, has also announced that it is aiming to launch 3D Sony Bravia TV sets in the UK market by the end of 2010. In addition it has confirmed that Vaio laptops, Playstation3 games consoles and Blu-Ray disc players will all also be compatible with 3D technology.
And now there is news that the BBC is considering screening part of its coverage of the London 2012 Olympics in 3DTV to test the public reaction to the new technology.
The new 3DTV technology being adopted by Sky and others still requires glasses to appreciate the full 3D effect, but the glasses will be a far cry from the old fashioned cardboard red and green ones. Instead leading specs manufacturers are producing special designer frames, which double as sunglasses.
Charlie Ponsonby, CEO of Simplifydigital comments:
"Most people have not woken up to the fact that the experience of watching TV is changing beyond all recognition. Not only can viewers now decide what programmes they want to watch, when it suits them - but also the viewing quality is far closer to a true cinematic experience - far larger screens, with high definition pictures in four times greater detail, surround sound and now the prospect of 3D images leaping out into the TV room."
One blot on the horizon however, is the need to adopt a common technology standard for 3DTV. Sony are pushing hard their sophisticated "active shutter" technology, but it is far from certain that it will be adopted as the industry standard.
What's clear however is that the explosion of online activity in households has tended to divert eyeballs away from the TV set, but this latest revolution in digital TV, is likely to reassert the TVs dominance as the primary entertainment source in the household.
But the question remains as to how consumers keep up with the lightening pace of innovation in the UK TV market. Over 12 million HD Ready TVs have been sold in the UK, but under 2 million homes are actually watching TV in high definition. Likewise, adoption of PVRs (like Sky+) is also growing very fast, but are still in less than one third of UK homes.
So the 3DTV revolution is set to arrive, before the last two key waves of innovation, namely PVRs and HDTV have been appreciated by the majority of TV viewers. As a result early adopters are in heaven at the moment, as the pace of change in the TV market has never been quicker. But for many TV households who worry about getting left behind, the innovation can become more frightening than exciting.
And this is why demand for impartial advisory services such as Simplifydigital keeps on growing. Our impartial experts specialize in explaining how customers can benefit from the exciting new technologies such as PVRs, HDTV and now 3DTV. So why not give them a call free for advice on 0800 542 4704.
