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 its first 3D TV
channel for some months.
The new channel which is set to 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 3D TV 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 3D TV 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
commented:
"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 is pushing hard its
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
2m homes are actually watching TV in high definition.
Likewise, adoption of PVRs (like Sky+) is also growing very fast,
but is still in less than one third of UK homes.
So the 3D TV revolution is set to arrive, before the last two
key waves of innovation, namely PVRs and HD TV 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.