3D at home is gaining in popularity, according to a study by ABI Research. The research company says market growth for 3D TVs is expected to accelerate in 2013 and retail shipments of 3D TVs are expected to be around 50 million units by 2015.
“The 3D TV market is moving faster than expected,” said industry analyst Michael Inouye. “There was widespread skepticism that production models would be available so quickly. But by June this year, many TV manufacturers had 3D models in their lineups.”
ABI says the popularity of 3D movies in theaters has been a primary driver behind 3D at home, but it remains to be seen whether people care so much about 3D to upgrade their TV sets and Blu-ray players and then sit in front of them wearing funky glasses. (3D TV sets will play 3D broadcast when/if it’s available, but for home movies, consumers must upgrade their Blu-ray players to Blu-ray 3D players, the only disc player offering 3D. Some players, such as the PlayStation 3 console, will be able to be upgraded through a firmware change.)
Toshiba believes it has found a way around the glasses drawback and plans to offer 3D TVs that don’t require the use of special glasses by December. Price, of course, will still keep 3D TVs out of the majority of homes for many years, especially if the economy doesn’t pick up soon.
And there are other challenges. Inouye said, “Unfortunately, the 3D movie experience doesn’t always translate well to the smaller screen.”
Added digital home practice director Jason Blackwell, “Everything looks good in high-definition, but not everything looks better in 3D… Content producers should be selective about what titles they assign to 3D production release.”
Still, movie studios are embracing the new technology, hoping the public will once again replace its home video library. Check out our list of movies on Blu-ray 3D.
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