Samsung
Besides having to spring for expensive new TVs, people would have to put on awkward special glasses to give the picture the illusion of depth. That limits 3-D viewing to times when viewers can sit down and focus on a movie or show.
Its one thing to put on 3-D glasses in a theater, but “at home, youre with other people in the living room, running to the kitchen and doing other things,” said Greg Ireland of the research firm IDC.
Unfazed by the potential hang-ups, the biggest TV makers began revealing their 3-D models Wednesday before the official opening of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics Co.s consumer division, said in an interview that 10 to 14 percent of the roughly 35 million TVs sold in the U.S. this year will be 3-D-capable.
Samsung is determined to make 3-D a big feature on its more expensive TVs this year. Its teaming with DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. to make the Blu-ray 3-D version of the movie “Monsters vs. Aliens” an exclusive for buyers of Samsungs 3-D TVs.
Panasonic Corp. said it will debut four 3-D sets this spring, but they wont be LCD sets, the most common type of flat panel. Instead, Panasonic is using plasma panels, saying the viewing quality will be superior to 3-D on LCDs.
Sony Corp. said its 3-D sets will be out this summer. Some will come with glasses, others will be “3-D ready,” which means that buyers will have to complement with a separate plug-in device and glasses for 3-D viewing.
LG Electronics Inc. said it will introduce 47-inch and 55-inch flat-panel TVs with 3-D capabilities in May.
LG didnt announce exact prices for its new sets. But Tim Alessi, director of product development at LG Electronics USA, said 3-D TV sets will likely cost $200 to $300 more than comparable flat-panel sets without 3-D capabilities, which already run more than $1,000.
Even Vizio Inc., which is one of the TV market share leaders in the U.S. but mainly sells inexpensive sets, said it would have 3-D capabilities on its larger, higher-end sets.
Manufacturers arent counting on 3-D to take over instantly. Color TV and high definition caught on over many years. Like those earlier advances, 3-D programming requires upgrades throughout the TV and movie infrastructure, from shooting to editing to distribution. Incidentally, Samsung and Dreamworks are working with Technicolor, which pioneered color movies, to get 3-D right.
Of course, movies in 3-D have been around since the 1950s and from time to time have been billed as the next big thing in entertainment. And technically speaking, 3-D viewing in the home has been possible for the past few years. But there has been no good way to get 3-D movies and shows to watch.
On Tuesday, two major cable networks – ESPN and Discovery – said they plan to start beaming 3-D entertainment into homes for the first time.
ESPN plans to have its channel running in time to show World Cup soccer matches in 3-D on June 11. Discovery Communications Inc. will partner with Imax Corp. and Sony to bring out its own full-time 3-D network in 2011.
Samsung isnt waiting for 3-D programming: It said its sets will be able to convert standard 2-D programming to 3-D on the fly. The effect likely wont be as good as original 3-D footage, but it will “tide consumers over” until there is more 3-D programming, Baxter said.
Toshiba is taking the same tack. It plans roll out a new line of five TVs this year that will perform the 2-D to 3-D conversion in a separate box with a powerful processor similar to one used in the Sony PlayStation 3. Like the other manufacturers, Toshiba didnt announce prices for the sets, but they will probably be expensive.
TV manufacturers, movie studios and broadcasters are counting on the excitement around the latest wave of 3-D movies in theaters to finally drive interest in adapting the technology for the home. In particular, James Camerons “Avatar” has set a new standard for 3-D in movies and has surpassed $1 billion at the box office. It demonstrates that 3-D is viable for more than just computer-animated childrens or family movies such as “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.”