NEW YORK –
Although the growth rate for HDTV
sales seems to have slowed up for periods in 2010,
the 2011 International CES should prove to be significant
venue for the acceleration of the next phase of
growth in various category segments.
The big news of the 2010 International CES was
about the launch of new and improved 3D TV technologies
that conform to the new 3D Blu-ray Disc
standards.
By 2011, after some trial and error, some of the
kinks have been worked out, prices have been lowered
and even new approaches to 3D glasses have
been developed to entice consumers to shell out a
little more for the latest and greatest technologies.
This year key TV players introduced systems based
on active-shutter glasses technologies that made the
best use of the brightness levels of home-based TVs,
but required complex glasses that added significantly
to the initial investment.
During 2011 some set makers will be paring down
the proposition somewhat, by making glasses cheaper
(and in some cases optional), and by introducing
lines of LED LCD TVs that produce the brightness
levels to support cheaper polarized (passive) glasses
technologies.
Instead of paying $150 to $250 for a pair of activeshutter
glasses, these new sets enable using simple
glasses like those used by 3D movie theaters. In fact, the glasses you may have brought home from those theaters
will work with these new sets.
The system packs some additional cost into the price
of the panel, but the first passive glasses LCD TV packages
are still expected to be priced less than their active-
shutter counterparts.
Expect to see a variety of third-party glasses developers to present new active-shutter and passive 3D
glasses styled to the latest eye-wear fashions.
On the high-end, active-glasses 3D TV systems will
continue to improve in picture quality and price, but
many of these premium sets will incorporate advanced
IPTV streaming capabilities and smartphone-like apps,
turning the TV into a multifaceted entertainment device
and communications tool.
Various connected TV platform creators and TV
apps developers are expected to present some of
their creations for various TV maker partners, while
streaming TV service providers will be ramping up
more sophisticated levels of picture and sound quality, including possible news of early 3D streaming
content.
And more Blu-ray players and dedicated settop
boxes will be on display to bring many of
these same interactive capabilities as IPTVs to
older displays.
This will also be the show for the ramp-up
of mobile DTV broadcasting, as multiple manufacturers
are planning to bring out some of
the first portable and car-based TV screens
equipped with new tuner chips to receive
ATSC-mobile/handheld signals from over-theair
broadcasters.
