New York – Upbeat assessments
of 3DTV were the rule rather than the exception during the “3DTV In A Connected
World” panel at NewBay Media’s Connected TV and 3D event, here, Tuesday
morning.
The panel, moderated
by TWICE executive editor Greg Tarr, featured a participants from several
industries involved in the 3DTV rollout: Kris Brown, worldwide HD marketing VP
of Warner Home Video; Bryan Burns, strategic business and development VP, ESPN;
Steven Corda, North America business development VP, SES World Skies; Steve
Koenig, industry analysis director, Consumer Electronics Association (CEA); and
Dan Schinasi, senior marketing manager, HDTV product planning of Samsung Visual
Display Product Group.
Their optimism
echoed the results from
the
Digital Entertainment Group (DEG)
study of 3DTV owners
released at the conference earlier today
which gave the format good reviews.
Brown, who is also
chairman of the DEG 3D Working Group, said, “This is an irreversible trend.
Early adopters are very satisfied. That will spread to friends and neighbors.
With more programming on Blu-ray and from ESPN and other networks [3DTV]
adoption rates will go even higher.”
Schinasi said that
in Samsung’s experience with 3DTV vs. other technologies, “Consumers
have been positive” and the acceptance of 3D “has been as strong as other
emerging technologies” at the same point of their introduction.
CEA’s Koenig said
the DEG study was not a surprise. “It is similar to our studies. I agree
completely that there has been a positive signal from the marketplace.”
He added that consumers have had an enthusiastic response with a modest amount
of content and that with more programming there will be “a lot more positive
outcomes to come.”
Burns said that from ESPN’s vantage point there are more
“3D-enabled sets now … they have rolled out more rapidly than when HDTV was
introduced which has us excited.”
When it comes to HDTV Burns said that “Seeing is believing.”
In viewing 3DTV for the first time in comparison with HDTV, “The 3D experience is
more impressive … consumers are more taken aback” by 3D programming.
Corda of SES World Skies, that transports content to cable
providers via satellite, said the success of 3DTV “is all about content at this
stage” and that there should be “50 3D stations” available on U.S. cable systems
by 2015.
While everyone was optimistic about the acceptance of 3DTV
when discussing a Quixel Research estimate of 6.2 million 3DTV unit sales for
2011, there was a little pushback by Koenig of CEA. “We issue our estimates in
January and July and things do change quickly. But it may not go to 6 million
this year. That is a number we are looking at for 2012.”
And the oft-mentioned issue of 3D glasses was discussed.
Burns noted that when consumers watched 3DTV in Monday through Friday tests conducted
by ESPN during last year’s World Cup, “When you wear them enough it is not an
issue. In the beginning it may be an impediment but then they get used to it.”
Brown quipped, “I completely agree. [Consumers] wear them in
exchange for a totally excellent experience.”
And both Corda and Schinasi commented that there are ongoing
attempts by designer sunglasses makers and manufacturers to come up with more stylish
efforts and make them fashion items.
As far as an industry standard, CEA is working on one based
on three approaches which will be published in October for comments, according
to Koenig.
He said the CEA’s position is “standards expedite the
development of the marketplace,” and that it is not too late for the industry
to come up with a unified standard.
When asked if the battle between active-shutter and passive
3D glasses constitutes a format war, Koenig disagreed. “This is akin to plasma
vs. LCD [HD] TVs. They provide consumers options.”
However Samsung’s Schinasi, whose company backs active-shutter
glasses, said, “The eyewear may be identical but the technology is demonstrably
different,” which is why his company backs the active format.
NewBay Media, which ran the event, is the parent company of
TWICE.
