3D TV

LOS ANGELES (AP) — DirecTV says it has reduced the programming hours of its 24-hour 3D channel, n3D, due to a shortage of 3D content. The satellite TV provider launched the channel to much fanfare in July 2010, boasting the backing of Panasonic. The company said it was the first 3D channel to operate around […]

As prices drop, nearly one-quarter of U.S. homes are projected to have a 3D-capable set by 2015, according to SNL Kagan. The projected 21% penetration would be up from about 2% (1.8 million) at the end of this year.

With the commercial success of Avatar in 2009, 3D technology firmly established itself as a key component of the entertainment industry. Box-office returns in 2010 and 2011 demonstrate that 3D technology is having a positive financial impact on the movie industry. However, the future for the 3D landscape, particularly for television, remains unclear as the technology develops and expands.

The marketplace for televisions and mobile devices with internet capabilities — or “connected” devices — is booming; by 2015 the amount of consumers with a connected device will triple. With that comes numerous opportunities for ways of receiving content, changing the viewing landscape, according to a panel at the Connected TV and 3D: Supplying the Demand conference Tuesday in New York.

James Cameron, the director known for championing 3D technology, told an overflow crowd at the NAB Show in Las Vegas that 3D won’t work on TV if production companies can’t utilize the talent they already have.

ESPN, which launched a 3D network last summer, doesn’t even have exact numbers on how many people are putting on their glasses and tuning in. But the focus is on working out the kinks of broadcasting sports in 3D, so the network will be ready when the audience starts to grow.

In just a year, 3D has gone from the cutting edge of television technology to a simple feature in the 2011 models that are rolling into stores. But that hasn’t stopped a war of words between Samsung and LG, the two biggest TV makers.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — LG Electronics says competition is heating up in the global battle to woo viewers to 3D TVs. And the South Korean company thinks it has an edge. Seoul-based LG Electronics showed off its Cinema 3D TV on Wednesday. The company hailed it as the “next generation” in the sector as […]

LONDON (AP) — Palace authorities say Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding will not be filmed in 3D because of the space needed for the format’s cameras and relatively small demand. Some British broadcasters had hoped to use the technology to televise the event, which is expected to draw a huge worldwide audience. But Patrick […]

CES press-conference day featured plenty of new product announcements, and, while “smart” TVs may have been a consistent hot topic, the 3D announcements suggested that 3D has some staying power. And a number of innovations are proving that some of the gating factors, such as expensive glasses, may eventually be a thing of the past.

Most people who wanted a flat-screen TV have one, and 3D and Internet connections are not catching on with consumers.

Manufacturers don’t plan to completely supplant the 3D TVs that require the heavier, battery-powered glasses, which went on sale last year for the first time.

Fancy new features like 3D screens and Internet connectivity have failed to inspire U.S. television shoppers, dashing a hoped-for recovery in the global consumer electronics industry.

Consumer Reports rated 3D TVs for the first time — but it couldn’t decide whether the new technology was a fad or here for the long term.  “It remains to be seen whether 3D TV is just a novelty or a new product category in the consumer electronics space,” wrote Paul Reynolds, the magazine’s electronics editor. But, he added: “We can tell you 3D TV is the real deal: realistic, compelling and exciting.”