3D the Hot Technology at CEDIA

10 Sep, 2009 By: Chris Tribbey

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ATLANTA — The Home Theater Forum’s Ron Epstein needed just one word to sum up what everyone was talking about at the Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) show: 3D.

“We’ve seen Mitsubishi’s 3D, Panasonic’s. Nothing comes close to what [Panasonic has],” he said. “Blu-ray players have reached their zenith. [3D] is the technology to beat.”

Plenty of new Blu-ray Disc players and shiny HDTVs were unveiled at CEDIA, but nothing wowed the crowds like the 3D displays.

“Right now it’s in the early stages,” said Nick Norton, senior brand marketing manager for Mitsubishi Electric. He said more than a million of his company’s 3D-capable displays have been sold. “The theatrical content is coming along, and as the studios and content developers get behind it, it’s only going to grow more rapidly. It’s here and everybody’s jumping on the bandwagon.”

He added that the 400-plus PC 3D games are helping to drive 3D display adoption.

“Everyone’s just waiting for a standard,” he said.

Robert Perry, SVP of Panasonic Consumer Electronics, said he believes his company is setting the standard, with separate 1080p streams delivered to each eye via glasses. He said the company wants to have Full HD 3D TVs to market in 2010 and expects at least 50 Blu-ray titles to have 3D for the new systems next year as well.

“It’s the new frontier for television, and it’s finally ready for prime-time,” he said, as long lines of CEDIA attendees waited to get into Panasonic’s 3D trailer, which is touring the country.

Andy Parsons, SVP of corporate communications and new product planning for Pioneer, said the Blu-ray Disc Association is working at “break-neck speed” to adopt a standard for 3D on Blu-ray by the end of the year. “We want to get this to market as quick as we can,” he said.

JVC introduced its 46-inch GD-463D10 3D LCD HDTV Sept. 10, which comes with two sets of 3D glasses, but its $9,000-plus price tag had some people concerned that too few consumers could afford it. Mitsubishi’s 3D-ready TVs are clocking in for as low as $1,200.

Louis Masses, director of product planning for Toshiba’s digital audio-video group, stressed that cost and convenience of use are the two keys for 3D at home to succeed.

“Consumers have to be comfortable using it, and it has to be at a decent price point,” he said.

However, nobody expressed any concern that this latest onslaught of 3D is a passing fad.

“I think this one has legs,” said Dan Schinasi, senior marketing manager for HDTV for Samsung, which he said may have some 3D news of its own at the Consumer Electronics Show in January. “It’s been tried and failed many times.”

Bob Lawton, a regional manager for LG Electronics, added, “There’s just so much more content available, and there’s a market for it, and that’s what’s driving it.”
 

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