One-off events such as the 2010 World Cup are raising consumer awareness of and interest in 3DTV, but only modestly to date, according to Parks Associates’ Trends in 3DTV report , but the Dallas-based research firm forecasts that 80% of TVs sold in the US will be 3D-ready.
The latest data collected by Parks finds that 13% of households are familiar with 3DTV, up from 10% a quarter ago, and that, in some cases, 48% of them are willing to pay for 3D content– that given they have access to a wide enough range of content, including movies and TV shows, according to a news release.
“Efforts such as the ESPN 3D broadcast of the 2010 World Cup are great experiments and effective in building awareness of the technology, but they have not resulted in extraordinary 3D TV sales,” said Pietro Macchiarella, a Parks research analyst. “As content and service providers launch new 3D channels and Blu-ray discs, consumers will start to see more value in this technology, and shipments will increase as a result.” The availability of 3D movies sparked the most interest from those surveyed: “1/3 or fewer of consumers are willing to pay for 3D for TV shows and sporting events, but nearly 1/2 are willing to pay for 3D movies,” according to Parks. “Hollywood’s push to increase its 3D production benefits consumer awareness of the 3D experience and stimulates interest in bringing it to the living room,” Macchiarella said.
Trends in 3D tend to focus on television, but there are other forms as well. Some analysts point to potential for 3D games for broadband connected game consoles and 3D content delivered via the Internet to PCs and tablets. Indeed, the move to 3D will be a trend to watch. It has significant implications on bandwidth demand for your network.
