A visit to the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in January would have given any one the idea that 3D TV would be the consumer technology of the year. That has however not been the case as it seemed at that point in time. This while we are now on the threshold of another edition of the CES for the year 2011. Reasons for the technology not to have become consumer desired would be many and a few of them would be the following.

>> Lack of content is not the reason for this lethargy in consumer interest. Well aware that TV is a common point of interest to all people anywhere in the world, there has been a rise in 3D content though unfortunately, there has not been any appreciable rise in consumer interest towards 3D technology.

>> As with any new technology, perhaps there is some confusion about what 3D actually is and what you need.

>> The possibility of a confusion existing in the case of 3D TV could be one major reason for this lack of interest.

Eric Stockner, the director of Future Shop which is a favored outlet for Home Theater systems has worked out a few reasons for the slow growth of 3D.

>> That TV with this technology would only be capable of displaying 3D content is one of the major factors that make consumers wary of this sort of TV. That this technology actually has better features for viewing 2D content falls upon deaf ears. Consumers would be able to watch 2D most of the times and only switch over to 3D when they so desire.

>> Cost factor is another aspect that deters consumers from taking up a 3D TV into their plan of things. This aspect though has been coming down at a very rapid rate and there are 3D TV which is far lower than the cost of LED HDTV when they had hit the market initially, their cost used to be close to $2,000 while the 3D TV available at the shop of Futureshop, a Samsung 50” Plasma HDTV, PN50C490 model is available for $799.99.

>> The constant need for glasses to view a 3D TV is another factor which marginalizes the enthusiasm for this technology. However it is to be remembered that the glasses are only required when viewing 3D content on this type of a TV.

>> It is not only the glasses that one requires for getting a 3D experience, there are other components too that are essential like the 3D-capable HDMI cable or the 3D capable Blu-ray player to view a movie. Retailers however are bundling most if not all these components into the buying packages that they have on offer and most of these packages are indeed attractive. One such offer is available for the BRAVIA 40” 1080p 240Hz 3D-Ready LED HDTV which comes with the blu-ray home theatre system at the price of the TV alone.

>> Content was the other issue which was a major deterrence to consumer interest in 3D TV technology. This however is fast being resolved with tons of relevant content being unleashed every day. A few examples of this content are Call of Duty: Black Ops, Gran Turismo 5 and NBA 2K11 for 3D games. There is CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada that broadcasted the Leafs game in 3D in the month of December. Masters 2010 golf tournament broadcast is scheduled with the back half in 3D. There are a number of movies also like IMAX Deep Sea 3D, Polar Express 3D, Clash of the Titans 3D, Open Season 3D, etc.

via sync