Falling hardware prices of up to 40% are leading to year one adoption of 3DTV at a far quicker rate than was the case for HD.Futuresource Consulting expects global sales of 3DTVs to exceed four million this year. Across Western Europe alone, 1.2 million 3DTVs will be sold, rising to more than three million in 2011. In the United States, more than five million 3DTVs will be sold next year.
“3DTV will continue to provide ‘premium brand’ CE manufacturers with a way to differentiate themselves from the competition and add value for consumers,” says Bill Foster, Senior Technology Consultant at Futuresource Consulting. “For systems that use active glasses technology, manufacturers are now able to embed 3D chipsets at a relatively low cost, allowing them to increase their margins while still keeping 3D affordable.”
Futuresource anticipates that as the 3DTV market continues to commoditise, factors like screen size, display thickness and the quality of image will reach their peak, leading to 3DTV to be bundled with other features such as connectivity, web services and energy efficiency.
This analysis suggests that while the public may purchase 3DTV sets as part of an upgrade, there are no guarantees they will subscribe or purchase the 3D content needed to get the full enjoyment out of their investment.
