[by Home Media Mag.]

To tell whether 3D in the home is going to succeed, experts are pointing to what’s still happening in theaters.

“We’re building to a second boon,” said Chris Chinnock, president of Insight Media, which oversees the cross-industry 3D@Home Consortium. He points to more than 100 3D films currently in production, and a total of more than 160 between 2008 and 2011 being released in theaters — more than the estimated 100 released when 3D was last a fad, between 1952 and 1955.

Chinnock estimates another 140-plus, at least, will be released in theaters between 2012 and 2015.

“Sanity is returning,” he said. “Hollywood is understanding that not every film can be 3D.” Roughly 8,000 screens in the U.S. are 3D-enabled, and more are on the way, Chinnock said.

This all spells good news for 3D in the home, he said: Most of those theatrical releases will likely get a 3D Blu-ray Disc release. Chinnock forecasts that approximately 100 3D Blu-rays will be released in 2011, and estimates more than 200 will be released in 2012.

Combine those with an expected 10 3D channels launching this year (25 more in 2012), 100-plus sporting events streaming in 2011 (150-plus in 2012) and 100-plus other 3D events broadcast this year (150-plus in 2012), and 3D in the home has a bright near-term future.

“What’s happening in the U.S. is happening around the world,” Chinnock added, pointing to 3D at home channels and broadcasts on the upswing in Europe, Australia, Asia and the Middle East.

Of course, this is all contingent on consumers buying new 3DTVs, and on the hardware side, research firm Strategy Analytics has positive news: It forecasts more than a third of American homes will buy a 3DTV in the next three years, and predicts even faster growth in Europe, with 42% of homes going with 3DTVs by 2014.

The firm predicts 95 million 3D devices — including gaming devices, set-tops and PCs — will be sold worldwide this year.

“Western Europe, Japan and the U.S. will be the world’s three largest markets, accounting for 93% of 3D device sales in 2011,” said Peter King, director at Strategy Analytics. “By 2014 we are projecting a global installed base of nearly 900 million 3D-capable devices.”

In spite of the early challenges the 3DTV market has faced — a lack of standards and a high cost barrier to consumer entry — Strategy Analytics expects global 3D sales to grow 89% this year. Which means it will be on the content side to keep the push going, according to David Mercer, principal analyst at Strategy Analytics.

“Once 3D-ready TVs are out there, the question for 3D content publishers will be: How often will 3DTV owners get the goggles out?” he asked. “Without compelling 3D content there is a real danger that 3D becomes a dormant feature — much hyped but rarely used.”

see the original story here: http://www.homemediamagazine.com/3-d/3d-experts-see-content-hardware-upswing-23436

[by Robin Berger, TV Technology.com]

CBS Vision and Sony Electronics will celebrate their first anniversary as 3D hub partners this month

Last March, they launched “The Sony 3D Experience” research center and screening room to the public. The goal of the venture, located in CBS Vision’s Television City research facility at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, was to assess consumer preferences and perceptions toward 3D programming, and to determine how to best deliver 3D content for viewing both in and out of the home.

Since then, more than 125,000 people have taken the 3D tour, said David Poltrack, Chief Research Officer and President of the CBS network’s research arm, CBS Vision.

Poltrack said his goal was to continue showcasing “all of the latest, greatest entertainment technology”—in essence creating a mini-Consumer Electronics Show experience each day. He saw Television City as a means to provide promotional opportunities for technology partners as well as a place to gather feedback on all new technologies affecting the industry.

“As soon as anything comes out that has any relevance to our business, we test it independent of having any client [relationship],” said Poltrack. As for the newest test items on his wish list, he said, “We’re talking about getting some of the smaller 3D devices—3D cell phones and tablets.”

EVOLUTION OF THE 3D MECCA

Television City initially opened in April 2001 to test television programming. Down the road, the facility expanded into an adjacent location in order to accommodate a second facility for technology research.

“The [second] facility was designed to bring on all different players,” said Poltrack. “But Sony made the commitment to take all the space for that first year for the 3D experience.”

Sony has contracted the 4,000 square foot space through July of this year.

CBS Vision uses the remaining 6,000 square feet of its facility to conduct research for CBS and other content providers, websites and alternative technologies. Its techniques incorporate traditional qualitative and quantitative methods (like focus groups and surveys), as well as advanced bio-metric methods (such as eye tracking and brain scanning using NeuroFocus technology).

MARKET RESEARCH

3D movie trailers are shown in a special theatre. A model condo formerly used for real estate sales has been converted into a family room setting for watching content and playing motion detector-based video games on a Sony 3D IPTV using active [3D] glasses.

The consumer research gleaned on site has helped Sony shape and drive much of its strategy to build consumer awareness, said Sony officials, as well as to replicate an ideal consumer 3D experience at retail stores.

According to Carl Li, senior manager of product market research for Sony Electronics, one clear benefits of working with Television City is the ability to quickly gather opinions from a unique cross section of regionally diverse consumers who congregate at a single location.

“Last summer we used the CBS TV City research facility and some advanced media measuring technologies to test a large library of available 3D video content,” said Li “This allowed us to understand what types of 3D content are most appealing to consumers. From this, we created retail demonstrations that have helped increase consumer interest.”

The Sony 3D Experience is just one of Sony’s initiatives in the 3D arena. The company also operates its new 3D Technology Center on the Sony Pictures Entertainment lot in Culver City, Calif., which offers industry professionals the opportunity to learn more about the techniques and equipment for 3D production and content creation.

CONSUMER FEEDBACK

Last year Television City conducted surveys of specific 3D events (theatrical presentations of the NCAA Men’s Division I Basketball finals and Masters Golf tournament) as well as periodical surveys of visitors to the Sony 3D Experience and a joint study with Nielsen conducted for the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing. It recently concluded its Annual New Technology survey, which tested 3DTV technology as well as various forms of IPTV.

Although CBS’ Poltrack believes that people are very impressed with 3DTV, he conceded there are obstacles to its adaptation. For starters, a relatively small percentage of viewers are physically incapable of processing 3D or are negatively impacted by the experience.

But the biggest drawbacks are the lack of 3D content and the too high price tag on available TV sets.

“The 3D [components] don’t really add much to the cost of the set,” said Poltrack. “But 3D right now is featured on large sets—the 3D sets that we are demonstrating are in the $1500 and above range.”

Moreover, he noted, as a result of the digital conversion and attraction of watching HDTV on a flatscreen, the majority of those surveyed had bought a TV in the last couple of years. They indicated that they were not likely to buy another in the near future.

See the original post here: http://www.tvtechnology.com/article/116148