Sky Goes to LG in Preparation for 3D Rollout
Sky has reportedly purchased 15,000 3D-ready TV sets from Korean manufacturer LG in preparation for the rollout of its 3D service to pubs around the UK.
The satellite broadcaster’s new 3D channel will launch to selected pubs next month, before expanding to Sky’s top tier TV customers later in the year.
Under the partnership deal, LG will supply a batch of its new 3D TVs to be installed by Sky engineers at public venues around Britain before weekly 3D Premier League matches commence in the spring.
The rollout follows the firm’s first public broadcast of 3D football to nine selected pubs for Arsenal’s game against Manchester United at the end of January.
Sky is also currently demonstrating its 3D service at the Westfield shopping centre in London, including tennis, golf, boxing, ballet, movies and live music content.
3D Display Revenues Forecast to Reach $22B by 2018; 3D-Ready TV Shipments to Reach 64M Units
In its recently released 3D Display Technology and Market Forecast Report, DisplaySearch forecasts that the total stereoscopic 3D display market will grow from 0.7 million units and $902 million in revenues in 2008 to 196 million units and $22 billion in revenues in 2018, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38% for revenues and 75% for units.
3D displays are taking off with consumers due to increasing availability of 3D content. In addition, 3D standardization has also been addressed or is being evaluated in several 3D organizations.
In its recently released 3D Display Technology and Market Forecast Report, DisplaySearch forecasts that the total stereoscopic 3D display market will grow from 0.7 million units and $902 million in revenues in 2008 to 196 million units and $22 billion in revenues in 2018, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 38% for revenues and 75% for units.
Figure 1: 3D Display Forecast, Source: 3D Display Technology and Market Forecast ReportThe market for 3D displays—which is encouraged by the recent success of 3D cinema—is forecast to take off in 2010, providing a welcome boost to the electronics industry. “3D displays are taking off with consumers due to increasing availability of 3D content. In addition, 3D standardization has also been addressed or is being evaluated in several 3D organizations,” noted Jennifer Colegrove, Director of Display Technologies at DisplaySearch. “A number of manufacturers of consumer electronics devices, including TVs, monitors, notebooks, Blu-ray disc players, and digital cameras/camcorders/photo frames have aggressively promoted 3D in the home. In addition to consumer use of 3D displays, the technology has also been used for many professional applications and advertisement/public displays.”
DisplaySearch forecasts 3D-ready TVs will grow from 0.2 million units in 2009 to 64 million units in 2018. 3D-ready TV will be the largest application in terms of revenue in 2018 with $17 billion (Figure 1).
Additional findings from the DisplaySearch 3D Display Technology and Market Forecast Report:
3D-ready monitors will grow from 40K units (0.02% penetration) in 2009 to 10 million (3.6% penetration) in 2018.
3D notebook PCs are forecast to grow from 66K units (0.04% penetration) in 2009 to 17.7 million (3.2% penetration) in 2018.
Mobile phones will be the largest 3D display application on a unit shipment basis in 2018, with 71 million units with 3D capability.
The largest screen size category for 3D display shipments will be 1-4.x”, due to demand from mobile phone and digital camera/camcorder applications. The second largest size range will be 40-49”, due to TV, public display and 40+ monitor applications.
LCD will be the primary display technology used for 3D displays, as a result of its wide range of display applications ranging from small mobile phones to large public displays and TVs.
Eyewear will be necessary for most 3D applications for many years to come, due to the limitations of auto-stereoscopic (no glasses) technologies.
DisplaySearch forecasts there will be more than 7,000 new 3D cinema screens installed in 2010 and an additional 9,000 in 2011.
The DisplaySearch 3D Display Technology and Market Forecast Report is a comprehensive analysis of the stereoscopic 3D display technologies and their market forecasts through 2018. The report profiles about 150 3D display-related companies, with a breakdown by technology for 3D display and supply chain. 3D image creation and processing, human factors, content delivery and standardization are also discussed in the report. The Excel database provides a pivot table with market forecasts for units, revenues and ASPs, by nine size breakdowns, and ten applications: TV, mobile phone, digital camera/camcorder, digital photo frame, head-mounted display, notebook PC, monitor (<39.x”), 40+” monitor, public display, cinema and other applications.
The report analyzes over a dozen 3D display technologies, focusing on six categories in the market forecast: passive glasses with one panel, passive glasses with two panels, active glasses, no glasses (auto-stereoscopic), head-mounted display and holographic/volume. The report also covers touch screens for 3D displays. For more information on this report, please contact Charles Camaroto at 1.888.436.7673 or 1.516.625.2452, or contact@displaysearch.com or contact your regional DisplaySearch office in China, Japan, Korea or Taiwan.
The DisplaySearch 12th Annual USFPD Conference, called “Laying the Foundations for the Next Wave of Growth: Energy Efficient & Low Cost Alternatives Lead the Way” will be held March 2-3, 2010 at the Hilton San Diego Resort in San Diego, California. The event will focus on all major and emerging flat panel display applications, as well as key components and materials related to the supply chain. To view the agenda and register, visit www.displaysearch.com/usfpd. Register by January 25, 2010 to receive the early bird discount and save $400! Media interested in attending the USFPD Conference should contact Stacey Voorhees-Harmon at stacey(at)savvypublicrelations(dot)net or call +1.925.336.9592.
About DisplaySearch
Since 1996, DisplaySearch has been recognized as a leading global market research and consulting firm specializing in the $770 billion display supply chain, as well as the emerging photovoltaic/solar cell industries. DisplaySearch provides trend information, forecasts and analyses developed by a global team of experienced analysts with extensive industry knowledge and resources. In collaboration with the NPD Group, its parent company, DisplaySearch uniquely offers a true, end-to-end view of the display supply chain from materials and components to shipments of electronic devices with displays to sales of major consumer and commercial channels. For more information on DisplaySearch analysts, reports and industry events, visit us at www.displaysearch.com. Read our blog at www.displaysearchblog.com and follow us on Twitter at @DisplaySearch.
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Brings 3D to Life
LAS VEGAS — January 5, 2010 —Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc. (MDEA) will showcase the flexibility and versatility of its 3D-ready TV products by displaying 3D content delivered by various video sources, including Blu-Ray players at CES 2010 in the “Experience 3D Tech Zone”. MDEA has also announced a new 3D adapter which will provide Mitsubishi 3D-ready Home Theater TV owners with an easy and affordable solution to display 3D from a 3D Blu-Ray player. The Mitsubishi 3DC-1000 3D adapter will be available in late spring of 2010. MDEA will be located in CES booth #14548, Central Hall.
“As a pioneer in the 3D television market, Mitsubishi is bridging the gap for consumers to experience this break-through technology,” said Frank DeMartin, vice president of marketing, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America. “3D is definitely a large screen experience, and Mitsubishi offers the most models and largest screen sizes of 3D-ready TVs available today, including one of the world’s largest mass produced 3D-ready TV at 82 inches.”
At CES, MDEA will be rolling in its massive and impressive 53-foot Mobile Marketing Showroom (MMS) into the “Experience 3D Tech Zone”. The MMS will provide a 1000-square-foot showroom showcasing a wide variety of new 3D content displayed on both LaserVue™ and Home Theater TVs. 3D entertainment will be demonstrated on a laser-powered television, using a 65” LaserVue TV and MDEA’s Home Theater TV product line will be displaying cross-platform content on its 60”, 73” and 82” televisions.
MDEA began distribution of 3D-ready TVs in 2007. To help consumers experience and learn more about 3D technology, MDEA has displayed highly interactive retail demonstration kiosks in more than 150 home theater dealers nationwide, enabling consumers to experience 3D as it would perform in a typical home setting. The in-store 3D display is equipped with a Mitsubishi Home Theater TV and media server, as well as stereoscopic glasses and an IR-emitter. Each demo showcases all the products needed to watch 3D movies or play 3D games at home.
“Consumer demand for 3D-capable TVs will continue to rise in 2010 and beyond, and the industry will see Mitsubishi continue to provide solutions for mass consumer adoption,” said David Naranjo, director of product development, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America. “We expect 2010 to be the year that 3D finally achieves mass consumer adoption, and are working to continue to pioneer innovation to make it easier than ever for consumers to experience this next big step in home entertainment.”
About Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc.
Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America, Inc., manufactures and markets a comprehensive line of premium quality 1080p Home Theater TVs and Unisen™ Flat Panel TVs along with the world’s first laser TV: LaserVue®. Recognized as the world leader and innovator of large display high-definition televisions, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America builds products that lead the industry in quality, performance and ease-of-use. For additional information about MDEA, visit www.mitsubishi-tv.com.
In order to display 3D images, Mitsubishi LaserVue® & Home Theater 3D Ready TVs require source devices to support checkerboard format for display of 3D gaming or 3D Blu-ray content. Some 3D Blu-ray players (BDPs) may output a
checkerboard format that is compatible with Mitsubishi 3D Ready TVs. For 3D BDPs that do not output a compatible
checkerboard format, Mitsubishi plans to offer the 3DC-1000 3D adapter. The 3DC-1000 will convert the 3D BDP output to a
3D format that can be displayed by any Mitsubishi 3D Ready TV.
Sky to launch 3D TV in 2010 following record Sky+HD growth
Sky has announced that the number of customers choosing Sky+HD, the UK’s only high definition (HD) service currently capable of broadcasting 3D services, has increased to 1.313 million following record growth.
Customers have responded in record numbers to Sky’s high quality and great value HD service. Sky has more than doubled the number of HD customers in the last year alone with over 90 customers* an hour joining Sky+HD.
In the next step in the Sky+HD journey, Sky today announced that it will launch the UK’s first 3D channel next year. The channel will offer a broad selection of the best available 3D programming, which is expected to include movies, entertainment and sport. The service will be broadcast across Sky’s existing HD infrastructure and be available via the current generation of Sky+HD
set-top boxes. To watch 3D, customers will also require a new ’3D Ready’ TV, which are expected to be on sale in the UK next year.
This commitment follows extensive research and development activity into 3D, which included Sky becoming the first TV company in Europe to broadcast a live event in 3D TV. On 2nd April 2009 Sky successfully broadcast a performance by Keane live from Abbey Road Studios via the company’s satellite network to a Sky+HD set-top box and domestic 3D Ready TV.
Sky has also confirmed the launch of a comprehensive ‘pull’ video-on-demand (VOD) service next year, to provide Sky+HD customers with additional choice and control to complement Sky+ and the current Sky Anytime ‘push’ VOD service. This new service will use the broadband capability of existing Sky+HD boxes.
Brian Sullivan, Managing Director of Sky’s Customer Group, comments:
“Well over a million homes have future-proofed themselves with Sky+HD, a platform for choice, quality and future innovation. With Sky+ as standard, our customers are already enjoying amazing picture and sound quality on a range of high-quality HD channels which cater to the interests and passions of the whole family.
“Next year we will make our HD boxes work even harder for customers by launching Europe’s first 3D TV channel, as well as introducing a comprehensive video-on-demand service to complement Sky+ and the current Sky Anytime service.
“3D is a genuinely ‘seeing is believing’ experience, making TV come to life as never before. Just like the launch of digital, Sky+ and HD, this is latest step in our commitment to innovating for customers.”
Sky launched the UK’s first national HD service in May 2006 which has since become Europe’s most successful HD service. Today Sky+HD customers can watch 33 HD channels from leading brands such as Sky Movies, Sky Sports, Channel 4, Disney, MTV, BBC, Discovery, FX, Sky1 and National Geographic. Sky+HD customers can choose up to 400 hours a day – or 13,000 hours a month – of quality HD content, which is significantly more than any other TV platform.
Further channels are due shortly, including ESPN HD (August 2009), and Sky News HD (Spring 2010), with a view to growing the offering to 50 channels over time.
Further details on Sky’s pull VOD and 3DTV services, including pricing, packaging and entitlement, will be announced closer to launch.
* On average in the year to end June 2009
Sky+HD:
Sky reported today that in the fourth quarter of 2008/9, it added 291,000 Sky+HD customers, to reach over 1.3 million – more than double the number just a year ago. This means that 14% of Sky’s customer base now chooses Sky+HD (up from 6% last year).
About Sky:
Sky is the UK’s leading entertainment and communications company, operating the most comprehensive multi-channel television service. Over 9.4 million homes – a third of households across the UK and Ireland – enjoy the very best entertainment, movies, news and sports channels. In delivering entertainment through the TV, PC and mobile, customers have more control and flexibility over what, how and when they watch. Almost 5.5 million customers now choose Sky+, Sky’s digital video recorder, to record and store their favourite programmes and 1.3 million enjoy the unprecedented picture and sound quality of Sky+HD, which offers 33 dedicated HD channels. Sky is also the UK’s fastest growing broadband and fixed-telephony provider with over 2.2 million customers taking Sky Broadband and over 1.8 million customers taking Sky Talk.
About Sky 3D TV:
There will be no need for customers to upgrade their set-top boxes to access to the new 3D channel, as all existing Sky+HD boxes are already ‘3D Ready’. However, customers will need a new 3D Ready TV, which are expected to be on sale in the UK during 2010. More details on the channel, including timing, pricing and packaging will be provided in due course.
What has Sky captured in 3D?
On Thursday 2 April Sky successfully broadcast the UK’s first live event in 3D TV to a domestic 3D TV set, via its satellite network and existing Sky+HD set-top boxes. Using polarisation technology, this was the first time an event had ever been broadcast live to a domestic TV screen in the UK.
Other events recorded in 3D include:
- Usain Bolt, sprinting 150 metres down a specially designed track on Manchester’s Deansgate during the Bupa Great City Games (17 May 2009)
- Swan Lake, a special performance by English National Ballet to capture the UK’s first ballet for 3D TV (9 April 2009)
- England vs. New Zealand Rugby Union Test Match (29th November)
- Sky1’s Gladiators (December 2008)
- Liverpool FC vs Marseille UEFA Champions League (26th November 2008)
- Ricky Hatton vs. Juan Lazcano (12th March 2008)
3D explained
The human eye’s ability to see things with variable depth and wide perspective is based on how the brain processes two separate images, as received by each eye. When someone looks at something the brain is able to merge two separate images together to create a field of vision which is both three-dimensional and allows the viewer to focus on specific areas within any given scene.
The jump from 2D to 3D
TV has traditionally only been able to deliver a single image to a television screen. For all the innovation that we’ve seen in TV (including the move to colour, the migration to digital, and more recently, the launch of high definition services), all of these developments have only been able to work within the parameters of a single incoming TV feed – a 2D experience.
So even though HD delivers an intensity and richness which results in exceptional clarity and detail, it is still based on the same underlying picture delivery mechanism as previous TV formats.
3D TV is possible because of a series of major breakthroughs (principally in camera, post-production, encoding, set-top box and TV set technology) which means that domestic TVs are now capable of processing an image in a way that can deliver the depth information to the brain – much like the human eye – and hence add a further dimension to HD.
For the first time, two images can now be merged and played out simultaneously on the same domestic TV display. Polarising glasses are currently used to help direct the correct left or right full colour on-screen image to the corresponding eye. The brain then processes each feed to create a single image, providing a level of depth and focus which means that the content is able to move to and from the foreground and therefore becomes three-dimensional.
