Possible Bad News for 3D TV
Avatar’s Blu-ray success may be bad news for 3D TV, you decide. Are consumers really going to shell out more money for the 3D version of Avatar when it becomes available? Let’s have a closer look at what PCWorld had to say about it.
Hollywood moviemakers and TV manufacturers should file this item under Good News/Bad News. First, the good: The blockbuster movie Avatar is apparently a blockbuster on Blu-ray as well. Released just yesterday in stores–Earth Day, in case you missed the symbolism–Avatar racked up record sales of 1.5 million copies in the Blu-ray format. According to the Hollywood Reporter, an early industry estimate places overall disc sales (DVD and Blu-ray) of Avatar somewhere north of 4 million.
And while Avatar director James Cameron and Fox Home Entertainment, which released the disc, are no doubt popping champagne corks today, there may be a downside to the movie’s record-breaking disc sales–at least for TV makers. You see, the initial Blu-ray release of Avatar isn’t in 3D, but in plain old two dimensions. The millions of buyers who’ve already snapped up Avatar discs are aware of this, naturally, and there’s a good chance they’re drawn more by film’s action, characters, and plot than by the (admittedly cool) visually gimmickry of 3D. Fans who want Avatar 3D on Blu-ray will have to wait until early next year, according to Fox.
3D @ Home
Now the potential bad news: Since Avatar is a smashing success in Blu-ray 2D, does this mean that consumers are blasé about 3D entertainment in the home? After all, content drives adoption of new consumer technologies, at least most of the time. If shoppers are snapping up Avatar discs now, it is quite possible they’ll pass on the 3D version–well, aside from a relatively small number of home theater buffs who want to recreate a theatrical experience.
To be fair, 3D TVs are new and expensive, and few consumers own one today. But wouldn’t Avatar, not only the highest-grossing film of all time, but also one that’s integrally linked with 3D entertainment, be the killer app (or killer disc, in this case) that spurs people to drop big bucks on a 3D-ready HDTV, a 3D Blu-Ray player, and at least two (and likely more) pairs of 3D glasses?
I’m not saying that 3D TV will fail. But Avatar’s early disc sales may provide a clue as to what consumers think of 3D at home. If you’re a TV manufacturer, it’s too soon for the vomit bag. But do keep one handy–just in case.
Thanks PCWorld!
Samsung Blu-ray Pricing For 2010
Samsung Electronics America Inc., a market leader and award-winning innovator in consumer electronics, today announced the U.S. availability and pricing of the company’s next-generation Blu-ray Home Theater Systems. As announced at CES, the lineup includes the HT-C6930W, HT-C6730W, which received a CES “Best of Innovations 2010″ award, the HT-C7530W and entry-level HT-C6500 and HT-C5500. All five models introduce a new, no-grill speaker design. They also offer Samsung’s newly-introduced immersive Crystal Amplifier Pro technology, which ensures accurate sound reproduction. The HT-C6930W is a Blu-ray integrated home theater system that also includes 3D capability.
Series/Model Estimated Selling Price Availability
HT-C7530W $ 999.99 May 2010
HT-C6930W $ 899.99 April 2010
HT-C6730W $ 799.99 March 2010
HT-C6500 $ 649.99 March 2010
HT-C5500 $ 499.99 March 2010
“Samsung strives to deliver the best-in-class home theater experience at an affordable value,” said John Revie, senior vice president of Home Entertainment for Samsung Electronics America. “With this year’s lineup of Blu-ray Home Theater Systems, we’re kicking it up a notch by delivering a fully immersive home theater experience for every consumer – including 3D capability and lifelike, pristine audio quality – all with an elegant design in one easy to use system.”
Samsung HT-C6930 and HT-C6730W: Recipient of the CES “Best of Innovations 2010″ Award
The 1330W HT-C6930W and HT-C6730W are designed for the ultimate home theater aficionado and are the most powerful audio systems that Samsung offers with 7.1-channel 3D surround sound, bringing the viewer a fully immersive entertainment experience. Both offer Musical Room Calibration, which uses music to calibrate speakers instead of white noise. The HT-C6930W is distinguished by its 3D capability, delivering on Samsung’s commitment to providing an immersive 3D solution for home entertainment. Both systems introduce a built-in digital signal processor (DSP) that allows for realistic vertical 3D surround sound experience. Boasting 1080p video playback for both Blu-ray discs and standard DVDs, the units support the Dolby Digital Plus™, Dolby TrueHD™ and DTS-HD Master Audio high-definition audio formats. The systems include eight speakers; a wide center channel speaker, two HDMI inputs, a large subwoofer, two tower speakers and four surround speakers, including wireless rear satellite speakers.
The Samsung HT-C7530W: Perfect Balance of Design and Performance
Samsung’s 800W HT-C7530W takes home theater systems to new heights. Featuring Samsung’s nature-inspired Touch of Color™ (ToC™) design, the HT-C7530W matches modern interior design aesthetics while also complementing Samsung’s stylish HDTVs. The receiver’s cabinet has a wood-grain texture and is encased in a luxurious translucent material. The 5.1-channel system consists of two half-tall speakers, two wireless rear speakers, a center unit, a subwoofer, a Wi-Fi dongle, 1 GB embedded memory and 2HDMI inputs.
Samsung HT-C5500 and HT-C6500: Impressive Features in a Small Package
The 1000W HT-C5500 and HT-C6500 deliver the perfect home theater experience for small spaces. The systems feature 5.1 channel surround sound, advanced auto sound calibration , and a iPod/iPhone dock in a compact package that doesn’t sacrifice audio or picture quality. The HT-C6500 also includes 1GB of built-in storage, 2 HDMI inputs, and upgraded speakers.
Connected TV/Samsung Apps
Samsung’s Blu-ray Home Theater systems now include advanced connectivity features through Samsung Apps, the world’s first HDTV applications store. Samsung Apps provides an expanded, easy-to-navigate selection of content and applications from leading content providers and services like The Associated Press, Netflix, Pandora, Twitter, USA TODAY, and VUDU. Applications can be downloaded and viewed all while watching TV. More than 20 applications should launch by the end of March free of charge, with more to come.
In addition, the HT-C6930W, HT-C6730W and HT-C6500 have built-in WiFi connectivity while the HT-C7530W supports Wi-Fi through the included wireless dongle*. All new models include Allshare™ compatibility to allow content sharing among other DLNA® certified electronic devices within the network.
AVATAR 3D Blu-Ray Disc and DVD World Release Dates Announced
Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment today announced that it will launch director James Cameron’s history-making motion picture AVATAR on Blu-ray Disc and DVD on Thursday, April 22.
AVATAR on Blu-ray presents the ultimate high definition experience for home viewing audiences. Fans around the world will soon be able to discover every detail and relive every moment of James Cameron’s AVATAR in the comfort of their own home. Blu-ray is recognized for presenting optimal picture and sound, and now AVATAR’s masterful cinematography, art direction and visual effects will lend itself to awe-inspiring clarity when you become absorbed in the extraordinary all-encompassing experience in the living room.
Since its global theatrical release last December, AVATAR has continued to make motion picture history. Written by James Cameron and produced with his long-time collaborator Jon Landau, AVATAR stars Sam Worthington, Zoë Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Michelle Rodriguez, Giovanni Ribisi, Joel David Moore, CCH Pounder, Wes Studi and Laz Alonso.
Oscar® and Golden Globe® winning epic is the highest grossing film of all time, taking in over $2.6 billion in worldwide box office. Director James Cameron takes audiences to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on a journey of redemption and discovery as he leads a heroic battle to save a civilization. AVATAR delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film disappears into the emotion of the characters and the epic nature of the story.
AVATAR will be available on Blu-ray Disc and DVD everywhere in the United States and Canada on Earth Day, April 22. Please see below for additional release dates around the world:
FRANCE – April 21
BELGIUM – April 21
NETHERLANDS – April 21
SPAIN – April 21
CHINA – April 22
BRAZIL – April 22
RUSSIA – April 22
NORTH AMERICA – April 22
GERMANY – April 23
JAPAN – April 23
SWITZERLAND – April 23
MEXICO – April 23
UK – April 26
DENMARK – April 27
NORWAY – April 28
SWEDEN – April 28
NEW ZEALAND – April 28
AUSTRALIA – April 29
FINLAND – April 30
ITALY – May 6
About Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment
A recognized global industry leader, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC (TCFHE) is the worldwide marketing, sales and distribution company for all Fox film and television programming on DVD, Blu-ray Disc (BD) and Digital Copy as well as acquisitions and original productions. The company also releases all products around the globe for MGM Home Entertainment. Each year TCFHE introduces hundreds of new and newly enhanced products, which it services to retail outlets — from mass merchants and warehouse clubs to specialty stores and e-commerce – throughout the world. Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment LLC is a subsidiary of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, a News Corporation company.
Samsung Push to Become the Preferred 3D Brand
The Korean company Samsung kicks off the industry wide push and battle for brand supremacy – by launching a 3D range that will be in British shops by the end of the month. Billed as the world’s first high definition, three-dimensional LED televisions, Samsung’s range will be serenaded by the Black Eyed Peas at a glitzy global marketing debut in New York tomorrow.
At a press conference today, Samsung said its televisions and Blu-ray devices will come with a starter pack of two pairs of 3D glasses and a Blu-ray version of Monsters vs Aliens under a tie-up with the movie studio DreamWorks Animation. “It’s quite simply the entertainment revolution of our time,” said DreamWorks’ chief executive, Jeffrey Katzenberg. “It’s as important as the introduction of sound or colour.”
Keen to get in on the act, the Japanese company Panasonic will sell its first 3D television at a BestBuy electronics shop in Manhattan this week. And Sony, which expects to begin selling its sets in June, has set an ambitious target of selling 2.5m 3D televisions by March 2011 – amounting to roughly one tenth of all its global television sales. In British shops, John Lewis’s vision buyer, David Kempner, said he expected demand to be a “slowburn”, with an opening price point of £2,000. “HD is still a relatively new concept and consumers are just getting used to it but 3D will be the next big thing. Given it has the support of all the major manufacturers, 3D technology has got momentum of its own but it also requires content providers to support it and there is a time lag there.”
Experts say that 3D televisions are likely to enjoy mainstream uptake because the technology behind them barely costs any more than existing sets. To achieve three dimensions, manufacturers need more powerful processors but the fundamental make-up of the television changes only marginally. The only substantial extra cost is making 3D glasses. “The add-on cost of manufacturing isn’t significant,” said Jim Bottoms, director of the technology consulting company Futuresource. “Set makers are starting to incorporate 3D in higher-end televisions this year. Very quickly, certainly by 2015, virtually every full-sized television will have 3D capability.”
Although pricing for British shops is yet to be finalised, Sony’s 3D televisions range in Japan from around £2,150 for a 40in set to double that amount for a 60in model, while Samsung is charging $2,000 (£1,350) to $4,000 in American stores. Sport and films will be the early applications for 3D home entertainment. Under a deal with Sony, Sky has already begun showing certain Premier League matches in pubs on 3D televisions and this summer’s World Cup could be a watershed for the technology: Sony will film 25 matches in South Africa using 3D cameras.
The opening ceremony of Vancouver’s Winter Olympics was available in 3D. More than 20 movies in 3D are scheduled for release this year, including Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, which topped Britain’s cinema box office charts at the weekend. Mainstream television programming will take longer. The BBC and ITV have expressed interest in experimenting with 3D content.
But Bottoms said everyday shows were unlikely to go 3D until technology arrives to eliminate the need for special glasses, which is thought to be up to five years away. “We see the next three to five years as being ‘event-driven’ for 3D. When we get to a glass-less solution, then we’ll really see 3D become more pervasive,” he said.
It has taken decades even to get to this point. The first 3D film, The Power of Love, was made back in 1922 and dozens of movies came out in the 1950s including such gems as Creature from the Black Lagoon. But a key problem was “3D fatigue” whereby viewers’ eyes became tired from distinguishing the twin images needed to create depth perception.
