Port Washington, New York (Vocus) October 26, 2010

There’s more of a “wow” factor for 3D at retail, according to the first installment of the 3D 360° Monitor, a new report from leading market research company, The NPD Group. According to the report, 20 percent of consumers reported being “amazed” by the 3D demos in stores, versus only 15 percent who felt that way about their experience in the theater.

“Since high-quality digital 3D has been available in the theaters for a few years now, consumers have come to expect impressive effects that are worth the price of admission,” said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis for The NPD Group, “However, 3D TVs are relatively new and those viewing a demo don’t have to pay for the privilege, resulting in lower expectations that the sets are often exceeding.”

Theaters are providing most consumers with their first modern 3D experience. Twenty-six percent of consumers stated they experienced 3D entertainment in theaters in the past 12 months followed by retail outlets with 4 percent. Those interested in 3D, however, are being driven by the cinematic experience, with the vast majority of consumers intending to purchase a 3D television seeking larger screens and multiple pairs of 3D glasses.

Demand

The fundamental gap that 3D faces is the one between the appeal of the experience and the acquisition of products to create it. For example, 42 percent of consumers surveyed were at least somewhat interested in watching 3D movies at home, but only 11 percent intend to purchase a 3D television. More than half of those intending to purchase a 3D product say that 3D enhances the viewing experience, and 42 percent agree with the statement that 3D is the future.

Objections from consumers not currently interested in purchasing a 3D television include cost and the need to wear glasses, but there are also concerns about the relatively short amount of time the technology has been available in the consumer market, and whether or not the technical issues have been addressed.

“As we have seen with other technologies that have transitioned from the theater to the home theater, lower prices and more content will help drive adoption of 3D,” said Rubin. “There is clearly an opportunity to build an ecosystem of products that enable this dynamic way to experience content.”

To learn more about consumer experiences at the theater and at retail read Ross Rubin’s blog post on The NPD Group Blog.

Methodology

The 3D 360° Monitor Report, the first report of its kind from NPD, covers awareness, interest and intent around the breadth of devices and content tracked by NPD. More than 1,100 respondents from NPD’s online panel completed the first wave of this survey in August.

About The NPD Group, Inc.

The NPD Group is the leading market research provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,800 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visit http://www.npd.com and http://www.npdgroupblog.com. Follow us on Twitter: @npdtech and @npdgroup.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Sarah Bogaty

+1 516 625 2357

sarah(dot)bogaty(at)npd(dot)com

###

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Vocus, PRWeb and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

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3DComposer screen shot

Durham, NC (PRWEB) November 22, 2010

3DMedia Corporation recently released version 2.0 of its PC software product, 3DComposer. 3DComposer is a tool that allows users to create 3D photos using their existing digital cameras. These 3D photos can be displayed on 3D-capable computer monitors or TVs. 3DComposer is designed to be very simple to use, so even novice photographers can easily create 3D images. “We believe giving consumers the power to create their own 3D content will inspire them to embrace 3D technology,” said Jason Hurst, General Manager of PC Products at 3DMedia. “This release underscores 3DMedia’s continued commitment to delivering the highest quality 3D creation technology.” A free trial of the 3DComposer software can be downloaded at 3dcomposer.com.

3D TVs and PCs are arriving in the market in greater numbers, but many potential buyers find the limited 3D content that is currently available to be a deal breaker. The number of 3D movie titles available on Blu-ray is still fairly small, and there have been only a few 3D broadcasts. Converting 2D content to 3D has been unsatisfying for many viewers due to the relatively poor image quality. Although video provides the ultimate 3D experience, personal 3D video will take years to reach target quality levels. However, consumers can create high-quality, fully immersive 3D today via 3D photography, which has generated a surge of interest. “3D photographs provide an engaging viewing experience, and 3D creates new possibilities for photographers at any skill level,” said Hurst. “Creating high-quality 3D pictures gives people another way to enjoy their 3D HDTV or PC, and is possible even using standard cameras.” 3DMedia’s technologies can also be licensed for incorporating into consumer electronics devices such as cameras, mobile phones, and HDTVs to create 3D-capable products. 3DMedia offers technologies that can be embedded in cameras to make the process of taking 3D pictures even easier. Enabling consumers to create 3D content using their existing cameras will help to quickly generate large amounts of content and further solidify 3D as the preferred way to view images and videos in the future.

Version 2.0 of 3DComposer includes many additional features and enhancements. It now comes packaged with 3DMediaViewer, which is a PC application that allows users to view 3D photos created with 3DComposer on their 3D-capable monitors. 3DComposer can now create 3D image files in MPO format for compatibility with some HDTVs and other viewing applications. 3DComposer version 2.0 includes advanced 3D creation capabilities that improve the quality of the 3D experience.

About 3DMedia:

3DMedia Corporation develops technologies to create, view, and distribute 3D content. 3DMedia’s technologies address the problem of 3D content generation, which is by all accounts the biggest obstacle to consumer adoption of 3D. These 3D technologies are available for licensing and incorporation into consumer products such as cameras, mobile phones, HDTVs, and PCs. By providing users with the means to experience and control high-quality 3D content, 3DMedia’s technologies are a key enabler for the proliferation of 3D products in the consumer market. For more information, visit 3dmedia.com.

Media Contact:

Jason Hurst, General Manager of PC Products

3DMedia Corporation

919-433-9000 ext9017

3dmedia.com/contact

# # #

©Copyright 1997-2010, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

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Port Washington, NY (Vocus) February 26, 2010

While consumers express some interest in 3D TV they may not be running out to purchase a new TV set just yet, according to leading market research company The NPD Group. NPD’s Snapshot Report: 3D Television found that about a third of consumers were at least “somewhat interested” in having 3D capability on their TV, but cost, content availability, and convenience of watching in 3D ranked high among concerns about adopting the technology.

The cost of a 3D TV and the cost of getting 3D content on their TV were concerns for more than 60 percent of consumers. Having to possibly pay more for 3D content from their television provider was perceived as a potential downside of 3D TV by 64 percent of consumers, and 61 percent were concerned about 3D adding significant cost to the price of a TV. In addition, the limited amount of content available was sited as a concern by 39 percent of consumers.

Cost and convenience also came into play in terms of the glasses that major manufacturers will require for viewing 3D content. The inconvenience of wearing 3D glasses was sited as an inhibitor for 53 percent of consumers. 3D glasses would also add on to the cost of viewing 3D content.

“Manufacturers are counting on 3D to accelerate the replacement cycle the way HD did,” said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis at NPD. “Early adopters will look past significant price premiums and limited optimized content in the name of bringing home even more of the cinematic experience as they find 3D capabilities included among other premium features.”

DisplaySearch, an NPD Group company, expects 1.2 million 3D-capable TVs to ship in 2010, with that number growing to 15.6 million in 2013, according to their Quarterly TV Design and Features Report.

Methodology

More than 2,000 adults from NPD’s online panel took part in the survey which was conducted in late 2009.

About The NPD Group, Inc.

The NPD Group is the leading provider of reliable and comprehensive consumer and retail information for a wide range of industries. Today, more than 1,700 manufacturers, retailers, and service companies rely on NPD to help them drive critical business decisions at the global, national, and local market levels. NPD helps our clients to identify new business opportunities and guide product development, marketing, sales, merchandising, and other functions. Information is available for the following industry sectors: automotive, beauty, commercial technology, consumer technology, entertainment, fashion, food and beverage, foodservice, home, office supplies, software, sports, toys, and wireless. For more information, contact us or visit http://www.npd.com/ and http://www.npdgroupblog.com. Follow us on Twitter: @npdtech and @npdgroup.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Sarah Bogaty

+1 516 625 2357

sarah.bogaty (at) npd (dot) com

###

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Sky is planning a huge 3D blitz this year, including the launch of a dedicated 3D TV channel. Games are an obvious contender for the 3D treatment, thanks to the fact that they have all the data they need to produce an effective world already built in.

Verily, the planet is on the cusp of an incredible 3D revolution and we should all be excited! But I’m not. To hell with 3D. If I could change one thing about the cinema-going experience – other than shooting bloody Pearl & Dean into the sun – it would be to watch every blockbuster in IMAX. That would be a genuine improvement.

3D is just another gimmick, right down there with Smell-O-Vision, electric shocks coming through the seat, vibrating cinema chairs and, of course, the last 17 times that the industry has tried to make 3D into the Next Big Thing. And we still don’t need it. I’ve never, ever seen a 3D movie that so much as breathed softly on my socks, never mind blew them off.

Realistically, the technology offers exactly two tricks of note. There’s the annoying one, as demonstrated in Monsters vs Aliens, which opens with a guy batting a ball at the screen just to go, ‘Ooooh! 3D in your face!’ If I never see that trick again, it’ll be too soon.

The other one, which is largely pushing the 3D revolution, is all about adding depth to scenes. This trick can work, I’ll admit, and it can also be effective. You definitely notice it – especially in a film such as Avatar – but, more importantly, you can actively not notice it and still get some benefit, which is what really matters. At least, in theory.

Expensive headaches

The problem is that, for all the potential benefits, 3D just seems to be Hollywood’s most expensive way to give me a headache, even including the Bourne movies and the continued acting career of Shia LaBeouf.

Yes, this is probably just a question of my rubbish eyes, all maggoty with astigmatism and myopia as they are, but I don’t care.

By the end of Avatar’s seven-hour running time, my whole face felt as though someone had just opened the Ark of the Covenant over on the next row. My eyes oozed blood and gooey eyeball juice into my popcorn. Still, at least it stopped anyone else from stealing any.

Even before that point, though, Avatar only gave me about five minutes of genuine 3D ‘Oooh!’ before the effect faded, as any effect inevitably does.

From that point on, the glasses, the popping tricks and the background shimmer – in fact, all the pieces of technology that were meant to be immersing me in the action – served only as a constant lingering reminder that I wasn’t in fact on a distant jungle planet with lots of sexy blue people, but in a cinema and in need of some aspirin.

The trade-off simply wasn’t worth it, especially when coupled with the dark tint that the obnoxious 3D glasses put over all the film’s beautiful bright colours. Also, the film was a bit rubbish.

Even watching great 3D movies, such as Pixar’s Up, I’ve never been able to settle in and just enjoy the film or get completely lost in the action, not with every background shimmering away like a desert mirage and each character popping into the screen.

I quite often lift up the glasses just to compare the two images and every time it’s the same: any power that the 3D version of the film has ultimately comes from the 2D version being exquisitely made. I’ve never wanted for that extra half a dimension as much as I craved the brighter colours and a lack of intense eye-trauma after leaving the cinema.

The industry wants 3D

Of course, it’s no wonder that the industry desperately wants 3D technology to be a big deal. Right now, it’s the only real benefit cinemas can offer over home theatre systems, aside from ever-more obnoxious advertising and snot-smeared pick ‘n’ mix.

Looking ahead, hardware companies see it as the next big reason to make us all upgrade our kit. And good for them. It’s still not an upgrade I can see myself rushing out to make, or can imagine recommending anyone else to go and do likewise.

When we finally get TVs that can add that illusion of depth without needing glasses, we’ll have a genuine step forward. Until then, it’s just a gimmick – an effect we’ll all get accustomed to and subsequently bored of in a couple of weeks.

If anything, the best thing for 3D would be for it to stay as popular as it is now – an occasional treat for people who like it, something that’s to be savoured and allowed to maintain what power it has.

Taking it mainstream can only ruin the effect in ways that my astigmatism and quick-drying contact lenses can only dream of – and you can bet that losing the magic won’t come cheap.

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That’s the news from initial findings in preliminary tests of three of the newest 3D models, two 46-inch LCD models from Samsung and a 50-inch plasma set from Panasonic, conducted by Consumer Reports (CR), the respected, independent tester and rater of consumer goods and services.

Preliminary tests “have been impressive,” the non-profit Consumer Union operation reported.

“The high-definition, 1080p images on these TVs have excellent three-dimensional depth, color, and detail — especially with animated content — creating a compelling and realistic three-dimensional experience. You’ll be ducking when that Frisbee comes flying toward you!” CR reported.

While largely positive, preliminary tests revealed only minor “performance differences between the models, which in the 3D mode are mirroring some of the differences we see when we test LCD and plasma TVs with regular high-definition programs.”

CR said as of mid-March, there were three 3D TVs in stores: two LCD sets from Samsung, the 46-inch UN46C7000 — $2,600 at Sears; and the 55-inch UN55C7000 — $2,970 at Best Buy and $3,300 at Sears.

CR said the 50-inch Panasonic TC-P50VT20 plasma it tested was available in select Best Buy Magnolia stores for $2,500.

Models from LG, Sony, Toshiba, and Vizio are coming down the assembly line and expected to arrive in a few months.

“The big one (question), of course, is whether these new TVs can recreate the 3D excitement we’ve been getting in movie theaters in our own homes. Based on our exclusive tests of the first models available, the answer is a resounding “yes,” the publication reports.

With real 3D TV programming still on the horizon, 3D TV buyers will have to also shell out up to $400 for a 3-D Blu-ray player to watch 3D DVDs. While most 3D TV models are packed with a pair of two of the cool-looking 3D shutter glasses, you’ll have to shell out another $150 a pair for full family fun, according to Jim Wilcox, senior electronics editor at Consumer Reports.

Get the full scoop from CR in “7 things you need to know about 3D TV” as well as from additional CR 3D TV research, test results and content.

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3D TV is the buzz word of 2010 as television manufacturers roll out several models capable of displaying 3D content. While not everyone will rush out to purchase a 3D Television immediately, they will be evaluating what’s available. As television manufacturers battle for top position, only the early adopters will dish out the high price in the beginning.

When the general public finally understands how to determine 3D TV quality, we predict there will be a surge in purchases. Our research suggests that pricing for a 3D TV will only be slightly more than a typical flat screen HDTV. The public is not going to wait ten years for the price to come down like they did with the introduction of flat screens when they first came out.

One major hurdle that television manufacturers are facing before 3D Television sales will take off is content. Consumers simply won’t purchase a 3D TV until they are guaranteed to be able to watch the content they want on it. Several inroads are being made to produce content to match the anticipated demand for 3D TV, but will it be enough?

This summer ESPN will launch an entire station exclusively dedicated to broadcasting in 3D. The scheduled launch is June 11, 2010, and is being touted as the first all 3D television network. This extremely bold gamble by ESPN may or may not pay off. With limited broadcasting available, it’s really hard to say if this will inspire sports fans to run out and purchase a 3D Television. They plan on only airing new content on the new channel which means there will be plenty of blackout periods.

Another point of contention towards assuming 3D TV will flop is the fact that 3D Glasses are required to watch content. We believe that having a set of 3D Glasses on hand to watch 3D TV won’t be a big deal. Sure they will cost a little money and they might be awkward at first, but everyone will become accustom to wearing them. There will be a variety of styles available to suit every taste and size at a price you can afford.

3D TV will be big this year and will continue to grow in popularity every year thereafter. Some folks have prejudged 3D TV too early and have based their harsh criticism on early models that will be obsolete in six months. As 3D TV evolves, so will the interest and acceptance of this new medium. When content becomes available in 3D you will insist on seeing it the way it was meant to be seen. In fact, watching television the old way will probably seem boring.

For those who are saying 3D TV will flop, perhaps they should re-evaluate where they stand. 3D TV is the next big thing in television and the public is eager to learn more. As the technology evolves, it will become a “must have” for consumers globally.

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