ESPN 3D TV Coming From DirecTV
Continuing to lead the 3D revolution by offering customers new dimensions in sports programming, DIRECTV will add ESPN 3D, the industry’s first 3D sports television network, to its upcoming 3D lineup that will offer three dedicated 3D channels, including DIRECTV’s newly named linear 3D channel, N3D(TM) powered by Panasonic. Launching in June, millions of DIRECTV HD customers will have access to ESPN’s entire 3D programming lineup, including up to 25 2010 FIFA World Cup matches.
ESPN 3D will showcase a minimum of 85 live sporting events during its first year, beginning June 11 with the first 2010 FIFA World Cup match, featuring South Africa versus Mexico. Other events to be produced in 3D include X Games 16, 2010 college football ACC Championship, 2011 BCS National Championship game, college basketball and NBA games in 2011. DIRECTV HD customers who subscribe to ESPN will receive ESPN 3D at no additional cost.
“Watching ESPN’s comprehensive lineup of sports programming in 3D will be like having your own virtual seat at all of your favorite sporting events around the world. We are excited to be the first and only distributor to announce the launch of ESPN 3D and we look forward to announcing additional 3D partners throughout the year,” said Eric Shanks, executive vice president, DIRECTV Entertainment.
“ESPN and DIRECTV recognize the groundswell effect 3D has already had on the television industry in the last few months. This agreement is the first step in providing sports fans access to exciting, dynamic content, as well as providing our affiliates new opportunities to provide cutting-edge product offerings to their subscribers,” said David C. Preschlack, executive vice president, affiliate sales and marketing, Disney & ESPN Networks Group.
In addition to N3D(TM) powered by Panasonic, which will deliver the best 3D programming from programmers such as AEG/AEG Digital Media, CBS, Fox Sports/FSN, Golden Boy Promotions, HDNet, MTV, NBC Universal and Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., DIRECTV will also offer a 24/7 3D pay per view channel and a 24/7 3D DIRECTV on Demand channel, beginning this June.
This June, DIRECTV HD customers will receive a free software upgrade enabling them to have access to the 3D channels on DIRECTV. DIRECTV HD customers will need a 3D television set and 3D glasses to view 3D programming on DIRECTV.
Sony Will Launch 3D TV in Japan in June 2010
Japan will be one of the first countries to have Sony’s 3D product lineup. Although several new 3D TV models will be launched there this summer, we are unsure how well sales will be. Considering the additional cost of 3D technology, are Japanese 3D fans going to rush out to buy one?
A 46-inch 3D screen will cost around 350,000 yen ($3,898; £2,608), 52% more expensive than a regular Sony flatscreen television.
Sony hopes to “liberate 3D from the confines of movie theatres,” says senior vice-president Yoshihisa Ishida.
The success of 3D films like Avatar, which won three Oscars on Sunday, has boosted hopes that 3D television could take off.
Widespread Launches Announced
Panasonic will begin selling 3D televisions in the US from Wednesday, in co-operation with electronics store Best Buy.
Samsung and LG are already selling 3D televisions and expect to launch their products in the UK and Europe over the next couple of months.
Included with the Sony television will be two pairs of special glasses and a camera sensor that will adjust sound and picture quality depending on where you sit.
The glasses cost around 12,000 yen each time you need an extra set.
They operate on an “active shutter principle” and present slightly different images to each eye, which Sony claims will provide realistic depth and crisp pictures.
ESPN, the sports network owned by Walt Disney, plans to launch a 3D sports channel this summer.
Early adopters might also be motivated by playing computer games – many of which are inherently three dimensional.
‘Barriers to growth’
But in a downturn will consumers pay for fancy features like 3D?
“I’m not very optimistic about 3D TV as it is today, I see more negatives than positives,” says Fernando Elizalde, from research firm Gartner.
“The biggest barriers to growth in 3D TV are the lack of content, the inconvenience of wearing glasses and that millions of consumers have only just upgraded to high-definition sets.”
“Sony has one advantage: it has arms that make TV sets, produce content and make filming equipment.”
Sony Betting Big on 3D TV
Sony has ambitious growth forecasts for 3D set sales.
It wants to sell 25 million liquid crystal display (LCD) televisions in the financial year April 2010 to March 2011, and hopes 10% of these will be 3D.
They will be hoping for a rush of orders before Japan’s analogue TV signal is turned off in July 2011.
Sony is betting big on 3D. Its president, Sir Howard Stringer, calls it “the next great consumer experience”.
The firm has implemented a programme of restructuring, cutting costs, reducing the number of manufacturing sites from 57 in December 2008 to 45 by May 2010.
Nevertheless in February, Sony said it expected to make a net loss of 70bn yen in the financial year ending March 2010. In the previous financial year it made a loss of of 98.9bn yen.
Porn to drive adoption of 3D consumer hardware
For the first time ever, a company is offering consumers a turnkey digital 3D viewing system and a 3D content subscription service for in-home digital HD 3D entertainment. Southern California’s Bad Girls in 3D will be unveiling its complete in-home digital 3D system at Booth 7032 at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo January 7-10, 2010 at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, NV.
As Hollywood celebrates its latest digital theatrical event, it is at home that most people will really experience the 3D revolution … and its happening now.
“For several decades, the adult entertainment industry has driven adoption of every significant new entertainment delivery system — the VHS home-video craze in the 1980s, the satellite television mania in the 1990s and the present day internet,” said Lance B. Johnson of Bad Girls in 3D. “2010 and beyond will be all about 3D. Society’s enthusiasm for 3D films is largely responsible for the record $10 billion in box office revenues in 2009.”
“We want to bring this technology into the home and we will do this via a hardware “bundle” that will work with streaming 3D porn. We are offering a complete turnkey in-home solution as well as a monthly subscription service. You can log onto to Badgirlsin3d.com to purchase the complete hardware package and subscribe. From there, simply turn on your PC, log on to badgirlsin3d.com and put on the active 3D glasses. It’s that simple!”
“We’ve partnered with the best active 3D shutter glass supplier for home theater because active technology has been embraced by the world’s leading display manufactures like Panasonic, Sony and Mitsubishi,” explained Johnson. “We believe, the in-home delivery system we’ve put together is the very best of today’s available digital 3D technology. The system provides a truly astonishing immersive 3D experience at a very affordable price.”
The potential of 3D pornography was established long ago with the 1969 release of The Stewardesses. The soft core film played in theaters for over two years and grossed an astonishing $27 million.
Just last week it was reported that James Cameron’s ground-breaking 3D film Avatar grossed over $1 billion in its first 17 days … and it continues to sellout theaters around the globe. The film’s anticipated and actual success is having an immediate impact on mainstream 3D film and television. On January 5, 2010, ESPN announced it will be begin 3D broadcasting in June.
The 3D market is expected to be worth tens of billions in the next couple of years. LG Electronics recently announced it plans to sell 400,000 3D TVs in 2010 and 3.4 million in 2011 and Sony is targeting revenue from 3D related products of more than US $11.3 billion in its fiscal year ending March 31, 2013. A recent report entitled 3DTV Market Analysis: Transition From Cinema to Living Room suggests that in just four years there will be 46 million 3D TVs in existence.
On December 17, 2009, the Blu-ray Disc Association announced the release of “Blu-ray 3D” standards. This paves the way for widespread production of 3D Bluray DVD equipment by the major electronics manufacturers in 2010. Johnson stated, “The Bad Girls in 3D equipment bundle is compatible with the Blu-ray specifications and we plan to release our content on 3D discs when the consumer equipment becomes available in the next few months.”
“We feel our content and delivery system creates a virtual voyeuristic and participatory reaction from viewers.” said Johnson. The available Bad Girls in 3D content currently includes solo girl and boy/girl scenes but the company plans to expand its available content to satisfy a variety of tastes particularly for the European and Asian markets. “With our content we are aiming to create an immersive reality for all of our customers,” stated Johnson.
For more information contact: Lance B. Johnson at lance@badgirlsin3d.com and visit www.badgirlsin3d.com. Bad Girls in 3D will be demonstrating its products at Booth 7032 at the AVN Adult Entertainment Expo January 7-10, 2010 at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas, NV.
Will 3D TV Flop or Not?
There’s always an abundance of scepticism when it comes to accepting new technology into our lives. With the emergence of 3D TV on the horizons, it appears that some are predicting it will be a flop. At Review 3D TV, we think calling it a flop at this point is not only disappointing, but even disturbing.
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.
