3D TV will struggle to take off
3D TV will “struggle” to gain traction in the mainstream UK television market, according to a report by Informa Telecoms & Media.
125,000 UK households bought a 3D-ready TV set in 2010. Almost 90% of them were active viewers of 3D programming.
That numbers is expected to grow to 11 million UK households by 2016 – around a third of the total number of homes – but only 42% will watch 3D content on a regular basis, according to the Guardian.
“3D TV has the backing of the major UK broadcasters like Sky and Virgin, and most recently the BBC,” said Adam Thomas, senior analyst at IT&M. “However despite this public reaction has been mixed, due to both a lack of content and a simple failure of the public to engage.
“Instead of a USP [unique selling point], 3D is now often marketed as just one of the set’s benefits along with features such as internet-connection capability and LED backlighting.”
IT&M’s report comes at the start of Wimbledon, which will see the finals broadcast live in 3D for the first time. While Kantar Media’s Alice Dunn sees the tennis tournament as a good place to reach potential 3D viewers; the research company’s FuturePROOF survey found that only 1% currently have a 3D TV set (in April 2011) and only 2% of the population plan to buy one in the next six months.
“Perhaps what is more telling is that only two in 10 adults (18%) agreed that they are ‘excited by the prospect of being able to watch television in 3D at home’. The profile of those agreeing to this statement was skewed towards men (57%) and under 35s (59%),” writes Trevor Vagg, director at Kantar.
Kantar suggests that “3DTV is likely to remain more of a technology for a niche group whilst HDTV and connected TV have greater likelihood to reach the masses”, which mirrors the Deloitte’s Revolutions 3010 survey last year. The survey said 3D sounds good but means nothing – with respondents saying 3D didn’t enhance their entertainment experience, and some saying it made them feel physically sick.
The problem has mainly been attributed to the need to wear glasses, and the limited autostereoscopic option (a glasses-free option but the 3D ‘action’ is only visible directly in front of the screen – ideal for gamers and mobile users but less practical for TV viewing).
At MediaTel’s recent Media Playground 2011, the focus in the Broadcast session was definitely on the rise and potential of connected TVs – with very little mention of 3D TV.