Tip of the iceberg?
We have little doubt that TVs endowed with 3D trickery will become an integral part of all manufacturers' listings in the months and years ahead. However, in mid-2010, 3D-enabled sets make up a miniscule percentage of all TV sales, according to research conducted by retail analyst GfK.Getting granular, GfK reckons that by the end of May 2010, European consumers had purchased 25,000 3D-enabled flat-screen TVs. Sound impressive until you factor in that GfK conjectures 252 million TVs will be sold this year.
Big-name manufacturers have begun rolling out a bevy of 3D-enabled sets but a lack of content and premium pricing is stifling demand, we think. GfK goes on to paint a rosier picture by stating "The latest survey of 120 electronic retailers in Germany, France and the UK found that 3D televisions will be an integral part of product ranges in future. In addition, 90% of retailers stated that the topic of internet television also sparked interest among their customers."
The nascent technology should gather significant momentum in the second half of the year as the 3D bandwagon moves into overdrive, helped by the release of a wider range of Blu-ray players, along with 3D-compatible console and PC gaming - the latter currently championed by NVIDIA.
What do you think? Will your next TV purchase be of the 3D persuasion?
