Last year, an estimated 6 percent of TVs in the U.S. were able to show 3-D programming, according to the most recent data from research firm IHS Screen Digest. Even homes that have 3-D TVs don't appear to be using them very much, said IHS analyst Sweta ...
âThe ESPN decision is a sign that the 3-D ecosystem is not healthy,â said Laura Martin, an analyst with investment banking firm Needham & Co. âIt must be thereâs not enough demand for 3-D TV.â
The sports network said there werenât enough viewers to make 3-D broadcasts worth it. It didnât say exactly how many viewers it had, but the number was âextremely limited and not growing,â the network said.
Last year, an estimated 6 percent of TVs in the U.S. were able to show 3-D programming, according to the most recent data from research firm IHS Screen Digest. Even homes that have 3-D TVs donât appear to be using them very much, said IHS analyst Sweta Dash.
The lack of programming and the discomfort of having to wear special glasses could be contributing to the problem, she said. âItâs not convenient for people to watch for hours and hours with glasses,â Dash said. âThey get tired.â
ESPN 3D launched in 2010 as one of nine 3-D channels that followed the release of James Cameronâs blockbuster film, âAvatar.â TV makers rushed to introduce 3-D sets as well. ESPN said at the time that it expected a â3-D tsunamiâ in the industry.
3net, a 24-hour-a-day 3-D channel that launched in February 2011 under the ownership of Sony Corp., Discovery Communications Inc. and Imax Corp., appeared to be unfazed by ESPNâs announcement.
âAlthough we donât comment on the activities of other companies, their decision has no impact on our business,â the venture said in a statement.
IHSâs analyst Dash said there appears to be a bigger appetite for 3-D TVs overseas in markets such as China. IHS estimates that 49.6 million 3-D TVs will be sold globally this year, up from 32.8 million last year.
And home video sales of 3-D Blu-ray discs are still growing. IHS says it expects consumers worldwide to spend $668 million on 3-D Blu-rays this year, up from $416 million last year.
The disc format is âvery much still alive and kicking,â said IHS analyst Tony Gunnarsson, who added that 3-D Blu-rays account for about 15 percent of all Blu-ray spending in the U.S.
But TV manufacturers have recently switched their focus from 3-D to âultrahigh definition,â a format that increases the pixel count of high-definition TVs by four times.
At the International Consumer Electronics Show in January, companies like Sony, LG Electronics Inc., Sharp Corp., and Samsung Electronics Co. all showed off so-called âultra HDâ sets that were meant to be within the price range of middle income early adopters. Sonyâs 55-inch model sells for $5,000.
One benefit of the ultra HD format is that viewing doesnât require special glasses, and because people can sit closer to the screen without a loss in quality, bigger screens can replicate the immersion of 3-D video.
Ultra HD is also easier to handle on the production end.
With 3-D TV, two cameras have to be rigged together on a special mount to create the 3-D effect. And because viewers can get dizzy with quick cuts, camera operators specialized in 3-D stay focused on single shots for longer. That makes it hard for producers to simply use âone eyeâ of a 3-D camera for 2-D broadcasts. Instead, camera positions and personnel costs were just multiplied for events shot in both formats.
Along with higher costs, any viewing on 3-D platforms draw viewers away from the standard broadcast, said Rob Willox, director of large sensor technology for Sony Electronics, in an interview last month about the differences between the two formats.
âThere are a lot more costs, and youâre not increasing audience share, youâre dividing it,â he said.
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