3-D TV on the Horizon? Not So Fast

As HDTVs enter the mainstream, consumers are already curiously asking, “What’s next?” Ultra-HDTVs? Super Thin HDTVs?
Eventually these technologies may hit the store shelves, but for most people, these technologies alone aren’t a significant enough leap to get them to ditch their brand new flat panels. So what is the next technological breakthrough?
Companies like Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Vizio, LG, Mitsubishi and Panasonic want you to believe that 3-D is the next technological revolution about to happen for TV.
The real question is, can the technology be marketed to convince you to buy it? A huge turn off for many people is that you have to wear those glasses while watching TV. Can these companies convince us to start wearing shades every time we watch TV?
But perhaps the most pressing issue that might hold consumers back is that jumping on this bandwagon will require you to buy a new TV. 3-D in many people’s perspective is just a gimmick or a novelty.
Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, in a Q & A with the Congressional Internet Caucus in January, said, “The question is, are you going to want to sit there and wear glasses four hours a day to watch TV. I don’t think so.”
“Glasses-less” 3-D technology does exist today, but it’s expensive and the technology is still in its infancy. The viewing angle only allows for a maximum of four strategically placed viewers.
Overall, 3-D TV is still a very new technology, and it still has many milestones to reach before it becomes an option for the mainstream consumer to consider.
While having 3-D sets is fine and dandy, what you really need is the content. A 3-D TV is useless without 3-D movies or shows. A handful of 3-D Blu-Ray players are set to be released so far, which is quite literally a drop in the bucket.
Before the content is readily available, the demand must be there. Unlike HD, people aren’t screaming for 3-D content from the rooftops.
Gaming is where 3-D technology does stand a chance to become a major hit. The gaming market demands the most advanced technology.
In fact, many games are capable of 3-D-already, but the hardware just didn’t exist. Now that is no longer a problem.

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