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CES GETS UNDER WAY
Listed under: Top Story
Published: Friday, January 07, 2011
Digitaltvinfo.com’s Stuart Hopwood attends the opening press day at CES 2011 and finds manufacturers re-affirming their commitment to 3D with gusto…
Attending press conferences all day prior to the show’s Thursday opening emphasised the massive investment behind, and now likely secure future of, 3D TV. Here are just a few of the highlights.
At the first 8am meeting, LG Electronics showcased its range of glasses-assisted LCD, plasma and OLED screens. You expect to see several ‘world firsts’ at such events, and in LG’s case, these included the world’s largest 84-inch Ultra Definition 3DTV, the world’s first flicker-free 3DTV and the slimmest OLED screen yet, measuring just 2.9mm thick.
DigitalTVinfo.com were also invited to attend the special Toshiba European press presentation, where the company announced its plans to introduce glasses-free 3DTV units during April 2011 and March 2012.
This decision was apparently prompted in part by the results of a Japanese survey, which showed that 68% of consumers would purchase a 3DTV were it not necessary to use accompanying glasses. Here in the UK, however, reports from retailers have suggested that it’s less the need to wear glasses, and more the relative lack and high costs of available 3DTV content that’s currently causing most concern among consumers.
Elsewhere, it seems that Sharp are now aggressively looking to preserve their hefty market share in the LCD TV category, given their claims of currently leading the market in sales of 60-inch+ screens. The company has now introduced a 70-inch addition to its four colour pixel-packing Quattron family with the 3D-capable LC-70LE732U, which will apparently offer a viewing area some 62% greater than what one experience with a 55-inch display.
Also showing off some super-sized TV tech was Samsung, hailing its new 75-inch, 3D LED Smart TV as largest of its kind. Rounding out the press conferences was Sony, whose prominent presence at the show took in large array of new 3DTV models and associated products, including Blu-ray recorders and cameras.
looking ahead
If these announcements are anything to go buy, the big-name manufacturers would seem to be undaunted by the middling sales of 3D display technologies over the past year. Instead, they’re looking to the future and refining their product offerings amid industry forecasts that the 3.2 million 3DTVs sold to date will have increased to around 90 million by 2014.
Then there’s the other core component that virtually all 3DTVs have to offer, namely their ability to access internet content. Sales of IPTVs in both 3D and non-3D varieties are expected to grow in volume to over 122 million sets worldwide by 2014, according to a report from market research firm, DisplaySearch.
For now then, it seems 3DTV is very much here to stay. We’ll bring you other news from CES 2011 – including details of a personal appointment with a pair of amazing loudspeakers made from Finnish Birch priced at a mere £27,000 – in a follow-up report, so watch this space…
Stuart Hopwood is Group Editor and Director of DigitalTVinfo.com
At the first 8am meeting, LG Electronics showcased its range of glasses-assisted LCD, plasma and OLED screens. You expect to see several ‘world firsts’ at such events, and in LG’s case, these included the world’s largest 84-inch Ultra Definition 3DTV, the world’s first flicker-free 3DTV and the slimmest OLED screen yet, measuring just 2.9mm thick.
DigitalTVinfo.com were also invited to attend the special Toshiba European press presentation, where the company announced its plans to introduce glasses-free 3DTV units during April 2011 and March 2012.
This decision was apparently prompted in part by the results of a Japanese survey, which showed that 68% of consumers would purchase a 3DTV were it not necessary to use accompanying glasses. Here in the UK, however, reports from retailers have suggested that it’s less the need to wear glasses, and more the relative lack and high costs of available 3DTV content that’s currently causing most concern among consumers.
Elsewhere, it seems that Sharp are now aggressively looking to preserve their hefty market share in the LCD TV category, given their claims of currently leading the market in sales of 60-inch+ screens. The company has now introduced a 70-inch addition to its four colour pixel-packing Quattron family with the 3D-capable LC-70LE732U, which will apparently offer a viewing area some 62% greater than what one experience with a 55-inch display.
Also showing off some super-sized TV tech was Samsung, hailing its new 75-inch, 3D LED Smart TV as largest of its kind. Rounding out the press conferences was Sony, whose prominent presence at the show took in large array of new 3DTV models and associated products, including Blu-ray recorders and cameras.
looking ahead
If these announcements are anything to go buy, the big-name manufacturers would seem to be undaunted by the middling sales of 3D display technologies over the past year. Instead, they’re looking to the future and refining their product offerings amid industry forecasts that the 3.2 million 3DTVs sold to date will have increased to around 90 million by 2014.
Then there’s the other core component that virtually all 3DTVs have to offer, namely their ability to access internet content. Sales of IPTVs in both 3D and non-3D varieties are expected to grow in volume to over 122 million sets worldwide by 2014, according to a report from market research firm, DisplaySearch.
For now then, it seems 3DTV is very much here to stay. We’ll bring you other news from CES 2011 – including details of a personal appointment with a pair of amazing loudspeakers made from Finnish Birch priced at a mere £27,000 – in a follow-up report, so watch this space…
Stuart Hopwood is Group Editor and Director of DigitalTVinfo.com
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