Media analyst Screen Digest’s latest research examines the emerging market for 3D home entertainment. As more 3D movies are released in the cinema, technology is arriving that will allow viewers to enjoy the same experience from the comfort of their own sofa. At present the most reliable technology will require consumers to invest in a new TV and wear special 3D glasses, but Screen Digest believes that autostereoscopic technology will eventually become most popular as it has one major advantage: no glasses.
The report’s forecast
s underline that this is a market in its infancy and that mass uptake is a long way off. Screen Digest has identified two scenarios for the evolution of the market. Should a unifying standard emerge that works across all technologies, the percentage of TVs sold with 3D capability would exceed 10 per cent worldwide in only three years (2011) and by 2015 would account for 16 per cent of TV sales, with just over 2.8bn units sold worldwide. Without a standard, this figure drops to only three per cent by 2015 or 500m units.
As 3D requires twice the broadcast bandwidth of today’s two-dimensional viewing experience, Screen Digest expects Blu-ray Disc to provide the main method of distribution, as its hi-def content capacity bypasses the bandwidth issue altogether. With Screen Digest analysis revealing a significant premium of up to 50 per cent on cinema tickets for 3D films, the Hollywood Studios have a vested interest in getting 3D entertainment into homes.
For more information visit www.screendigest.com
