The Future of 3D Television
Technology always seems to be ahead of what the consumer wants or needs, for that matter. Look at DVD players, smart-phones, etc., these devices weren't in demand until they were created and content was available to use with them.
Now enter the latest craze in home entertainment — 3D television.
The market is still in its infancy stages. For example, only 3.2 million sets have been sold in 2010 (only 1.6 million in North America), which is roughly about 2 percent of all flat-panel TVs this year, according to a story in the Washington Post.
Regardless of where the market is today, it's clearly a sandbox that companies want to play in because of the potential.
So, where is the market headed? Some say it's great for gaming, which I agree. But where is it really heading?
Let's take a speculative and fun look:
- At some point, the glasses aren't going to be a necessity. While the glasses are needed these days and it's one of the knocks of having a 3D TV, at some point, manufacturers will continue innovating and at some point eliminate the need for glasses;
- The innovation with 3D TV will push the technology onto the internet and we will see 3D video on sites like YouTube, Vimeo, etc.;
- Input devices will shoot video in high def 3D. Imagine if that pocket camera you're carrying around shot 1080i video in 3D;
- The technology will impact the way televisions shows are created and how broadcast news outlets deliver their content via 3D TVs; and,
- At some point, we'll start to see smart-phones, netbooks and other portable devices have the ability to showcase 3D content.
How do you think the 3D TV market is going to shape up and what impact will it have on the rest of the technology consumers are so reliant on now and into the future?
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