3D TV rollout faces challenges

While 3D viewing had a brief period of success in cinemas in the USA in the 1950s, it had mostly been out of fashion until the release in 2009 of the motion picture Avatar, which has grossed over $2.6bn worldwide. Other Hollywood studios have quickly followed suit, with 3D offerings such as Alice in Wonderland becoming huge hits.

Keen to build on the excitement these movies have generated, TV manufacturers have announced that they are rolling out 3D sets that will enable viewers to enjoy 3D content in their living rooms. In the past few weeks, Sony, Samsung, and Panasonic have all announced plans to offer 3D TV sets, with Sony saying that it plans to introduce 3D-enabled TVs and game consoles throughout the Gulf this year.

TV manufacturers are not the only companies taking the plunge into 3D. Middle East broadcaster Al Jazeera, which owns the regional rights to broadcast the FIFA World Cup to be held in South Africa this summer, announced recently that it will broadcast the competition in 3D. Abu Dhabi-based TV provider E-Vision also said that it is looking at bringing 3D TV to the UAE to offer residents 'the latest in TV viewing experience'.

Hurdles remain

However, while broadcasters and manufacturers are keen to bring 3D TV to the Gulf, several obstacles are likely to slow widespread adoption of the new technology in the region, says Nick Grande, Managing Director of strategic consultancy ChannelSculptor.

The challenge of delivering a product that is in line with viewers' expectations will be one key hurdle that the industry will need to overcome. He says the expression '3D TV' should promise an all-encompassing visual medium, but as of now the technology does not deliver that experience. '3D TV is just not 3D yet,' he told AMEInfo.com. 'It might be better described it as 2½D TV. Currently it's just an enhanced and not very user-friendly version of 2D TV.'

To complicate matters, the industry has yet to agree on common standards, such as whether to build TVs that require users to wear 3D glasses or offer sets that provide a full-fledged 3D TV screen. Sky TV in the UK has chosen to use the 'spectacles' route, because this removed the need to invest in a particular screen technology, he noted.

Broadcasters wanting to avoid the 3D glasses route need to convince users to buy 3D TV sets, which are expected to cost about $1,000 more than a comparable 2D set. Samsung, for example, is offering its 46-inch 3D TV at a recommended price of $2,600.

Another concern is that customers looking to take the plunge to buy a new 3D TV will be buying a product that is vulnerable to being superseded, he warned. 'Enormous investments are also being been made in the video gaming sector into fully interactive 3D imaging, so there is scope for the technology to change again at any moment,' he said.

Rollout challenges

Grande suggests the best strategy for any broadcasters seeking to enter the 3D TV space immediately would be to drive rapid adoption in order to achieve market maturity before the current version of the technology becomes obsolete. 'However, forcing the rapid adoption of 3DTV technology requires a single entity to have control not only of the content but also the reception equipment in the home.

'Such a rollout can only occur in TV markets where an individual pay-TV broadcaster has overwhelming control (such as Sky TV in the UK). Nothing like this exists in the Middle East,' he said.

Comparing the rollout of 3D TV to HDTV, Grande noted that the set-top box issue is already a big hurdle for the adoption of HDTV, especially in the Middle East. '3D TV similarly requires a specialised top box and more satellite space, but it also requires consumers to either replace their brand new 42'' LCD TV with a 3D TV set which is still at an early stage in its development, or start wearing irritating glasses which carry a risk of related health issues,' he said.

Given the scope for further improvement in these products and the effort that is currently needed for a consumer to convert to them, Grande doesn't see a bright future for today's 3D TV technology.

'To take a historical perspective on this, the thing we currently call 3D TV is in danger of being the mini-disk. For about six months, we all thought that the MD player would replace the CD player. Then somebody showed up with an iPod. The rest is history,' he said.