Dear iTV Doctor:
I was at Best Buy the other day and saw the terrific 55" Samsung 3D set for sale. And although the price is a tad (!!!!) above my range, I'm willing to bet that the price will come down as the manufacturing and sales volume rises through the end of the year. But it seems Samsung (and the other CE manufacturers) have a real challenge ahead of them. I mean, when they introduced HDTV sets, long before there was any significant amount of HD programming available, at least the consumer could say, "It's big, it's beautiful and what a picture!" even with SD shows. But with 3D, it seems the manufacturers have a much bigger task: there's virtually no content, no 3D channels, HD looks just the same, not to mention those glasses! I can't see how they're going to pull it off.
Dubious in Dubuque
Dear Dubious:
I share some of your doubts, but I'm willing to bet that we'll see some very creative packaging and pricing as we approach the 2010 holiday season. In fact, I have a standing bet with a few friends that we'll see "Avatar" in 3D bundled with 3D Blu-ray players, and maybe with sets. If there is any movie that has enough juice to move hardware, "Avatar" is it. But to get a better answer, I reached out to Dan Schinasi, senior marketing manager at Samsung. Here's what he had to say:
Why is 2010 the year of 3D?
The industry, technology and consumers are all ready for 3D experiences in the home. The recent finalization of the Blu-ray 3D specification will play a key role in making more 3D content available in the home by ensuring that consumers receive a consistent playback experience with all Blu-ray 3D titles. Similarly, as the number of 3D theaters and 3D movie titles increases, so does consumer demand for 3D experiences in the home. We are excited to be the first to provide these experiences for people and help them enjoy their favorite content in a new dimension. 3D is more than just a groundbreaking technology--it's the future of television, and we are committed to bringing this immersive viewing experience to consumers everywhere with the best 3D content possible.
What kind of 3D products will you have available this year?
Samsung is leading the industry by being the first to market to deliver a full line-up of 3D products from LED, LCD and plasma TV's to Blu-ray players and home theater systems. Just because 3D is new doesn't mean that consumers should have to sacrifice choice across panel types and sizes. We will have a total of 15 3D HDTV's available this year. Our 3D TV's are also our best 2D televisions to date, so when people purchase our great 3D HDTV's, they also get all of the great 2D experiences they would expect from Samsung HDTV's. This year's HDTV's are also eco-conscious--all exceeding the more stringent EnergyStar 4.0 guidelines.
What do people need to have a complete 3D experience?
People need a 3D HDTV, 3D Blu-ray player, 3D active glasses and 3D Blu-ray discs. We unveiled a promotional program where everyone who purchases a 2010 Samsung 3D TV and 3D Blu-ray Player or 3D Blu-ray home theater system will receive a 3D Starter Kit that includes two pairs of Samsung glasses and a feature-length 3D Blu-ray version of DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens." We will continue to have promotions throughout the year.
What is the biggest barrier to 3D TV acceptance?
For now, 3D content is limited, but we anticipate the variety of content will grow as studios introduce more 3D Blu-ray discs and cable providers begin to deliver 3D broadcasts. For example, we expanded our strategic alliance with DreamWorks Animation to offer the "Shrek" film series in 3D.
Samsung is also allowing TV viewers to render their beloved movies into 3D with a few touches on their remote. Our powerful 3D video processor includes a new technology that up-converts 2D content--Blu-ray movies or broadcast--into 3D. This is very similar to the role of DVD up-converters.
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The iTV Doctor is *Rick Howe*, who provides interactive television consulting services to programmers and advertisers. He is the recipient of a CTAM Tami Award for retention marketing and this year was nominated to Cable Pioneers. He is also the co-author of a patent for the use of multiscreen mosaics in EPG's. Endorsed by top cable and satellite distributors, "Dr" Howe still makes house calls, and the first visit is always free. His services include product development, distribution strategy and the development of low-cost interactive applications for rapid deployment across all platforms. Have a question for the iTV Doctor? Email him at itvdoctor@itvt.com
