3D TV shipments likely to reach 3.4 million in 2010 and 42.9 million in 2014

SANTA CLARA, USA: A new generation of TVs has reached retail, with 3D models now available from all leading TV manufacturers. DisplaySearch forecasts 3.4 million 3D TVs to be shipped in 2010, with the market expected to reach 42.9 million in 2014.

Based on this forecast, 3D TV market penetration is expected to grow from a 5 percent share of total flat panel TVs in 2010 to 37% in 2014. The emerging 3D TV market is tracked in the latest issue of the DisplaySearch Q2’10 Quarterly TV Design and Features Report.

“TV manufacturers have managed to launch products very rapidly. We have seen a full range of 3D TVs in sizes from 40” to 63” already available, and without a doubt, there will be another wave of new products at the IFA show in Berlin in September,” noted Paul Gray, DisplaySearch Director of TV Electronics Research.

“Through the first half of 2010, only two flat panel TV makers in the US launched 3D TV products—Panasonic and Samsung,” observed Paul Gagnon, Director of North America TV Research at DisplaySearch.

“Based on early indications, the launch of 3D TVs is similar to Samsung’s rollout of LED LCD TVs at the beginning of 2009, albeit at a slightly slower pace. This would be in line with our forecast of just over 2 million 3D TVs shipped in North America for 2010.”

Fig. 1: 3D TV ForecastSource: DisplaySearch Quarterly TV Design and Features Report.

Despite the forecasted growth for 3D TVs, the consumer electronics industry is running ahead of content availability, as 3D content for TV remains limited to a small number of movies, plus some sports events on pay TV, which are dependent on cable providers.

Blockbuster movies in 3D, such as Avatar, will not be available for 3D TV in 2010. In addition, the low penetration of Blu-ray players, and especially HD broadcasts, outside of North America and Japan affects content availability.

Consumers may be tempted to wait for the ecosystem to develop in order to have enough material to watch. This, coupled with other significant obstacles for 3D implementation in the home, like consumer perceptions of 3D glasses, remain unresolved.

DisplaySearch research also shows how other technologies, such as LED backlighting, are important. Analyses of the latest energy regulations and the best sets on the market shows how much progress has been made.

“The loss in light output from 3D has made display efficiency a key attention point again. Otherwise, a new generation of power-hungry 3D sets could return the industry back to where it started in energy consumption,” Gray concluded.