A 3D TV-ipping Point?
On Sunday, ’3net’ launched in 18 million homes from Discovery, Sony and Imax.
And on Monday, as a Valentine’s gift to sports fans, ESPN launched on DirecTV, Comcast and Time Warner Cable. This brings the total number of 3D networks to three, including DirecTV’s ‘N3d’ channel, launched last year in partnership with Panasonic.
Three dedicated 3D networks don’t sound too shabby, but truth is, the 3D TV business has been much slower to launch than many had hoped. Only one million 3D TVs were shipped to retailers last year, according to the Consumer Electronics Association. And the CEA predicts that at very most, 3 percent of homes will have 3D TVs by December.
Now that these 3D channels are on the air, will consumers start buying 3D TVs? Critics have said that the market lacks critical mass content needed take 3D TVs mainstream.
