Taking TV to the next D
By John Sciacca
Television manufacturers are a busy bunch, continually pushing the envelope with nary a moment’s rest on their technological laurels. In the past two years, everything we thought we knew about a good TV has been completely turned inside out. What was once the state of contemporary cool at 4-inches thick is now morbidly obese as sets are being measured in millimeters. Just as we’ve adjusted to 720p and then 1080p resolutions, we must prepare our eyes for the hyper-realism of 4K resolution. While our ancestors lived for years in the Stone Ages of 60-Hertz refresh rates, we have been shown the benefits of 120, 240 and now 480-Hertz. And where contrast ratios used to be boast numbers like 10,000 to 1, they have now reached infinity, exceeding staring into a black hole and the sun with the Hubble telescope. And, remarkably, while all of these advancements have occurred, prices have steadily plummeted. It won’t be long before you’ll pull a 42-inch Plasma from a box of Cracker Jacks, only to trade it for the rubber bouncy ball that you really wanted.
This means that it’s time to talk about the next trend that will capture your video dollars: 3D. Several manufacturers are fervently pursuing the third dimension (depth, in case you were curious) in hopes of continuing to capture that almighty fourth D, Dollars. Both Samsung and LG see 3D as the major catalyst to jumpstarting TV and Blu-ray sales. Mitsubishi has been showing 3D demos w ith its DLP and Laser TV for some time. JVC and Digital Projection had 3D demos at this past CEDIA, and even Dolby Laboratories is getting involved.
But the most aggressive 3D-ers seem to be Panasonic and Sony. (For the record, having watched demos from all of the manufacturers, I find Panasonic’s version of 3D to be the best. To my eyes, it was the sharpest, with the best focus, detail and depth of image.) Both companies plan on launching 3D sets next year and are already laying on the trash-talk pretty thick. Additionally, Sony is releasing an update that will provide a 3D mode for all PS3 games. Sony says, “The 3D train is on the track, and we’re the ones to drive it home.”
Panasonic countered, “A lot of people think Blu-ray is Sony. We believe 3D is Panasonic.”
I believe the next quote will start out, “Yo’ mama so fat…” but I’ve been unable to confirm.
According to the research firm, GigaOM, sales of 3D sets will reach up to 46 million by 2013 and, as 3D becomes a standard feature, it will have just a slight price premium over non-3D models. With support coming from Hollywood in the form of major 3D releases (including James Cameron’s highly anticipated Avatar), it seems like the transition to the home market is inevitable.
