3D TV at Retail Showing Progress, Sony Demonstrating Commitment to 3D

By Paul Gagnon – Director, North American TV Research and Paul Semenza – Senior Vice President, Analyst Services, DisplaySearch

Experiences with 3D TV over the past week indicate some real progress and some room for improvement.

Last week DisplaySearch visited a Best Buy in San Diego to view a World Cup match in 3D, and to assess the overall level of 3D TV demonstration at retail in these early days of the rollout. Even though both Panasonic and Samsung have 3D TVs in the market, it was clear who was paying for premium placement. This particular Best Buy location had two Samsung 3D TV demonstrations, both with LED-backlight LCD TVs. One demo was showing the ability to up-convert 2D high-definition broadcasts to simulated 3D in real time, while the other was a dedicated theater type environment with both DirecTV and Blu-ray demos.

The 3D up-conversion demo was a little disappointing, and although it may have been related to the content (ESPN Sportscenter). Images had a very ‘storyboard’ like effect with distinct layers of depth and a notable range of artifacts, including some ghosting. One of the two pairs of glasses was not working (dead battery), but the other worked fine, even if it didn’t fit comfortably over prescription glasses.

Figure 1: Samsung 2D-3D TV Demo at Best Buy in San Diego

The other demo featured a 55” 8000 series LED-backlight LCD TV from Samsung connected to a DirecTV DVR system showing a live feed from the World Cup. The games are being captured using Sony 3D cameras, and the 3D effect was much more impressive than the up-conversion demo. Because of the long distance separating the camera from the field, the 3D effect was rather subtle, but when the field of view includes nearby grandstands or the shot moved to field level, the 3D was fantastic. The setup overall worked pretty well, although it seemed the DirecTV transmission of the broadcast had some artifacts in signal manifest as odd lines spanning the picture. There was a Samsung rep on hand that did a good job of answering questions, which was helpful, and the Best Buy staff seemed up to speed.

There were some glitches, however,. Point-of-purchase materials were interfering with the IR emitter on the TVs and not allowing the glasses to sync, but this was corrected quickly. Also the cheaper Samsung 3D glasses use watch batteries that must be replaced after 30-40 hours of use, which meant Best Buy staff had to be vigilant about checking the glasses and making sure they were turned off between uses. The other Samsung glasses used USB rechargeable batteries which were tethered to the glasses and allowed for active viewing even when plugged in—a nice touch should the batteries die during a movie.

Overall, the demos were good, if not perfect yet. But the same could be said of the early days of the HDTV transition.

DisplaySearch followed up this visit by participating in a roundtable and demonstration hosted by Sony in San Francisco. Sony showed live ESPN broadcast of the World Cup on two XBR-52LX900 sets. As with the Best Buy demo, the close-up shots were outstanding, while full-field views showed less benefit. Perhaps the most impressive thing was watching a 3D broadcast captured in real time in South Africa with no glitches in capture, transmission, or display.

As he did at the SID DisplaySearch Business Conference, Sony Electronics President and COO Stan Glasgow emphasized that 3D must be carefully captured, produced, and displayed in order to ensure an outstanding and unobtrusive viewing experience. He noted that Sony has been investing in professional 3D cameras and equipment, and working closely with partners such as ESPN.

Chris Fawcett, head of TV planning for Sony Electronics, noted that Sony has taken care to develop each aspect of 3D TVs, including the glasses, the synchronization with the set, and the backlight. He argued that this results in the highest quality 3D experience, with minimal image crosstalk and highest brightness. And Chief Marketing Officer Mike Fasulo emphasized Sony’s support for both national and regional retailers, in terms of product training and demonstrations, both at Sony Style and at the retailers. He noted that Sony is instituting a 2D/3D switch on shelf models, so that consumers see a 2D HD image while walking up to the set, and once they put on glasses can switch the set to 3D.

Finally, Senior Vice President for the Home Division Mike Abary noted that Sony is focused on leadership in both 3D and internet connectivity in TVs, and pointed to the end-to-end development in 3D as well as Sony’s partnership with Google, which it will call Sony Internet TV.

Best Buy and Sony’s strategies for 3D will be key factors in the rollout of 3D TV in the US market this year. As such, we are excited to announce that both Best Buy and Sony (Mike Abary) will participate in the upcoming DisplaySearch 2010 TV Ecosystem Conference being held in San Jose, California on August 18, 2010, where we can hear more about the 3D rollout.