In only three months after a couple companies launched the first 3DTVs and 3D Blu-ray players in February, consumers spent more than $55 million buying the products, according to leading market research company The NPD Group’s Retail Tracking Service.
“3D TV and Blu-ray players are seeing steady growth even as major product line launches are slated for the coming months,” said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis at NPD. “As more consumers adopt 3D, the industry can help foster a 3D ecosystem similar to that of HD.”
Already one early challenge became clear among consumers surveyed in The NPD Group’s Analyst Poll of NPD Panelists: the cost of the 3D glasses. While only 10% cited “looking silly” as a main concern of the glasses, 41% cited not having enough glasses on hand for everyone watching the set.
NPD says the glasses can add significant cost, and will work only with specific brands of TVS.
“3D TV will be a premium home entertainment experience in 2010,” said Rubin. “Many consumers have already shown that they are willing to use special glasses to obtain the effects, but want to preserve the social aspect of the group television viewing.”
— By Scott Hettrick
Hi Scott:
“In only three months… $55 million” Wow?
My arithmetic suggests that those dollars represent about 15,000 to 20,000 homes. A real market for 3D Blu-ray or DVD titles requires the sale of three or four million discs into a market which is a multiple of those millions. 20,000 homes is well under one half of one percent of a real market.
In our present economy it will probably take 3 to 5 years before there is an economically viable market for these new 3D Blu-ray discs. Your enthusiasm surprises me.
All the best.
John D. Lowry CEO
TrioScopics
Hi John,
First of all, didn’t intend to express enthusiasm — just presenting the info from NPD’s report.
Second, it’s all relative, right? We’re talking about the first three months when only two major companies — Samsung and Panasonic — had any TVs in the market, and Panasonic ran out of supplies. And this is just the U.S. market. Now that Sony is in the game and all companies have even more models at all sizes and price points, growth will be even faster.
Finally, I’m remembering the introduction of other new formats like HiDef TVs, which also got off to a slow start from back in the 1990s and even into the 200s before that became the “real” market you describe. But it did eventually become that market.
It’s very possible that your projection of 3-5 years for a “economically viable market” for 3D in the home may be correct, and I don’t think that would be an unusual growth rate or a bad thing. But I think these numbers of the first 90 days with limited product availability is pretty encouraging for the market, as did NPD Group.
And should also be encouraging for your product/service to have an extra year or two of transition time to fill the demand, right?
I am also impressed by the sales of 3D TVs and hopeful as well.
I am jumping in now. 3D is the future and I am willing to give it my all.
The Age of 3DTV is coming. Sure it may take a few years, or even five or ten, but it is coming. There is too much support and momentum to state otherwise.
I have recently left a white-hot 2D television career behind to become a producer of 3D programming. There are so many avenues to explore, so many new ways to express creativity and storytelling.
Be looking for GREAT THINGS!
Doug Stanley
CEO Ridgeline Entertainment
Ridgelineent.com