Future of 3D gaming and media *spawn

[patsu]

Problem is I can't find Acer's 27" 3D monitor in Fry's and BestBuys here. Once I get hold of one, I will buy a 3D Bloggie or 3DS to make 3D home videos. ^_^

Content-wise, I think Samsung has added a new 3D VOD channel (Will provide link later).

http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/16/samsung-launches-3d-vod-service-in-korea-tells-us-and-europe-to/

Samsung's promised 3D video streaming service has gotten the official go-ahead in the company's home nation today, bringing to fruition a content partnership with DreamWorks Animation and breathing new life into many 3DTV sets. The machine-translated press release isn't entirely lucid on what content will be provided when, but it looks like movie trailers, music videos and children's education films will start things off, before full-length features and more are added later on. All the new on-demand media will be accessible via the 3D application on Samsung's Smart TV platform. The United States and Europe are next on Sammy's roadmap for this VOD rollout, but don't fret if yo live elsewhere, the service will be available all around the world in due course.

nVidia + YouTube partnership:
http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/26/nvidia-3d-vision-machines-get-3d-youtube-video-support-on-firefo/

SANTA CLARA, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 05/26/2011 -- NVIDIA today announced that YouTube is for the first time giving users the ability to view thousands of 3D videos in rich, high-quality stereoscopic 3D on their NVIDIA® 3D Vision™ PCs and notebooks when using the latest version of the Mozilla Firefox Web browser.

...

 

[whome0]

3DTheatre accessory box to view 3d content on (almost) any regular LCD screen. This is a shortcut to 3d world if you can spend $700 buying an external box.

The 3D-Theatre allows you to view 3D content from your PS3, Blu-ray player, satellite/cable or internet on all standard 50/60Hz or 120Hz HD displays. The 3D-Theatre supports every 3D signal type in existence today including frame-packing, side-by-side, top-bottom. It is firmware updatable so that new features can be added in the future as needed!

In addition to supporting all standard 60Hz displays, the 3D-Theatre also supports any 120hz 3D Ready DLP-Link projector by brands like Optoma, Benq, Viewsonic, etc.

 

[Squilliam]

Hows the 3D adoption rate? Is there any significant movement over the past few years to indicate that 3D is taking off?

 

[Arwin]

Hows the 3D adoption rate? Is there any significant movement over the past few years to indicate that 3D is taking off?

I think it's 5% or so in the U.S. Still peanuts. It may start growing more significantly though if WiFi TV/3D TV combo takes off as a new standard. But even then, it will be 5 years before we see a significant penetration imho. For me personally prices will probably still have to come down a fair bit. Will check again around when Uncharted 3 comes out.

 

[patsu]

I give up ! Someone in the Bay Area post here if you see a Acer 27" 3D monitor locally. I can't find it anywhere last week. I want to eyeball the set myself before I buy. So no online purchases for me.

 

[RobertR1]

Hows the 3D adoption rate? Is there any significant movement over the past few years to indicate that 3D is taking off?

3D hardware adoption rate is what you'll generally get but that won't tell the story. If you are in the market for a mid range to high end TV, you're getting 3D with it and thus will be counted as an adopter and will be used in PR speak as such.

You should look at software sales to get a better idea. You can probably look on avsforum to find legitimate numbers without the PR padding.

 

[patsu]

Does avsforum have some exclusive stats no one else know ?

 

[RobertR1]

There are a lot of industry insiders who will provide good info. You need to stick around to know who's who but I'd rely on the info there and their breakdown of PR talk much more than the CE PR headlines.

 

[patsu]

I see... but they don't have objective data too ?
Their industry insiders angle cuts both ways, as we have seen in the HDDVD vs Blu-ray war.

 

[RobertR1]

Like I said, you have to stick around for a while. You'll find various sales figures and they will be broken down by enthusiasts and insiders. If there is conflict you will certainly hear an argument on both sides and generally a decent understanding will come of it.

 

[patsu]

avsforum 3D fora here:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/forumdisplay.php?f=193

 

[patsu]

NHK Shows 3D Video by Sending Full-HD Singnals to Each Eye
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NEWS_EN/20110526/192128/

NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories had a demonstration of transmitting 3D video data via both broadcast and communication and displaying the video on a 3D-compatible TV.

The demonstration took place at Open House 2011, which opens for the public from May 26 to 29, 2011. The new technology was developed in collaboration with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Corp.

This transmission method for 3D video signals is a kind of technologies called "dual stream." Specifically, video for one of the right and left eyes is transmitted to a TV at home by airwaves, and video for the other eye is transmitted by a communication line. As a result, it becomes possible to transmit full HD equivalent video for each of the right and left eyes.

Currently, the 3D broadcasting method used for BS digital broadcasts, etc in Japan is the side-by-side method. It compresses images for each of the right and left eyes by about 50% (in terms of data amount) and stores both of them in one frame of full HD video. Then, they are decompressed on the side of TV.

Therefore, when 3D video is viewed with one eye, its resolution is lower than full HD. The greatest merit of the new method is that it does not cause this resolution reduction.

 

[patsu]

[strike]24" 3D monitor from Sony.[/strike]Video shows full screen split-screen MP using passive 3DTV and polarized 3D glasses.

This is Sony's 3D monitor.
Sony should clarify if the monitor works with regular PCs and Macs, just to reassure people.

 

[nightshade]

^That is not the sony monitor, the guy made the video to show that its already possible with passive 3DTVs which use polarized 3D glasses instead of active shutter.

 

[patsu]

I obviously didn't pay attention ! Will change the post.

 

[patsu]

Quixel: Q1 3DTV Shipments Up 352%:
http://www.twice.com/article/469217-Quixel_Q1_3DTV_Shipments_Up_352_.php

Approximately 586,276 3D televisions were shipped to U.S. dealers during the first quarter of 2011, up 352 percent from the same period a year before, according to new figures released by Quixel Market Research.

...

Sets supporting the new 3D spec went on to ship 1.23 million units over the full year of 2010, and the capability is now offered in more than 60 percent of some manufacturers’ TVs measuring 40 inches and larger, helping to significantly bolster Quixel’s optimism for full year 3DTV-ready shipments in 2011.

The firm is now forecasting more than 6.2 million 3DTV shipments, including plasma, LCD and projection (front and rear) displays, in all of 2011. The number is also more aggressive than some other analysts’ predictions, including those of the Consumer Electronics Association.

But Quixel was more conservative than most forecasters last year, and was virtually dead on with its revised fourth quarter forecasts for 3D sales for full year 2010.

The market analyst projects 3DTV shipments continuing to build momentum in the years ahead, with forecasts of 10.3 million 3DTVs in 2012, rising to 18.6 million for full year 2014.

As for the brewing battle between 3D sets based on active-shutter glasses and new less-expensive 3D HD LCD TVs based on passive glasses technologies, Quixel said passive comprised 5 percent of industry 3DTV shipments during the first quarter of 2011, and is forecasting them to represent 18 percent of all industry 3DTV sales by the end of the year.

Vizio, LG Electronics and Toshiba are among the largest TV brands to have announced support for passive glasses 3DTVs this year.

...

As for the mix of first quarter 2011 3DTV sales by display type, 153,012 units were plasma, up nearly 3,000 percent from just under 5,000 units in Q1 2010, while 3D LCD sales rose 851 percent to 340,811 units.

Sales of microdisplay based projection TVs, which were introduced several years earlier and did not initially conform to the new Blu-ray 3D spec, rose 4.11 percent to 92,453 units from the year-ago period.

Note that this is 3DTV shipment not 3D content consumption.

 

[NavNucST3]

Quixel: Q1 3DTV Shipments Up 352%:
http://www.twice.com/article/469217-Quixel_Q1_3DTV_Shipments_Up_352_.php



Note that this is 3DTV shipment not 3D content consumption.

Should probably also note the sentence you excluded in the quote which is that except for the full year numbers the 2011 Q1 is effectively being compared against only March for 2010 making these percentages look amazing. Though the piece does say this it should be re-iterated that this is for the US only. I can't really tell if any of this is good though because I don't see any vs total TV shipments for Q1 or even a 3DTV comprised x% of TV shipments for the quarter.

 

[patsu]

Indeed I had unwittingly cut out an important line that gives the context for the sensational title. Good thing you read the full article.

The 3DTV movement started about 15 months ago. It's probably too early to compare with overall TV sales because well... you said it above, there is not enough 3D content.

From this article, we know that in 2010, 1.23 million 3DTVs were shipped. They forecast 6.2 million in 2011.

For the more aggressive TV manufacturers, 60% of SKUs (40" TV and above) are 3D capable.

 

[NavNucST3]

Indeed I had unwittingly cut out an important line that gives the context for the sensational title. Good thing you read the full article.

The 3DTV movement started about 15 months ago. It's probably too early to compare with overall TV sales because well... you said it above, there is not enough 3D content.

From this article, we know that in 2010, 1.23 million 3DTVs were shipped. They forecast 6.2 million in 2011.

For the more aggressive TV manufacturers, 60% of SKUs (40" TV and above) are 3D capable.

This still seems too slow to me like something ELSE that CE mfrs want to push would be coming down the pipeline by 2014. I don't have any frame of reference though...let me traipse around the web to see. I can't remember if Sony did geographical breakdowns in their recent financials. I'll see how the numbers compare to a single provider to get a pseudo-semblance of "good"/"bad".

EDIT: Browsing IR site...I had no clue the PS3 TV does not come with a remote though I imagine the target for this device may already be familar with hdmi cec or already have the newer sony bluetooth/ir remote.

 

[patsu]

I don't think they are looking for a quick growth here. They are looking for DEEP growth. 3DTV won't buck the regular TV sales trend. It's big ticket item. I think there are other $$$ in the 3D business (e.g., infrastructure and services for 3D broadcast and production). It will take a long time for them to nail everything down. As 3D takes root, there are new needs in many areas from consumer devices to increased storage needs to high end services.