February 2009
A new joint study from the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) and the Entertainment and Technology Center at the University of Southern California has found that consumers have a growing interest in 3D in their entertainment. This find determines where 3D technology will be heading in the near future, in-home entertainment.
As with many successful technologies, such as HDTV, interest in 3D increases as consumers experience it first-hand. In the past 12 months, nearly 41 million U.S. adults report having seen a 3D movie in theaters.
Of those, nearly forty percent say they would prefer to watch a movie in 3D than that same movie in 2D. That’s compared to just 23 per cent who have not seen a 3D movie in the past 12 months.
“When it comes to current 3D technology, seeing truly is believing,” said Shawn DuBravac, CEA’s economist and Director of Research.
“Today’s 3-D offerings are changing the way consumers view video content, not unlike the early days of high-definition television, which redefined TV as we know it today.”
The study also found that today’s 3D technology is positioned to move into the home and is becoming a major purchasing factor of TV sets.
Sixteen per cent of consumers are interested in watching 3D movies or television shows in their home, while 14 per cent are interested in playing 3D video games. All told, more than 26 million households are interested in having a 3D content experience in their own home. More than half of U.S. adults said having to wear special glasses or hold their heads still while watching a 3D TV would have no impact on them purchasing a 3D set for their home. New 3D display technology that would require no special glasses was unveiled at the 2009 International CES, produced by CEA.
Another driver for purchasing a 3D capable set is content. Nearly 30 per cent of U.S. adults said having access to 3D content though cable, satellite, fiber-optics or over-the-air broadcasts would positively impact their decision to buy a 3D capable TV.
“Movie studios and broadcasters are experimenting with 3D and continue to search for ways to bring the technology into consumers’ living rooms,” said David Wertheimer, CEO and Executive Director of the Entertainment and Technology Center at USC.
“In the past few weeks alone, we’ve seen college football’s national championship game, multiple Super Bowl commercials and an hour-long TV show, all broadcast in 3D. Interest in 3D is growing, and consumers and content providers are both interested in seeing 3D migrate into the home.”
The study also found that consumers were willing to pay more for a 3D experience. Nearly half indicated they were willing to spend more for a television capable of displaying 3D content. In fact, 15 per cent of consumers said they would spend roughly 25 per cent for such a TV. The parallels between 3D and other successful technologies like HDTV suggest great potential for 3D in the home.
The ‘3D TV: Where Are We Now and Where Are Consumers’ study (February 2009) was fielded to a national telephone survey of 1,002 U.S. adults between December 18 through December 23, 2008. It was designed and formulated in conjunction CEA Market Research, the most comprehensive source of sales data, forecasts, consumer research and historical trends for the consumer electronics industry.
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