Free Republic

Washington, D.C. (July 6, 2011) -- Editor's Note: To celebrate the 10th anniversary of TVPredictions.com, I am publishing a series of features honoring what I think represents the '10 Best' in the field of TV technologies. (And in some cases, '10 Worst' articles will expose companies and people who I think are failing to strive toward excellence, or, in some cases, not even making a serious effort to satisfy their customers.) Today, I present the '10 Reasons Why People Won't Watch 3D TV' Despite persistent promotion from TV makers and the Hollywood studios, sales of 3D TVs have been remarkably...

Report says consumer adoption of 3DTV will slow this year. The shroud of indifference in which retailers find themselves as they try to incite consumer interest in 3DTV isn’t expected to lift much this year, while consumer interest in connected TVs continues to thrive, according to a new report. Sales of 3DTVs are projected to actually decline in 2011 as issues surrounding a universal standard, eyewear, dearth of content and price resolve themselves, according SNL Kagan. Principal 3DTV drivers include live sports and ongoing (though waning) interest in theatrical 3D movies. 3DTV households should top 1.8 million by the end...

Washington, D.C. (June 2, 2011) -- Mitsubishi has unveiled its 'Go Big' 2011 HDTV lineup which includes a 92-inch, 3D DLP set priced at $5,999. This is the first look at Mitsubishi's new strategy since it announced last March that it's exiting the LCD business to concentrate on large-screen televisions. The company had been struggling to compete in the LCD category, falling behind such companies as Vizio, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba and LG in sales of the flat-screen set. However, Mitsubishi is one of the few TV makers to offer microdisplay rear and front-projection sets larger than 73 inches. The 92-inch...

Washington, D.C. (May 25, 2011) -- The Digital Entertainment Group, the industry trade group whose mission is to promote CE products, such as 3D TVs, yesterday released a study saying that early 3D TV owners love 3D TV. Considering DEG's reason for existing, the study's conclusions shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone. But this is the technology business, which is often blessed with unchallenging, even worshipful coverage from the trade media assigned to cover it. For instance, Multichannel News yesterday ran a story on the study with the headline, "3DTV Owners Ecstatic About Home Entertainment Experience." No where in...

Washington, D.C. (January 10, 2011) -- The 2011 Consumer Electronics Show is over but the marketing messages will live on in TV campaigns, billboards, Internet message boards, smartphone texts, you name it. CE companies are just getting started in their efforts to persuade you that you can't live without their new wares. During the show, the products getting the most attention, at least in the consumer electronics category, were tablets (read: iPad imitators); 'Smart TVs,' which enable users to surf the Net and watch videos instantly; new (and maybe improved) 3D TVs; and the usual array of novelty items such...

Washington, D.C. (December 29, 2010) -- Okay, now that I have confessed that my TV predictions for 2010 resulted in a few strike outs -- and some home runs and extra base hits, I think it's time to issue my forecast for 2011. (My first prediction is that I will never again write a lead paragraph with so many qualifiers and compound statements as the one that precedes this story; oh, well, just killed that prediction.) My predictions for 2011, which will be published over the next three days, will cover a number of subjects, from which TV provider will...

The CBC is presenting Hockey Night In Canada in 3D this Saturday and a number of U.S. distributors will be there when the puck drops on the enhanced telecast. In the first 3D National Hockey League telecast north of the border, CBC and Panasonic Canada will televise the Montreal Canadiens against the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. (ET) from the Air Canada Centre on Dec. 11. The CBC feed, bolstered by views from Panasonic's professional full HD 3D cameras, is being made available in the States via NHL Network U.S At press time, Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, DirecTV,...

Washington, D.C. (September 15, 2010) -- News Corp COO Chase Carey has dismissed industry claims that 3D TV will be as successful as High-Definition TV. Speaking to the Hollywood Radio Television Society on Tuesday, Carey said the 3D TV will ultimately have just a niche role in the nation's living rooms, reports TheWrap.com. Carey, who was previously CEO of DIRECTV, a strong booster of 3D TV, said some consumers will use the 3D set for certain sporting events and movies. "(But 3D TV) isn't the second coming of HD, and if you say it will have the speed of adoption...

ESPN and the Consumer Electronics Association will sponsor 3D HDTV demonstrations next weekend at CE retailers nationwide. The demonstration will take place from Friday, September 10, through Sunday, September 12. ESPN 3D will provide continuous 3D programming to the retail outlets, including live coverage of the Miami vs. Ohio State football game on September 11 at 3:40 p.m. EST. The sports channel will also show highlights from the 2010 FIFA World Cup, X Games 16, and the Boise State vs. Virginia Tech game from Sept. 6. Retailers participating in the demonstration include Best Buy and Sears. To find the 3D...

Toshiba says it will introduce 3D TVs by year's end that would not require viewers to wear special glasses. That's according to an article by the Japanese newspaper The Yomiuri Shimbun, as reported by UPI. Toshiba said the 3D sets will display images at different angles, which will create the 3D effect without the glasses. Current 3D sets require 3D glasses because the images are directed at the left or right eye, creating a separation of the images. UPI writes that the new 3D technology will be compatible with existing disc formats, such as Blu-ray. However, it's unclear if the...

Panasonic Consumer Electronics North American president Shiro Kitajima (left)and Steven Roberts, DirecTV senior VP, celebrate the launch of DirecTV's three-channel 3D HDTV channel suite that went live Thursday. ______________________________________________ New York - DirecTV and sponsoring partner Panasonic formally threw the switch here Thursday on the satellite-TV provider's first 3D TV channel suite including "n3D", which is a 24/7 linear non-anaglyph 3D channel. As the exclusive sponsoring partner for the 3D channels, Powered by Panasonic is featured prominently in the new 3D service's branding. Panasonic is using the sponsorship to play up its "end-to-end" 3D efforts ranging from new Panasonic professional...

Charlotte, N.C. - Turner Sports will kick off its first 3D TV presentation at 7:30 p.m. EST July 3, with coverage of the NASCAR Coke Zero 400 via TNT RaceBuddy on NASCAR.com and DirecTV. Turner said it is partnering with the NASCAR Media Group to present the race in 3D. The 3D broadcast -- the first ever of a NASCAR event -- will complement a special television presentation on TNT, highlighted by the network's Wide Open format. NASCAR.com will feature 3D feeds for the Daytona race in addition to the mosaic of HD-quality complementary unique camera angles available on TNT...

In recent days, more TV executives and industry analysts are expressing doubt that 3D and 3D TV will be a big hit. BBC chief Danielle Nagler told an industry conference in London that it may be years before 3D TV overcomes certain technological hurdles. She added that she's not ready to commit her network to producing 3D programming until she learns more. “We are excited about the developments of 3D but we need to see what the long term benefits of 3D to broadcasters is, before we commit”, Nagler said, according to the web site, News In Tech. “We are...

Don’t count Francis Ford Coppola as a fan of 3D ... at least not yet. The Academy Award-winning director of “The Godfather,” “The Godfather II,” and “Apocalypse Now” says 3D does not enhance movies and cites the need to wear glasses as a major drawback. While admitting digital technology is well suited for 3D filmmaking and that the new technology has improved, Coppola believes 3D today is “no different from the 1950s” because of the need for glasses. “I feel that until you can watch 3D without glasses, it's the same thing we know," he says. "I personally do not...

Washington, D.C. (April 14, 2010) -- Samsung has posted a warning on its Australian web site that watching 3D HDTV could be harmful to young children, pregnant women, the elderly and others, even the drunk. The company apparently is reacting to reports that watching the reality-alerting images has left some people with headaches and a feeling of dizziness. Samsung, which last month launched two 3D HDTV models in the U.S., says in the warning that "children and teenagers may be more susceptible to health issues associated with viewing in 3D and should be closely supervised when viewing these images." But...

Washington, D.C. (March 29, 2010) -- DIRECTV announced today that it will launch the new ESPN 3D HD channel in June. The sports channel will give the satcaster four different 3D channels in June. DIRECTV earlier said it would launch three dedicated channels for 3D programming in June. The three channels will include a 24-hour 3-D channel which will feature movies and documentaries. Another 3-D channel will provide Video on Demand programming while a third 3-D channel will be a "sampler demo channel" that will feature a variety of content. The sampler channel will be free. The ESPN 3D channel...

The 3D era arrives today with the first sales of complete systems that include a 3D display, a 3D disc player and 3D viewing glasses. Best Buy’s Magnolia stores offer an exclusive featuring the TC-P50VT20 and Panasonic’s DMP-BDT300 3D capable Blu-ray player. In TV industry parlance the TC-P50VT20 and DMP-BDT300 are referred to as derivative models, both exclusive to Best Buy. The retailer likes selling derivative models since the exclusivity negates the company’s “price match” policy. Best Buy’s derivative HDTV and Panasonic’s TC-P50VT25 are essentially identical except for the bezel finish (the VT20’s is simulated brushed stainless steel, the VT25’s...

NEW YORK (AP) -- Samsung and Panasonic will start selling 3-D TVs in U.S. stores this week, inaugurating what TV makers hope is the era of 3-D viewing in the living room. Samsung Electronics Co. announced Tuesday that it is selling two 3-D sets. Combined with the required glasses and a 3-D Blu-ray player, the prices start at about $3,000 for a 46-inch screen. Panasonic Corp. has said it will sell its first 3-D set Wednesday. The push into the living room comes as moviegoers have shown considerable enthusiasm for the latest wave of 3-D fare in the theater. This...

Sears says it will begin selling Samsung 3-D HDTVs next month, which will make it one of the first retailers to sell the new 3-D sets. Sears says two Samsung sets will begin shipping next month: a 46-inch, 3-D LED HDTV priced at $2,599 and a 55-inch LED HDTV priced at $3,299. They will be available at Sears stores in March. "The anticipation for the 3-D experience at home has been mounting, and we're giving our shoppers a competitive edge by being one of the first retailers to offer these products," stated Karen Austin, president, Home Electronics, Sears Holdings. Sears...

The HD GURU obtained Panasonic’s roadmap to large screen 3D HDTV. It includes 3D plasma HDTV displays and Blu-ray players planned to ship next year. In addition, Panasonic Japan, Twentieth Century Fox and Lightstorm Entertainment (James Cameron’s production company) announced today a partnership that will use the upcoming Fox 3D movie AVATAR as a vehicle to promote and launch 3D home video. (PDF Link to press release - http://hdguru.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/3dhd-release-avatar-promotion-8-21-2009-3.pdf ). Panasonic’s Executive Vice President Bob Perry provided the HD GURU with details about its 3D HDTVs and Blu-ray players. He revealed there will be “multiple 3D compatible plasma models” available...