Demand for 3D TV ‘lower than expected’

Tuesday 25 Oct 2011
The demand for 3D television over the past year has been lower than expected, an international forum in Zagreb heard today.

One of the reasons was the discomfort some people experienced when watching 3D TV, participants told the World Broadcasting Unions International Satellite Operations Group (WBU-ISOG).

Samantha McCloskey of satellite operator SES said bookings by broadcasters for 3D transmissions over the past year had been lower than anticipated.

Her comment was echoed by Michel Chabron of Eutelsat, who said 3D TV was less popular now than a year ago.

He expressed confidence that its time would come but said it was being delayed by limited interest and a lack of full 3D TV channels.

Eddy Frankland of Abu Dhabi-based satellite operator YahLive said that while there was some 3D TV in the Middle East, the main problems were lack of content and limited access to 3D TV sets.

Howard Fine of the Pacific Television Center said up to 50 percent of viewers could not watch 3D TV without getting a headache or feeling uncomfortable.

Rhys Morgan of Intelsat predicted that Internet Protocol (IP) satellite transmissions by broadcasters would grow, offering them a cost-effective way to use bandwidth. Mr Frankland agreed, saying IP transmissions would be a “game changer”.