3D not engaging UK public

Research has shown that 3D is on course to become a mass market product, but has yet to engage the majority of its audience.

A study by Informa Media & Telecoms predicts that 3DTVs will find their way into 11m homes over the next five years, but less than half of these will be actively used, according to TechRadar.

To clarify, ‘actively used’ refers to users who utilise the 3D technology of the TV, rather than watching programming in 2D. Informa believes that by 2016, just 42 per cent of those with a 3DTV will be watching 3D content.

However, the firm still believes that the majority of television sets will include some form of 3D technology – although it will be more of a feature than a selling point.

Irrespective of existing public demand for 3D, major set manufacturers increasingly see 3D capability as a feature that they must include in their sets, or the perception will be that rival manufacturers are producing a technically-superior product (with 3D included),” said Informa Telecoms & Media’s Adam Thomas.

The result is that an increasing proportion of TV sets are having 3D capability built into them. But instead of a USP, 3D is now often marketed as just one of the set’s benefits – along with features such as internet-connection capability and LED backlighting.