It may be a belabored point, but a new study by Nielsen supports the notion that consumers don’t like 3-D glasses in their home, and those glasses remain a major obstacle to widespread acceptance of the new TV technology. However, 52 percent of consumers who tried out 3-D TV said it was a better experience than they had expected.
Fifty-seven percent of people surveyed said the glasses were a major reason they are unlikely to buy a 3-D TV set, and nearly 90 percent said the glasses would hinder multitasking, mainly using a computer, while watching TV.
Nielsen did the study for the Cable and Telecommunications Association for Marketing and released the results earlier this month.
The study also found that the percentage of consumers who said they’d be interested in a new 3-D TV in the next year fell when those same consumers were shown how 3-D TV sets actually work. Aside from concerns over the glasses, the study also cited the high cost of 3-D TV sets and the current lack of widespread 3-D content as other issues inhibiting sales.
Seven out of 10 video gamers also said they’d be interested in playing 3-D games; however, the glasses again became an issue because it’s nearly impossible to work on a desktop computer while wearing the 3-D glasses. The LC shutter glasses make laptop screens unwatchable due to flicker, which interferes with non-3-D viewing.
“There is a lot of interest in 3-D TV, but there are barriers that you have to overcome to make it a successful experience,” said Char Beales, president and CEO of the association. The study suggests, he said, that the true breakthrough for the technology won’t come until sets are developed that allow 3-D viewing without the glasses. But there are viewing angle issues with auto-stereoscopic technology as well.
