3D TV to boost sales in 2009?

3D television could provide the trade with a new sales fillip by the end of the year, according to reports coming out of CES. And with consumers having to invest in a Blu-ray player to enjoy the 3D pictures, this could be the boost the industry needs in these tough times.

HCD spoke exclusively with LG USA’s engineer Taesoo Park, who told us that 3D TV could be with us before 2010, on the Blu-ray platform.

“My guess is that we will be selling 3D TVs by the end of this year, depending on market circumstances,” Park told HCD editor Jamie Carter.

He added that Warner, Disney, Fox and the other Hollywood companies will make 3D Blu-ray titles
available at the end of 2009.

This might sound optimistic, but Park was at pains to point out that the 55in LCD TV and 60in plasma on display at CES were both showing Full HD 3D content from a special Blu-ray disc running in LG’s own BD300 Blu-ray player.

“The LCD is brighter, but the plasma is cheaper to produce,” he said. “Though they are both the same to engineer. You can watch with shutter glasses on a plasma, but with LCD you just polarize the glasses.”

Incredibly immersive with true ‘pinch-me’ moments of sheer depth and 3D effects, LG was also showing a 3D projection system.

“Right now we’re using two of our LCD projectors, which anyone can set-up themselves if they have a the right accessories.” In fact, all you need is a 3D filter, which costs under US$100 – although the rarity of 3D content on Blu-ray kills that idea dead – for the moment, at least.

Not surprisingly, Park says LG is working on a single LCD projector capable of delivering 3D images. Panasonic’s effort – a 3D version of its 103-inch plasma TV, is in essence much the same as LG’s, only much bigger. Panasonic joined LG in being bullish about the technology’s introduction, though the likes of Samsung and Sony have been at pains to point-out that their own demos are early prototypes, neither could be drawn on when 3D TV could come to market.

That’s largely because of the lack of an industry standard, which LG’s Park thinks it could be ’several years’ before the major manufacturers agree on a industry-wide standard for 3D displays. “The 3D standard is now being prepared in the industry, but it could take several years,” he said.