Experiencing a Quality 3-D Program is the Key to Changing a Doubter Into a Believer

The debate continues about the viability of 3-D. Box office revenues for 3-D films are down 13% compared to last year according to a recent article in USA Today. People aren’t as willing to pay for the 3-D movie experience. Although, the sales for 3-D capable TV’s is slightly up over last year, accounting for approximately 8% of all flat panel TV’s.

“Once you have a quality 3-D TV experience, you are hooked,” Said Bill Maronet, CEO of ETC, Inc. “I talked to a few people this week who watched the Master’s in 3-D. They said it was unbelievable. They went out and bought 3-D TV’s the next day.”

Programming is key, and some industry folks say it is the reason for lackluster sales. Others claim it is the price of the TV’s and the additional cost for the 3-D glasses. Maronet disagrees.

“Price is not the barrier, having to put on a pair of funky glasses to watch TV is the biggest hurdle,” Maronet explains. “Some people think they have to wear the glasses all the time to watch a 3-D TV, which you don’t. The fear of the unknown is preventing people from buying.”

Locally, interest in 3-D is strong. Maronet says ETC clients always ask about it and the sales for 3-D system installations increased approximately 15% over this time last year. “South Florida has a lot of early adopters who want to have 3-D capable technology installed so when more content is available they are ready. We typically install Sony and Panasonic 3-D TV’s, as they have best products on the market now.”

Here is the report claiming 3-D technology seems to be waning in popularity.

3-D movies, gadgets getting lukewarm reception by some By Mike Snider

Trailers for Shark Night 3D, a PG-13 film swarming into theaters this weekend, note prominently that the movie is “also showing in 2D.”

Dolphin Tale, out in three weeks, takes a similar tack. Several summer 3-D films fell flat, and studios appear to be covering their bets by letting moviegoers know there’s a lower-priced traditional viewing option.

“If you do a side-by-side of the movie posters of the last three years that ’3-D’ almost keeps getting smaller and smaller in the actual posters,” says Jeff Bock of industry tracking firm Exhibitor Relations.

On average, 3-D revenue is making up less of a film’s box office revenue so far in 2011, accounting for 54%, compared with 67% last year, says IHS senior analyst Charlotte Jones. “Audiences are being more picky about when they are choosing to pay more for the (3-D) experience,” she says. Ticket prices for 3-D shows can be $3 to $5 more than for 2-D ones.

Consumer response to 3-D is lackluster across the entertainment landscape. Last month, Nintendo dropped the price by $80 for its 6-month-old Nintendo 3DS handheld (now $170) due to lagging sales.

And while 3-D TV sales are rising slightly compared with last year, 3-D capability “is still not serving as a very strong motivator” for consumers to buy, says Ross Rubin of market tracking firm The NPD Group. About 8% of all flat-panel displays sold have 3-D features, NPD says. “But there’s a lot of concern about the price (of 3-D TVs and) … the glasses as well.”

TV content providers and setmakers alike are trying to increase 3-D programming to drive sales of higher-priced tickets and TVs. Broadcasts of the U.S. Open tennis tournament and the college football season in 3-D have been expanded. And Panasonic and the International Olympic Committee just announced that the 2012 Winter Olympics in London would be the first live 3-D broadcast Games.

More 3-D TV broadcasts and films, about three a month, are coming to theaters, says Tim Alessi of LG Electronics.

LG is addressing concerns about price with less-expensive, lighter-weight glasses for its Cinema 3D TVs. Typical 3-D glasses can cost $150 a pair; LG’s start at $25 a pair, and some stores currently are including 10 pairs free with purchase of a Cinema 3D set. “This eliminates a significant barrier for adoption,” Alessi says. Read the original story.

As you read in the article, it was announced that the 2012 Winter Olympics in London will be the first live 3-D broadcast of the Games. And more programming is in the works. “As the number 3-D program options increases and as more people have a quality 3-D experience, we will see more people wanting to have these TV’s in their home. Everyone is talking about it. It is not a fad,” Maronet says.

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