Vishnu Mohan, CEO of Havas Media, Asia-Pacific, says NO.
"It's ‘news', a ‘fad', it's timely on the back of the hugely successful Avatar and a few more adjectives would do justice, but what it's definitely not is revolutionary. Any such talk of it stealing the thunder away from everything else and being a runaway horse is nothing but an exaggerated discussion for the benefit of marketers.
Like everything else 3D TV has got early adopters excited, but whether the initial euphoria sustains for long is something we will have to wait and see, and many have started to question it.
On one side there is the lack of content, huge costs, and the silliness of wearing 3D glasses in your own home. On the other there is the prospect of a great experience, even though it's limited.
The porn and video gaming industries seem to be the two likely champions, which could give this technology a bigger boost than expected. As for other content, it will be a long wait to see what happens and its take up might still be limited, even in the future. 3D TV is here to stay. 3D viewing is not. I think some things are best left flat."
James Ross, regional director, ITV Global Entertainment, says NO.
"A huge number of HDTVs have been sold in Asia and around the world. Consumers are unlikely to want to buy another TV for several years, as HDTVs are not cheap.
With the exception of some sports or animated movie content, there is very little 3D content available. The TV industry is still building up its HD capabilities to deliver HDTV channels, which is very costly to the TV industry.
There are only a handful of 3D TV channels in the region, such as in Korea and Japan. The amount of 3D content is very small. Channels are still finding it hard to fill the air time, and tend to repeat the same content endlessly.
When HDTV first came out a few years ago, there was also very little HDTV content. It was all about beautiful pictures, but not really about the stories and programme content. Most people watch TV because they want to be entertained. It has taken quite a few years to get entertaining HDTV content.
I see progress in 3D TV, but I guess it will take at least three to five years."
Benny Yu, manager HD home entertainment department, Sony Hong Kong, says NO.
"3D TV has full HD quality, as 3D TV's technological foundation is on HDTV. There is generally a 10 to 20 per cent difference in price between HDTVs and 3D TVs.
The speed at which 3D TV will replace HDTV depends on the 3D software, 3D content and the 3D products that are available.
Starting from this year, film companies have started to turn their focus to 3D technology, however there are still very few 3D printing production houses.
Sony will launch a dozen 3D games by the end of this year, targeting the young. Sony is also helping to contribute in terms of broadcasting and professional equipment, such as 3D TV cameras, as it's easier to make 3D animation games, as most of them are computer generated rather than based on TV or film productions.
There is another barrier - the high budget for producing 3D content and the technical constraints, as there are more dimensions to consider in a film set.
But 3D TV has other commercial benefits. For example, selling products. 3D TV can show the different details of a product, instead of just a 2D photo."
Arjan Hoekstra, managing director, Eurosport, says YES.
"It's true that 3D is the industry buzzword and we have seen some fantastic 3D initiatives across the globe, including Eurosport's live 3D broadcast of the tennis French Open in partnership with Panasonic. This was the first-ever multi-day sporting tournament in Europe to be broadcast in 3D.
Still, there are aspects of the format that need to develop, from the production facilities to the TVs.
Another challenge is that production costs are high because special equipment and expertise are necessary to create quality 3D programmes. Therefore HD will have its place as we wait for 3D to fully mature.
However, the take-up of HD in Asia-Pacific, has been slow. This may be related to the global financial crisis, but platforms and channel providers alike have been reticent to invest in a meaningful way. It seems that the tide is turning with platforms expanding their offers and more channel providers investing in HD content.
Once there is enough 3D content, the industry will likely benefit as consumers upgrade their Pay TV subscriptions and TVs."
This article was originally published in the 15 July 2010 issue of Media.
