Consumers don’t understand the benefit of 3DTVs and as a result sales have failed to hit expectations, according to retailers.
Best Buy chief executive Brian Dunn told Reuters: “There was confusion about 3D early [on]. It was a little short on content.”
Jay Vandenbree, head of home entertainment at LG Electronics USA, agreed that consumers are confused by the technology.
“When you get into $2000 TVs, you start thinking: ‘At what point do I really need this, and is it going to make my viewing experience that much better?’” he said.
Meanwhile, NPD analyst Ross Rubin believes the need for expensive glasses and the queasy feeling created in some viewers has also had a negative effect on sales.
“If the 3D content hasn’t been produced well—if it has been aggressive on certain kinds of effects—that can result in discomfort for viewers,” Rubin said
However, while this year consumers have concentrated on purchasing TVs with bigger screens, Vandenbree believes the technology will still take off.
“Just like how high-definition TV started in sports and movies, as 3D evolves, it will go with sports and movies and then become more of an everyday thing,” he said.