Stereoscopic 3D Market Heating Up

The market for stereoscopic 3D displays is starting to generate some serious attention - and investment dollars. Stereoscopic 3D displays create left and right eye images with a slightly different perspective that mimics the way humans see in 3D. Displays created with this technology can offer very compelling images. While 3D displays have mostly enjoyed success in specialized niche markets to date, things are changing - and rapidly. Consider the following developments:

The NBA All-Star game was broadcast live via a closed circuit system in stereoscopic 3D to rave reviews. The broadcast highlighted the viability of live 3D and showed the strengths of 3D for basketball where the focus of the action is a short distance from viewers.
RealD has plans to outfit nearly 800 digital cinema theaters by the end of 2007 - that's a lot of theaters. 3D movies consistently provide revenue far in excess of the same 2D version of the movie. That has exhibitors, Hollywood and investors pretty excited. As a result, RealD has just raised $50M and has purchased ColorLink, a key supplier of the left eye/right eye polarization switching technology. Theater attendees wear passive polarized glasses to separate the left and right eye images.
Dolby Labs, long known for it pioneering work in high-quality audio and video, has announced it is in the 3D cinema game, too. It plans to develop a stereoscopic 3D cinema system based on an approach that is different than RealD's. In Dolby's approach, theater attendees will wear glasses that contain red, green and blue narrow-passband filters. But the peak passband of each color set will be slightly shifted for the left and right eyes and matched to the projector to separate the left and right images.
According to the newly formed Interactive Digital Center (IDC) Consortium, there is not enough awareness of the real benefits of using visualization technology, especially 3D interactive technology. That's why NVIDIA, Christie Digital, HP and EON Reality have joined together to form the IDC Consortium. Their mission is to establish a de facto worldwide standard for real time 3D visualization solutions.
Chi Mei Optoelectronics and Neurok Optics announced they have formed a new joint venture to develop and market 3D display products for the electronic entertainment market, as well as for commercial and professional visualization applications, especially the PC gaming market. Neurok Optics and several other companies have developed a new type of stereoscopic 3D display that uses two LCD panels, one placed in front of the other, with a novel and clever way to separate the left and right eye images without loss of contrast, brightness or resolution.
And in Europe, another consortium has been formed to develop laser-based 3D projection systems (initially targeted at digital cinema use), for longer-term applications for home TV use. The consortium, lead by the Imaging and Displays Research Group (IDRG) at UK-based De Montfort University, also includes Fraunhofer HHI (Germany); Eindhoven University of Technology (the Netherlands); University of West Bohemia (Czech Republic); Sharp Laboratories of Europe; Biotronics3D and Light Blue Optics (UK).

All of this has occurred in the last month, and is covered in this issue of our big-screen newsletter, Projection Monthly with Flat Panel Coverage. And with NAB coming up, we expect more news on the stereoscopic 3D front.

All of this action appears to represent the start of a ground swell in activity in stereoscopic 3D across many market segments. Insight Media, with support from USDC, has just completed a 380-page report on the 3D market called 3D Technology and Markets: A Study of All Aspects of Electronic 3D Systems, Applications and Markets, which provides a very comprehensive look at the entire ecosystem for 3D content creation, management and display, with market analysis on nearly 40 market segments. We see these recent developments as proof of what we concluded - 3D technology is mature enough for many applications, allowing it to spread beyond its niche status into mainstream markets.

Anyone in the display industry, or the 40 or more markets where 3D will play, should take notice and begin to understand how, where, when and why 3D displays and technology will enter or expand in various market segments.

We have also priced the report lower than we normally would to allow more companies to purchase the report and gain comprehensive insight into the trends and opportunities available here.

The report is available now for $3,500 for a company site license.

For more on the report, visit: http://www.insightmedia.info/reports/20073dtech.php
Or contact: Insight Media, Dian Mecca, 203-831-8464, dian@insightmedia.info.

About Insight Media

Insight Media (www.insightmedia.info) is a leading market and technology research firm providing its unique Opportunity Analysis for manufacturers and resellers of electronic displays and their components. Opportunity Analysis evaluates technology, market data, competitive factors, user applications, business and distribution elements and combines them into an integrated strategic operational guide. Insight Media also provides timely newsletters, detailed assessments, global market reports, focused industry conferences, and tactical consulting.

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