While Meant to be Seen (MTBS) is credited as being the foremost authority group for stereoscopic 3D (S-3D) entertainment in the home, our credibility is primarily founded on the contributions and involvement of customers who have a vested interest in making S-3D technology successful, and we use this leverage to push our industry in a positive direction.
While stereoscopic 3D technology has earned success in the movie theater space rather quickly, success in the home has proven to be challenging. Whether in the form of movies or video games, the true promise of what 3D can offer has yet to be demonstrated through mass market adoption.
It is no secret that the world is living in difficult economic times. Top retailers are filing for bankruptcy, 2009’s CES attendance was at a record low, and leading manufacturers in all sectors are going through mass lay-offs to stay afloat. While I have great confidence that the 3D markets will succeed, we can afford few errors in judgment.
To make 3D successful, there are three challenges that need to be addressed:
Media is the first place customers go for credible reviews and information about new products. Unfortunately, few technologies evoke more myths and criticism than stereoscopic 3D in the home. If you were to believe all that was published: 3D glasses are “dorky” and unacceptable, 3D is a very uncomfortable experience, and the industry is most associated with out of date red/blue glasses.
For myself, I am most troubled that the majority of media coverage for stereoscopic 3D in the home has been geared around cinema instead of gaming. This is a problem because cinema in the home cannot take off until firm transmission standards are established, enough 3D content is produced, and the 3D viewing experience is both comfortable and convenient. To survive, we need the media to focus on the 3D experiences available today, not the distant promises of tomorrow.
Media is just half the problem. 3D HDTVs are on store shelves today, and instead of being sold under the auspices of 3D gaming which is very much here today, manufacturers have taken a weak position by playing a standards waiting game while viable products uselessly sit on store shelves during hard economic times. This is the industry’s own doing, and it has voluntarily sacrificed sales critical to our success. This trend must be terminated.
To our knowledge, there is little to no data of what customers think. Our industry has chosen a direction based on 3D movie theater ticket sales, and have failed to consider that the needs and motivations of the at-home experience could be very different. Do customers really want 3D in the home? How do they want it? What types of content do they want? These are very basic questions that have not been answered - until now.
The purpose of the U-DECIDE Initiative is to answer all these questions and more with the help of the only people whose opinions matter, the customers.