THE consumer electronics world thrives on the latest new thing. And this year that would be 3-D. It was once considered a quirky technology gone nowhere, but, because of the popularity of “Avatar,” television makers now are racing to bring multidimensional viewing to the living room.
Samsung Electronics is introducing 15 3-D television models with a live-action three-dimensional commercial created by the same technical production company that made “Avatar,” James Cameron’s popular film.
And just like the 1950s when the technology was popular in the country’s theaters, special spectacles — which look nothing like the paper versions but come at an additional price — are required for the full visual experience.
TV manufacturers are betting on 3-D. There are forecasts that consumers will buy 3.5 million to 4 million such sets, or about 10 percent of all United States television sales, this year. But that may be optimistic. Different and incompatible technologies mean that one maker’s glasses, for example, cannot be used on another’s television model.
Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America, said that electronics companies were working to come up with a single standard, but he conceded that it would not happen immediately. Even so, he said that Samsung executives believed that 3-D technology was ushering in an era where “there will be less passive sitting back and watching television, and a more immersive, interactive experience.”
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