M+E Daily

Marketers of 3D home entertainment face an uphill battle in 2011, with most consumers in the U.S. either nonplussed by the technology or maintaining a wait-and-see approach, according to two new reports.

U.S. consumer interest in 3D TV trails the rest of the world, according to a survey. While two percent of the online survey respondents in North America claim to already own a 3D TV, 6% say they probably or definitely will purchase a stereoscopic set in the next 12 months. More than three quarters (76%), meanwhile, say they probably or definitely will not.

Frank Stagliano, Nielsen’s EVP/GM of TV Primary Research, says that the format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD, along with competing plasma and LCD display technologies, have “trained consumers to wait” on purchasing new gear such as 3D “until widespread adoption is more likely.”

Stagliano adds that some consumers are also deterred by the perceived usability of 3D set and requisite glasses, fearing that 3D technology may inhibit TV as a relaxing medium. Yet the 24-hour 3D TV network launching in early 2011 from Discovery, Imax, and Sony may work to change consumer impressions of the technology, the analyst says.

High HDTV Ownership As Backdrop

According to new research from Leichtman Research Group (LRG), 61% of households in the United States have at least one high definition television set, and about 26% have multiple HDTVs. Comparatively, in 2005, 12% of US households had at least one HDTV, and 1% had more than one HDTV.

While less than 1% of all U.S. households currently have an HDTV set that is 3D-capable, nearly 80% of adults in the U.S. have heard of 3D TV. Yet among that group, just 8% say they are very interested in purchasing a 3D set.

Price may be the chief factor. Six in 10 HDTV owners (60%) report spending under $1,000 on their HDTV set – compared to 48% last year, and 34% two years ago. The technology also arrives at a time when many households consider themselves “set” with new televisions. Some 21% of all households purchased a new TV set in the past 12 months, and 18% of all households plan to purchase a new TV set in the next 12 months.

Notably, the mean annual household income of those very interested in getting a 3D TV is 18% below the mean of the LRG survey sample.

The technology continues to receive mixed consumer reviews. Of those who have seen 3D TV, roughly one quarter (24%) rate it an 8-10 (with 10 being “excellent”), while 32% rate it 1-3 (with 1 being “poor”), LRG says.

“In just the past five years, nearly half of all U.S. households have adopted HDTV,” says LRG’s Bruce Leichtman. “With modest consumer demand for 3D-capable TVs, the potential growth of 3D TV will rely on a continued ‘push’ of 3D TV by manufacturers and retailers, as well as the fact that about one-fifth of all US households purchase a new TV each year.”