NAB 2011 – Day 1
I need to dispel a couple of myths. First, it is not warm in Vegas. At least not on this visit. I have a feeling it was warmer in Toronto today than it was here. My sister reports (I’m staying at their house here in Vegas) that there were snowflakes in the air today in North Las Vegas. Second, this is definitely not a vacation. I was up at 6am on this Saturday morning to get myself to the convention centre with plenty of time to spare before the start of the Digital Cinema Summit (DCS). I recalled that last year they ran out of coffee and I wanted to ensure I was adequately fueled to begin the day.
One of the most interesting presentations of the day came from Chris Johns, representing UK satellite broadcaster Sky. For the naysayers back in Canada, who don’t believe there is a place for 3D on your home screens, I say watch the current Sky 3D demo reel. It really communicates the value of 3D stereoscopic when it comes to sports, the arts, and nature. The David Attenborough documentary they commissioned, Flying Monsters 3D, looked particularly interesting. Listening to the Sky presentation, I found myself wondering why there isn’t an equivalent Canadian broadcaster aggressively exploring the possibilities of 3D stereoscopic production. After all, the population/market of the UK isn’t vastly different from that of Canada (62 millions versus 34 million?). Canadian content providers have been slow to even re-broadcast 3D content from outside sources. Sky has recently published a set of recommendations for 3D stereoscopic which you can find here.
The last panel discussion of the day brought together representatives from most of the major TV manufacturers. They were a defensive group when it came to discussions of disappointing sales numbers for 3D TVs in 2010. All are optimistic that 2011 and 2012 will bring significant growth in sales. Finally many manufacturers are shifting to systems that utilize passive glasses. I thought it was very odd that nearly every booth at last year’s NAB was demonstrating 3D using passive displays when this technology was completely absent from consumer offerings. Even the active-shutter glasses seem to be becoming more affordable – Samsung now offers a deal that provides four pairs with a new set for $100. The consensus of the panel is that auto-stereoscopic displays for home – the ones that don’t require glasses – are a long way off – perhaps 7 to 10 years. After a slow start, it seems as though more 3D blu-ray titles are starting to appear. Currently there are about 70 titles available. More blu-ray titles, more 3D video games, and more tent-pole live events are expected to drive sales.
