The following post is from Axiom's own Dave Sniadak, who is down in Las Vegas to be a part of the Consumer Electronics Show.
As predicted, the big announcements at CES today surrounded the flurry of new tablets and Smart Home technology (for instance, a refrigerator that tells you when you need to restock groceries). But the thing that struck me was just how many CE companies are hedging their bets on 3D technology.
As predicted, the big announcements at CES today surrounded the flurry of new tablets and Smart Home technology (for instance, a refrigerator that tells you when you need to restock groceries). But the thing that struck me was just how many CE companies are hedging their bets on 3D technology.
I got the opportunity to take a look at two companies in particular. First of all, JVC rolled out a new consumer 3D camcorder, and the image quality is actually quite striking. They don't offer any super-elaborate glasses to view their 3D content, just the standard clunky ones that make you look like Drew Carey. However, the 3D products themselves are still pretty amazing, and as a video guy, I wouldn't mind getting my hands on one of these cameras.
Panasonic is also betting big on 3D technology and had a booth stadium that featured about 200 3D screens running simultaneous content. Overwhelming? That was an understatement.
But does a heavy investment by manufacturers mean consumers are going to buy into this technology? I said this last year, and I'll say it again: until manufacturers can create 3D products that don't require glasses (and a second mortgage to get all the gear), only a fraction of the general population can afford these products.
But does a heavy investment by manufacturers mean consumers are going to buy into this technology? I said this last year, and I'll say it again: until manufacturers can create 3D products that don't require glasses (and a second mortgage to get all the gear), only a fraction of the general population can afford these products.
So, while 2011 offers some spectacular sights and sounds (trust me, it's absolutely amazing here) it's still a lot of hype, with little tangible substance for you and me.