According to new research from Retrevo, approximately 55 percent of people that are planning on purchasing a HDTV during 2012 aren’t interested in paying for a model capable of 3D. Twenty-three percent are interested in buying a 3DTV if the price difference compared to a regular HDTV is small and 22 percent of people planning on purchasing a new HDTV will pay for a 3D model despite the increased cost. Between the months of July 2010 and July 2011, the average premium cost of a 3DTV over a regular HDTV decreased by about $550. While consumers are likely to see even deeper cuts during Black Friday and the shopping season, the premium cost of a 3DTV is still $400 greater than a regular HDTV.
When asked for a reason beyond cost for avoiding a 3DTV purchase, 40 percent of respondents sited the continued lack of 3D programming on prime time television and 30 percent of the group pointed to wearing 3D glasses as the main problem. The sample size for this survey was 1,000 people and the group was spread across various income levels, ages and locations within the United States. When asked if any HDTV purchase was planned in 2012, only 33 percent of the group responded in the affirmative. When asked what the difference between passive and active 3D sets, three-fourths of the group had no idea. Passive glasses are typically found at movie theaters while active glasses have a heavier build and actively sync to the television.
Both Panasonic and Sony have suffered due to the lack of consumer interest for 3D televisions. Panasonic recently reported a 5.4 billion dollar loss attributed partly to the lack of television sales and Sony also suffered a 1.2 billion dollar loss over the last year. The television portion of Sony’s business is bleeding money to the tune of $6 billion over the last seven years and Sony is looking into restructuring that portion of the business. Sony also had to recall 1.6 million Bravia flat-panel TVs earlier this year due to a faulty component that may melt the television.
