Significantly increasing the formats credibility, Sony has announced that they will be producing 3D TV's for the home by 2010.
Sony are actually proposing a whole raft of 3D products with their chief executive, Howard Stringer, indicating that consumers will be able to buy not only 3D Bravia Televisions but also Vaio Laptops, Blu-ray disc players and Playstation3 games consoles compatible with 3D technology.
Sony are planning to use "active shutter" technology for their 3D products, with glasses containing small shutters which blink rapidly in unison with the TV's image 'frames' to create the three dimensional effect.
Sony's moves towards 3D are significant for an industry which has relied up to now on demonstrating fleeting glimpses of the formats potential, Although LG and Samsung have been working on 3D products, Sony's entry into the 3D consumer market could tip the balance to see the format becoming mainstream. The arrival of Sony will certainly prompt other manufacturers to sit up and take notice of what is currently a niche technology.
Adding to the momentum of the new format, British Sky Broadcasting are planning to launch a 3D channel in 2010. Panasonic are aiming to release a 3D Blu-ray deck some time in 2010. Their Universal City 3D labs have been working towards establishing a 3D Full HD (3D FHD) Blu-ray format.
One potential snag for any new 3D format is that the electronics industry has yet to agree on a standard. We have seen the detrimental effects of a format war for consumers and manufacturers only recently with High Definition discs.
Although there are a number of challenges facing the introduction of a consumer 3D format, the move by Sony signals what could prove to be an exciting new period of home entertainment. Howard Stringer added that Sony had to find new ways of capturing consumer imagination, and that 3D television was "an exciting new area" one in which Sony could "lead the industry".
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