Just to upstage all the other 3D TV announcements on Wednesday , Sony gave us a demonstration of dual 3D at its CES press conference.
Sir Howard Stringer, Sony chief executive, introduced his record label’s hottest artist Taylor Swift and we all donned 3D glasses to watch her perform in real-life 3D against a 3D back projection of the broadcast of her and the band performing the song.
Sony cameras, of course, were in use to record the performance and emphasise that Sony is set to benefit from all areas of the technology – from TVs to Blu-ray players, 3D gaming on the PlayStation 3 and eventually 3D on its consumer camera and camcorder lineup.
And that’s just the hardware. It’s movie studio will also be producing plenty of 3D content and Sony brought Discovery Channel and ESPN executives on stage to talk about their forthcoming nature and sports 3D channels (25 FIFA World Cup matches will be televised in 3D by ESPN this summer).
“[3D] is the perfect example of how we will marshall all our resources to deliver the next great consumer experience,” said Sir Howard, who looked like a Rat Pack member in his 3D glasses.
“We intend to take the lead in 3D, Sony is the only company immersed in every link of the 3D value chain.”
The companyunveiled its first LCD 3D TV , the 60-inch Sony Bravia XBR-60LX900, available this summer with a 240Hz refresh rate to enable 3D HD with a pair of RealD’s active shutter glasses.
Los Angeles-based RealD has scored big with manufacturers at CES – Panasonic, Samsung and Toshiba also said they would be using its glasses with their 3D sets.
Sony’s Korean rival Samsung is equally gung-ho about 3D. Tim Baxter, president of Samsung Electronics America, pointed out at its press conference that it was the first to introduce 3D TV in 2007 with a DLP TV and then a plasma one in 2008.
On Wednesday, it announced “a complete 3D home ecosystem” consisting of TV, Blu-ray player, home theatre system and RealD active shutter glasses. Samsung TVs will also have a processor powerful enough to convert 2D TV into a 3D version for viewers.
Samsung said it would have the widest range of 3D TVs this year in both LED, LCD and plasma versions. It is also working with content partners – Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive of Dreamworks, was introduced on stage and Fred Rose, chief executive of Technicolor, who presented Mr Baxter with its first ever Blu-ray 3D disc – a copy of Dreamworks’ Monsters v Aliens.
