For some technologies, the Consumer Electronics show is like a hospital. The place you’re born, and the place you’ll die.
In the span of three years, Vizio has become the most important company in television. And this year, with zero fanfare, it got rid of 3D TVs across its current product line.
Vizio’s decision appears to be a unique one; 3D is still found in a large share of 2013’s most popular televisions, and will be present in many of 2014’s models, too. But it makes explicit what TV manufacturers have been gradually coming to terms with over the last two product cycles, as evident in their increasingly subtle marketing of 3D televisions: 3D wasn’t just a failure — it has become a liability.
Panasonic, which admitted a year ago that its massive 3D push “hasn’t really worked,” has largely disappeared the feature from its new lineup. About 90% of Panasonic’ s 2013 range had some sort of 3D feature. Its 2014 lineup, announced today, has either substantially dropped 3D support or made it a secret: of its 14 new TVs, just three is branded as 3D.
CES 2010 was all about 3D TV, as was CES 2011. The next year, the industry’s hangover was setting in — by CES 2013, 3D had become fully commodified. It was included in TVs and simply listed as a feature. It was there because it had no reason not to be, not because anyone was asking for it.
CES 2014 Is Turning Into A Funeral For 3D
In the span of three years, Vizio has become the most important company in television. And this year, with zero fanfare, it got rid of 3D TVs across its current product line.
Vizio’s decision appears to be a unique one; 3D is still found in a large share of 2013’s most popular televisions, and will be present in many of 2014’s models, too. But it makes explicit what TV manufacturers have been gradually coming to terms with over the last two product cycles, as evident in their increasingly subtle marketing of 3D televisions: 3D wasn’t just a failure — it has become a liability.
Panasonic, which admitted a year ago that its massive 3D push “hasn’t really worked,” has largely disappeared the feature from its new lineup. About 90% of Panasonic’ s 2013 range had some sort of 3D feature. Its 2014 lineup, announced today, has either substantially dropped 3D support or made it a secret: of its 14 new TVs, just three is branded as 3D.
CES 2010 was all about 3D TV, as was CES 2011. The next year, the industry’s hangover was setting in — by CES 2013, 3D had become fully commodified. It was included in TVs and simply listed as a feature. It was there because it had no reason not to be, not because anyone was asking for it.
CES 2014 Is Turning Into A Funeral For 3D
