3D TV Won’t Grow As Fast As HDTV Did, Says News Corp’s Supremo

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of News Corporation – the media conglomerate that holds a not insignificant stake in British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB) which will fully launch UK’s first 3D channel on the 1st of October – has stated that he does not believe 3D TVs will enjoy a similar growth rate to that seen when HD TVs first captured the public’s imagination some years ago.

Chase Carey is News Corporation’s current president, COO and deputy chairman, who has also previously served as the CEO (chief executive officer) of DirecTV which has launched USA’s first 3D channels. He revealed his scepticism on 3D technology in a frank interview session with Broadcast & Cable’s editor-in-chief Ben Grossman at a Hollywood Radio and Television Society luncheon which took place at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

Since the beginning of this year, TV makers have been heavily marketing 3D TV sets which they see as the next step of evolution in HDTV technology. Despite the decidedly lacklustre uptake of 3D TVs judging from numerous surveys and sales reports, advocates of extra-dimensional technology cited the initially slow adoption of HDTV to its present mass-market penetration as precedent that consumers would one day too welcome 3D TV technology.

But Mr Carey remains unconvinced, pointing out that unlike high definition, 3D is more of an event-based display technology which has little scope beyond 3D movies and 3D sports. In addition, because of the hassle of wearing 3D glasses, he said the rate of 3D adoption will not achieve the same success as that for HDTVs.

Because of the niche role he sees 3D TV taking up in the home entertainment space, Mr Carey hinted that the News-Corp-owned Fox Broadcasting Company may not commit heavily to 3D at present. “3D is not the second coming of HD,” he boldly declared.