In news surprising to pretty much nobody, ETNews reports both Samsung and LG are "greatly reducing" the numbers of 3DTVs in favour of producing more UHD/4K displays.
According to the Korean news site Samsung plans to stop making 3DTVs outright, and has reportedly already stopped ordering 3D glasses from its suppliers-- a significant revelation, since Samsung 3DTVs use shutter glass technology, and as such require custom battery-powered eyewear.
Meanwhile LG is said to be slashing the number of 3D-capable displays by half due to lack of demand for such TVs. The company confirms the report, saying “although 40% of all TVs last year had 3D functions, only 20% of TVs this year will have 3D function."
LG will still make at least some 3DTVs, mind-- but these will be premium models designed for the handful of customers with a preference for such functionality. LG 3DTVs use Film Patterned Retarder (FPR) technology, meaning the glasses used are cheaper and need no batteries.
Analysts have been reporting a slump in 3DTVs since 2013, when it was clear the technology never caught on with the general public. As an IHS report puts it, “3D TV was a fail due to contents, price, and technologies. The fact that people have to wear glasses to watch 3D TVs did not work too well for consumers.”
As such, unless perfect glasses-free 3D panels make an appearance it is fairly safe to bid farewell to the idea of 3DTVs becoming mainstream.
