3D UHD TV
LG Display Co. proclaimed this year as the new “first year of 3D,” as it heralds a new era of Ultra High Definition (UHD) TV. The TV giant vows to lead the global 3D market this year by focusing on China.
Ever since the first 3D TV rolled out in 2011, the company has enjoyed its status as a forerunner in 3D-related technology, but it hasn’t been able to capitalize on it owing to the stagnancy of the 3D TV market. The company is aiming at reigniting 3D boom by using the popularity of UHD TV.
LG Display, after proclaiming 2014 as the new “first year of the 3D era” on April 15, announced its plan to spearhead a global promotion in a bid to expand 3D markets.
The company, after introducing 3D TV in 2011, failed to lead the market because of a lack of 3D content, and other reasons. However, it anticipates that 3D TV will get a second break, as big screen UHD TVs are catching on and 3D content is becoming more common.
An LG Display associate said, “As big screen and high-definition UHD TVs are getting more popularized, consumers will care about the differences in resolution and picture clarity when they choose the product. 3D will be in the spotlight.”
In fact, out of 1.6 million UHD TV sets that were sold in the world, 1.59 million sets (99.4 percent) turned out to have 3D functionality, according to DisplaySearch.
Hana Daetoo Securities Co. predicts this year’s UHD TV sales at 17 million sets, 10 times that of last year. At the same time, 30.4 percent growth is anticipated for 3D TV panel sales, from last year’s 5,021 sets to 6,547.
The TV company is banking on the fact that their next generation Film-type Patterned Retarder (FPR) 3D method can maximize the picture sharpness of UHD.
A company associate explained, “UHD TV has four times greater resolution vis-a-vis full HD TV, and can deliver a superb 3D immersion effect.”
The company stressed that their TV provides a sharper picture when compared with their competition’s Shutter Glass (SG) method, as their 3D FPR method can maintain a screen scanning rate of 240khz, equivalent to that of 2D.
The company is determined to launch a full marketing effort for 3D experience promotion and 3D content distribution marketing by concentrating on countries where UHD is popular and 3D broadcasting infrastructure is under construction, which includes China, Russia, Brazil, Turkey, and Korea.
The TV company is hosting a 3D experience event in Turkey in time for the opening of the movie “Noah,” and is slated to open a 3D experience zone using UHD TV at Beijing International Film Festival, scheduled to open from April 17.
In particular, the company plans to offer a store demonstration and year-round experience zone where consumers can experience 3D TV in China, a country noted as the most aggressive in 3D technology and market expansion.
It also is planning to run UHD and 3D experience zones at Brazil’s Sao Paulo International Film Festival in October this year, Korea’s Busan International Film Festival, and Cirque du Soleil to be performed in Russia.
The company also emphasized that it is at the forefront in developing 3D TV without glasses, which were touted as the biggest hurdle in expanding 3D TV markets.
At the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2014, the company showcased a 55-inch glassless Lenticular Film Type 3D TV, which has a much enhanced viewing angle and a better feeling of immersion.
The company secured commercial-use, fixed lens, glassless 3D panel technology,and is in the process of developing Switchable Lenticular Lens type technology where 2D and 3D can be freely switched back and forth on one TV set.