Consumers vote with their remote as Internet-TV and 3D TV manufacturers fight it out

(Losevsky Pavel)

2010 might be the year of 3D consumer technology but as far as consumers are concerned, they'd rather have a TV that connects to the internet.

According to a July 28 report by market researcher iSuppli, global shipments of 3D TVs in 2010 will pale in comparison to those of Internet-Enabled TVs .

"Despite aggressive promotions from the industry and intense consumer interest generated by the blockbuster Avatar and other titles, the 3-D TV market in 2010 will be limited to a small pool of enthusiastic early adopters," reported Riddhi Patel, director and principal analyst for television systems at iSuppli.

"In contrast, IETV is entering the mainstream in 2010. This is because 3-D is still dealing with a number of barriers, including cost, content availability and interoperability, while IETV provides immediate benefits by allowing TV viewers to access a range of content readily available on the Internet."

In 2010 iSuppli forecasts that manufacturers will ship around 27.7 million Internet-Enabled TVs (IETVs) (a 124.9 increase from 2009) compared to around 4.2 million 3D-enabled TVs.

By 2014, worldwide IETV shipments are expected to reach 148.3 million units and make up around 54 percent of the total flat-panel TV market.

A July 27 report by Parks Associates suggests that US consumers are keen to adopt 3D TV into their living room entertainment experience - but only if costs drop and 3D content becomes readily available.
The research firm estimates that by 2014 around 80 percent of all televisions sold in the US will be 3D-compatible.

"As content and service providers launch new 3D channels and Blu-ray discs, consumers will start to see more value in this technology, and shipments will increase as a result," said Pietro Macchiarella, research analyst, Parks Associates.