Samsung teams up with DreamWorks, Technicolor for 3-D

(AFP PHOTO/JUNG YEON-JE)

South Korea's Samsung teamed up with DreamWorks Animation, maker of "Shrek," "Kung Fu Panda" and other hit movies, and Technicolor on Wednesday in a push to bring more 3-D entertainment into the home.

Samsung, DreamWorks and Technicolor announced at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) here that they have formed a "global strategic alliance for the delivery of a complete 3-D home entertainment solution in 2010."

They said they were joining forces to "accelerate the worldwide deployment of in-home 3-D to mainstream consumers."

Samsung is one of a number of major electronics manufacturers displaying 3-D high-definition television sets at CES this year as the industry seeks to expand 3-D viewing beyond the movie screen and into the living room.

Growth of 3-D has been slow because of a lack of programming, the need to wear special glasses and the higher prices of 3-D sets, but last month's release of science fiction blockbuster "Avatar," a 3-D film by "Titanic" director James Cameron, has renewed interest in the medium.

US sports broadcaster ESPN announced on Tuesday that it will show some World Cup soccer matches live from South Africa in 3-D and Japan's Sony is partnering with Discovery and IMAX to launch a 3-D TV network in the United States.

"We're forging the future of entertainment in what we like to call a new dimension," Tim Baxter, president of the consumer electronics division at Samsung Electronics America, said at a Samsung press conference.

He said Samsung, which came out with its first 3-D HDTV in 2007, would be marketing a "complete 3-D entertainment offering for the home" featuring a 3-D television set, 3-D Blu-Ray player and "stylish active shutter 3-D glasses."

"3-D has had a bumpy ride since the first 3-D film back in 1922," Baxter said. "Today though technology has improved dramatically and it's clear people love watching 3-D in theaters.

"Consumers are now expecting the same 3-D experience that they are getting in the theater in their home," Baxter said, adding that the new Samsung products deliver "a complete cinema quality 3-D movie experience at home."

DreamWorks Animation chief executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, in an appearance at the Samsung event at CES, said 3-D was no longer a "novelty" but a "fantastic creative and business opportunity."

"Today because of 3-D we stand at a watershed moment for the entire movie industry," Katzenberg said. "It's an incredible artistic tool for filmmakers and it has proven to be very big business."