In-Stat Sees Gains in 3D TV Sales

SCOTTSDALE: By 2013, one in five new TV sets sold in the U.S. will be 3D, according to In-Stat, with a year-on-year shipment increase of 231 percent in the next year.

The number of installed 3D TVs will double between 2010 and 2011, In-Stat reports. However, MP3 players, handheld games and desktop PCs will show declining growth rates in 2012 and 2013, in favor of smartphones, tablet PCs and e-readers.

Analyst Stephanie Ethier notes: "High definition did create a wave of activity in the U.S. market, not seen since the introduction of color. 3DTV promises to be the next significant innovation wave for living room entertainment."

Informa recently released its own in-depth 3D report. It found that North America will remain the largest region for 3D TV in the near future, with 60 percent of the active user base. By 2015, however, this is expected to fall to 41 percent as takeup picks up speed in Western Europe and parts of Asia. The U.S. is expected to have 8.7 million active 3D TV homes by end 2015, followed by 2 million in Japan, 1.6 million in the U.K. and 1.5 million in Korea.