So far, 11 3D services, 2 3D channels, and 6 video-on-demand offerings were available to North American customers at the end of 2010, according to the study conducted by Futuresource Consulting.
“Limited retail content availability has placed greater importance on the role of the broadcast segment as a key 3D content source,” Futuresource analyst Fiona Hoy said.
As more customers buy 3DTVs, Futuresource sees a bump for disc sales, as well. The research firm said 3D sales accounted for less than 1 percent of Blu-ray revenue in the U.S. last year, but will reach approximately 25 percent in 2015.
London-based Futuresource said the high cost of active-shutter 3D glasses and limitations imposed by glasses-free 3DTVs continue to hinder wider consumer adoption of the technology.
“Even when the TV technology is in place, the production issues for live action content are still likely to be a major hurdle, as creating content for these multi-view displays requires multiple cameras and a different production/broadcast infrastructure,” said Jim Bottoms, Futuresource director and co-founder.
