32% of new TVs bought to be 3D-ready by 2014?

panasonic ces 2011
3D is here and it's not going away

Panasonic has predicted that a third of all new TV purchases will be of 3D models by 2014.

At the Japanese giant's CES press conference, company president Shiro Kitajima said that 3D was an unstoppable force, and detailed a vast array of new 3D products.

Among them were new ranges of high end, midrange and entry level plasma 3D TVs (VT30, GT30 and ST30), Panasonic's first 3D LCD TV (DT30), as well as an array of new 3D cameras, camcorders and Blu-ray players.

To say that Panasonic is throwing the kitchen sink at 3D would be an understatement, and it seems that consumers are going to end up with 3D TVs in their homes eventually whether they like it or not.

panasonic ces 2011

Three quarters of the Blu-ray players in Panasonic's 2011 range are 3D capable, while last year's groundbreaking 3D camcorder (HDC-SDT750) is joined by five new models at various price points. Kitajima hinted that the entry level 3D camcorder will cost just $1000 (£645).

Perhaps the most exciting technical innovation in all of Panasonic's new products – which includes the Android-toting Viera Tablet – are the incremental improvements in the company's premium VT30 range of high-end 3D TVs.

Kitajima says that Panasonic has been able to use new phosphors to increase the light output of its plasma panels by 30 per cent, while cutting power consumption by 20 per cent.

Panasonic's plasmas are known to be the best TVs at limiting the intrusion of crosstalk, but its pictures can be less dazzling than Direct LED 3D TVs because the plasma panels emit less light - until now?

We'll take a look at these new TVs at the show tomorrow and we'll let you know what we think.

James Rivington

James was part of the TechRadar editorial team for eight years up until 2015 and now works in a senior position for TR's parent company Future. An experienced Content Director with a demonstrated history of working in the media production industry. Skilled in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), E-commerce Optimization, Journalism, Digital Marketing, and Social Media. James can do it all.