TV makers bet big on 3D but payoff uncertain

Television manufacturers are banking on 3D TVs for their next sales boost, with sets capable of adding that extra visual dimension expected to hit US store shelves in force by the middle of 2010.

Television manufacturers are banking on 3D TVs for their next sales boost, with sets capable of adding that extra visual dimension expected to hit US store shelves in force by the middle of 2010.

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Top TV makers including Sony, Panasonic, LC Electronics and Samsung Electronics will feature 3D screen advances at the Consumer Electronics Show this week, hoping the new technology will be as big a boost for the industry as the transition to colour TVs from black and white.

But investors think it is still too early to put money on 3D. It took a decade for the cost of colour TVs to fall enough to win acceptance in the United States.

Many consumers have only just unboxed new high-definition television screens, making them unwilling to spend on upgrading again any time soon, analysts said.

ESPN and Discovery Communications both unveiled plans to launch 3-D television networks, reflecting a growing momentum to usher 3-D into the home.