Sales of 3D TV sets will triple this year, GfK says

The latest technology to penetrate on the Romanian market last year was 3D. While globally 3D is present within various categories of products such as video cameras, photo cameras and TV sets, in Romania this technology was promoted exclusively via TV screens with flat screen.

In 2010 approximately 1,400 3D TV sets were sold on the local market, according to the GfK Retail and Technology division. Of these, only 200 were plasma TVs, the rest being LCD. Only in the first two months of this year, sales amounted to approximately 550 items.

The total market of flat screen TV sets (LCD and plasma TVs) was estimated last year at 480,000 units. Up to now, sales of 3D sets reached a total value of EUR 3.7 million.

The price of this equipment remains very high- amounting to EUR 1,690 between January- February 2011- but it has been nevertheless decreasing from approximately EUR 2,000 last year.

“We can say that interest in 3D will remain this year as well. Most likely, in Romania we can expect a volume of sales that is at least three times higher than the one posted in 2010,” said Ciprian Hatneanu, manager of GfK Retail and Tehnology in Romania.

This trend is in line with sales at European level. In Germany, sales of 3D TV sets amounted to 200,000 units, while this year it is expected to surpass 1 million such items.

“However, the market will remain a niche one, both at the global and local level. Factors that will influence this will be the high prices, the deficit of 3D content combined with the people’s reluctance to exchange a flat TV screen they recently bought with the latest 3D technology, according to Gfk.

The main producers who offer this technology- Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic- are making steps to eliminate this year one of the main obstacles in the adoption of the 3D TV set- the lack of content on the local market by throwing onto the market TV screens than can make the conversion from 2D to 3D.

Otilia Haraga