3net CEO – “Critical mass for 3D will be reached by 2013″

Despite recent negative reports that North American’s are turning their back on 3D, US 3D channel 3net’s president Tom Cosgrove remains optimistic that critical mass for 3D will be reached during 2012 and 2013.

In this “What next for 3D?” article, we asked Tom Cosgrove if he was optimistic about the future of 3D after last year’s negative reports…

Tom Cosgrove: I'm more optimistic about the future of 3D and more confident in that optimism, primarily because of two things…

1.) The creative community is increasingly embracing 3D as a creative tool and story-telling medium.  We are seeing directors like Martin Scorsese finding new and exciting ways to immerse their audiences in story, and we are seeing the same in the television and gaming communities. 3D entertainment/sport/factual has moved beyond the obvious and into engaging, surprising, and superior premium content.

2.) The number of 3D devices (TVs, mobile units, Blu-ray players, etc) hit 95 million in 2011…that's not some pie in sky prediction; it's what's happening right now. The platform is here and growing rapidly, and 3net, as a studio and a channel, is in a great position to build out that platform from the content side.

3D Focus: Do you expect 3net to have expanded internationally by the end of 2012?

Tom Cosgrove: 3net is both a branded destination (as in a linear channel here in the US), as well as a global 3D content studio, with a focus on creating high quality and highly entertaining 3D content for all platforms. As a studio, 3net controls the foremost library of 3D content in the world.  Currently, 3net content is carried in several continents around the globe, and we expect to continue to expand upon those platforms in the coming years as a content studio. As a linear channel internationally, those opportunities will be explored with our partners Sony and Discovery.

3D Focus: What expectations do you have for the 3D entertainment industry for 2012 and do you think 2012 is a particularly important year for shaping the direction the 3D industry takes moving forward?

Tom Cosgrove: I do believe we'll look back at 2012 and 2013 as the really formative years for the 3D industry. Over the next two years, we will see a meaningful platform emerge in-home and via portable devices, as a critical mass is reached. We will also continue to see brave new ways to tell story, and a growing and engaged audience of 3D consumers. The pace of rollout for 3D has been many times that which we saw with HD – the next two years should prove to be where the convergence of content and devices develop into a well-shaped 3D industry.

3D Focus: Do you feel the pursuit for 3D ubiquity (3D phones, 3D laptops, 3D games consoles etc.) has been misguided or premature?

Tom Cosgrove: No, quite to the contrary. I think it is very important to acknowledge that consumers today expect to have content available to them on as many devices as they please. While the in-home flat panel display will most likely be the driver of 3D outside of the theater, for many consumers the ability to watch (or create) their favorite 3D content on a portable device will be as, or even more, important. As content providers, it is incumbent upon us to understand the dynamics around 3D consumption on every platform, and work to deliver an uncompromising level of quality be it via a home theater, mobile phone, gaming devices, or what have you.

Speaking at CES a few days ago, Tom Cosgrove emphasised that 3D is supplementary to regular 2D HD broadcasts rather than a replacment. During a panel discussion Cosgrove said …

“There was considerable hype three years ago that 3D will take over HD. That was never going to happen. Instead it will be a choice which people will make. By the end of the 10-14m households in the US will have 3DTVs. Already there are 90 million 3D device displays globally. It is on us as producers to innovate content but we have to narrow the gap in economics between 2D and 3D.”

2011 was a busy year for 3net with a rebranding, launch of a new consumer website, a content sharing agreement with Sky 3D and an ambitious 3D production schedule. 

For more information about 3net visit the 3net website

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