VietNamNet Bridge – The 3D video content market now offers more choices than ever with the availability of hundreds of videos. However, high technology product distributors have all said that the demand for 3D video playing devices is weak.

Hundreds of 3D videos hit the market

A survey by Buu dien’s reporters in the biggest markets in Vietnam such as Hanoi and HCM City, found out that the number of 3D videos jumped from tens of products in mid 2011 to hundreds of products.

Nguyen Thac Son, manager of HD 360 Shop in Hanoi, said that there are two kinds of 3D videos – the ones filmed by specialized machines and the ones upgraded from 2D videos. There are some 100 “real 3D videos, and about 200 upgraded videos.

Le Vu Duong, Director of HD Hanoi, also said that the supply of 3D films has never been more profuse than nowadays. Hundreds of films of different kinds have been provided on image share websites and HD player distribution points.

However, Duong said that viewers would not be satisfied with the 3D videos upgraded from 2D videos, because the image quality is not high, or there are few 3D images, thus discouraging people. Therefore 3D real videos have always been the biggest choice for clients.

According to Nguyen Cong Chinh, an executive of Hoang Dao Investment Company (zodiac.com.vn, the enterprise which specializes in providing audio and video solutions and equipments), in 2011, Vietnamese people could only watch 3D films at 3D movie rooms, while they now can enjoy the films at “home theatre”. As the supply of 3D videos has become more profuse, Vietnamese people now tend to buy 3D TVs or 3D players to watch films at home.

Meanwhile, when buying 3D players or hard disks, sellers would provide some free videos. Some shops are now providing the disk burning service at 10,000 dong a video.

The market remains quiet

Though the film supply has become much more profuse than one year ago, 3D player distributors in Hanoi and HCM City all said that the demand for 3D players is weak.

“It is not because people do not have the demand for 3D films and 3D players. The problem is that in the context of high inflation, people have to tighten their belt and only spend money on the most essential demands,” Son said.

“Besides, it is the low sale season for high technology products of the year,” Son added.

The demand for 3D videos and 3D players in HCM City seems to be higher than in Hanoi, according to Chinh.

The owners of 3D TVs with Internet connection features now tend to access some specific websites to be able to watch 3D films online and free of charge. However, with the low quality of the ADSL Internet line, viewers would meet problems with the image quality sometimes.

Hung, a member of the Vietnam HD Forum, said that he’s rather to copy 3D films into hard disks to watch, instead of watching online. “The only solution to improve the online 3D film watching is to use fiber services or upgrading the transmission line,” Hung said.

Since early 2011, big manufacturers including LG and Samsung have slashed the sale prices of 3D TVs significantly to attract more buyers. One would spend 9-12 million dong, just to buy a 3D TV product. However, experts said that most of the cheap 3D TV products are the models with 32 inch screen, which is believed too small for watching 3D videos, or the models which need color glasses, which can only provide low quality images.

Source: Buu dien