Since July, the "war" between passive polarized and active shutter 3D glasses technologies has become increasingly intense. LG and VIZIO, representing the passive polarized camp, have launched a counterattack because the active shutter 3D TV technology camp, represented by Sony and Samsung, has been releasing sales "smoke screens" to enhance their credibility.
This debate originated from statements by senior vice presidents of Samsung and Sony, who cited survey data from the NPD Group. This consumer terminal data showed that last month, active shutter 3D TVs accounted for 90% of the entire 3D market share in terms of sales. However, a representative from VIZIO denied this, pointing out that the sales figures compiled by NPD did not include some national retailers such as Walmart, and thus could not reflect the full picture of the sales market.
According to reports from several market analysts in the first quarter, VIZIO leads in the U.S. LCD TV market, and this position was achieved mainly by betting heavily on the sale of 3D TVs using active shutter 3D glasses technology. VIZIO's 3D TVs also use 3D LCD panels sourced from LG.
A spokesperson for NPD responded to the question about the incomplete list of retailers and confirmed a "well-known" fact: indeed, the retailers surveyed did not include Walmart but covered "hundreds" of other retailers. Their names, according to the agreement of the report, cannot be disclosed. He also said, "The advancing 'polarizing lens technology' or 'passive polarizing technology' represents an important direction of choice, so NPD will continue to monitor its development."
Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis at the NPD Group, said, "Although the NPD statistics do not include some large retailers like Walmart, our consumer data still reflects brand market shares through various retailers and channels covering the entire United States."
NPD recently conducted an independent survey, thoroughly studying 3D technology in a 360-degree manner. The study revealed that consumers’ awareness of "active" and "passive" 3D technologies and their preferences for purchasing were actually quite similar.
Last month, LG conducted a study where they compared their "passive" 3D LCD TVs with Sony and Samsung's "active" 3D TVs side by side in a "close combat" style of consumer experience to gauge market sentiment. LG claimed that 80% of participating consumers preferred LG's 3D TVs due to better image quality and comfort among other factors.
The day after announcing this news, LG placed advertisements in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Times Square billboards saying, "Hey, Samsung and Sony, you'd better stick to 2D."
Mike Abary, Senior Vice President of Sony Electronics Home Division, sent us an email refuting LG's statement and argued that consumers actually prefer active shutter 3D technology.
"Consumers' decisions come from their wallets," said Abary, echoing the earlier comments of John Revie, Samsung's Senior Vice President, who made similar remarks defending Samsung's active shutter technology. Abary stated, "Based on NPD data, the sales ratio of active shutter 3D TVs to passive polarized 3D TVs is approximately 6:1."
Abary claimed that compared to other products on the market, Sony's active shutter technology can display the brightest and best 3D images. "More importantly, only our active shutter technology can display HD-level images in both 2D and 3D," said Abary, "Sony manufactures the best-performing 3D products for consumers."