Stereoscopic 3D TV and Blu-ray standalone player revenue in the U.S. has exceeded $55 million in the first three months since the launch of these products in February, according to market research company NPD Group. This number represents 0.03% of what customers in the U.S. are projected to spend on consumer electronics (CE) this year.

“3D TV and Blu-ray players are seeing steady growth even as major product line launches are slated for the coming months. As more consumers adopt 3D, the industry can help foster a 3D ecosystem similar to that of HD,” said Ross Rubin, executive director of industry analysis at NPD.

According to predictions of the Consumer Electronics Association (and not only it), sales of all consumer electronics products in the U.S. will exceed $165 billion in 2010 with in-home CE devices representing around $75 billion. Based on those numbers, the share of stereo-3D equipment as part of the overall yearly revenue seems to be either 0.03% or 0.073%, not exactly a success.

One inhibitor to adoption of 3D TV at home is the need to wear special glasses when watching stereo-3D TVs. These glasses can add significant cost and work only with their brand of television. Only 10% of consumers surveyed by NPD cited “looking silly” as a main concern of the glasses, whereas 41% cited not having enough glasses on hand for everyone watching the set. 

“3D TV will be a premium home entertainment experience in 2010. Many consumers have already shown that they are willing to use special glasses to obtain the effects, but want to preserve the social aspect of the group television viewing,” believes Mr. Rubin.

Tags: Stereo 3D, NPD