The Bluetooth special interest group (SIG) has announced it has reached the first iteration of its active 3D glasses standard using Bluetooth wireless technology. As the 3D glasses specification makes progress, millions of Bluetooth enabled TVs have already shipped, paving the road to mass adoption of Bluetooth technology in the living room.

“When it comes to the connected living room, Bluetooth technology has the advantage of already being in billions of devices, including the latest Bluetooth Smart and Bluetooth Smart Ready products using Bluetooth v4.0. Bluetooth technology is in millions of television sets, with millions more on the way this year alone. Innovative remote controls and 3D glasses are just the beginning. The real magic for the consumer is having their Bluetooth enabled TV seamlessly connect with other Bluetooth devices in the home, including their wireless speaker system, set-top box, phone, tablet, fitness devices, home thermostat, appliances, and more,” said Michael Foley, executive director of Bluetooth SIG.

Samsung, among other member companies, is actively working within the Bluetooth SIG to finalize the standard that will give stereo-3D glasses users greater freedom of movement, longer battery life, and increased interoperability with an ever-expanding group of television brands.

Announcements from the major consumer electronics and semiconductor manufacturers at Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2012 are expected to further cement Bluetooth technology’s position in the TV. Soon Bluetooth enabled TVs will serve as the hub of the connected living room, enabling seamless, robust connections with all Bluetooth technology and Bluetooth Smart devices including remote controls, gaming consoles, speaker systems, keyboards, phones, tablets, health and medical devices and more. In addition, the first wave of the recently announced Bluetooth Smart devices for the connected living room, which take advantage of Bluetooth 4.0’s low energy technology, will be hitting at CES.

In 2011, millions of Bluetooth enabled TVs were shipped to market. The connected living room also includes 71% penetration of Bluetooth technology into gaming consoles, with an expected 95.5% penetration rate by 2015, according to Peter Cooney, practice director, semiconductors at ABI Research. When coupled with Bluetooth technology’s near 100% adoption rate in smartphones, the standard becomes the simple and secure way to wirelessly connect and control devices in the living room and throughout the home.

Bluetooth SIG members currently ship more than 5 million devices per day, with an established installed base of 4 billion devices worldwide.

Tags: Bluetooth, Stereo 3D