Update From The Living Room

3D-TV, like 3D movies is pretty much in a stall.. For the last three years the A/V industry tried, in vein, to sell 3D as the next coming in TV viewing.- but consumers wouldn't have it.  Now it's all about Ultra High Definition (UHD-TV) with 4k resolution.  However, the improved resolution of UHD-TV is only discernable on sets above 50 inches and up in size. 

4k has four times the resolution of current high definition TVs and as you have already figured requires more bandwidth to stream or download, but Google and Netflix have gone on record as stating that the bandwidth will not be a concern. In fact, the Consumer Electronics Association predicts that sales of UHD-4k Tvs will reach 8.7 million units worldwide this year - of which only 600,000 will be sold in the U.S., with U.S. sales reaching 2.6 million by 2017.

Another twist is that the new UHD-TVs will, in many cases, be curved instead of flat. A curved screen offers improved viewing - reducing glare and increasing the viewing angles providing a more immersive experience.

Samsung, LG, and Sony are all betting heavily on UHD-TV.  At the high end both Samsung and LG have introduced sets up to 105 inches.  On the low end, Sony (Vizio) is offering a 50 inch UHD-TV for only $999, with a 70 inch model at $2599.

Getting back to the lack of 4k content currently available, the TV manufacturers are working with both the internet streamers, like Google, Amazon, and Netflix, as well as, the movie studios (recently inking deals with Warner Bros., Lionsgate, and Fox).  Universal, owned by Comcast, is also on board and even has plans to broadcast coverage of the Sochi Winter Olympics in UHD-4k.

UP-Converting

The newest UHD-4K TVs are capable of upconverting regular HD signals. Tests have shown that upconverted 1080p video (current HD resolution) on an UHD-4k set looks far superior than the same picture on a regular HD set.  So, upconverting provides a consumer an excuse to purchase an UHD-TV before a lot of 4k content is available.

Bend It Like LG & Samsung

Really pushing the envelope, both LG and Samsung will be offering TVs that bend at the touch of a remote button.  Details on the price or availability on these sets hasn't been released but both South Korean rivals want to make sure consumers have the option.  It seems that, as tests have shown, consumers can't resists the joy of watching a razor-thin TV curve inward for a 'more immersive viewing experience'.

CMG's Take

It's time for cinemas to realize and address the competition.The battle for viewers is only going to get fiercer. Those cinemas that heeded our warnings and prepared for the future by purchasing digital cinema projection systems that are currently producing twice the resolution of HD TVs and twice the brightness of their prior 35mm film projectors are going to stave off the relentless assault from in-the-home viewing.