James Delahunty
26 Nov 2009 18:09
Sony Executive Deputy President Hiroshi Yoshioka has predicated by the year ending March 2013, between a third and half of all Sony Corp. television sets sold will include 3D features. Yoshioka also acknowledged that a key issue contributing to the company's losses in the TV business is its reliance on a third party for panels. Sony buys panels from South Korean giant Samsung Electronics Co., which use LED-lacklight technology.
He said that the joint venture with Samsung has produced difficulties as well as having many positive effects too on Sony's products. "They were a competitor," he said, without giving any details on when Sony might be planning on producing its own displays of this type. While LED-backlit TVs have proven to be a success for Samsung, Sony may try to fight back by focusing on producing larger organic light-emitting diode (OLED) televisions.
OLED's produce light on the display's surface and therefore lack the need for any illumination from behind. The company already produces 11-inch OLED TVs, but Yoshioka admitted Sony engineers are experiencing hurdles while trying to produce larger panels. Until Sony can offer a full sized OLED television, the company will look for opportunities with 3D.
It has been specifically pointing out the potential benefits of 3D with gaming, linking the technology to its PlayStation platform.