CAMERON URGES TV PRODUCERS TO SWITCH TO 3D

Director James Cameron has predicted that 3D television will be adopted by U.S. audiences the way they did 3D movies like his Avatar. Speaking at a technology conference in Seoul, Korea, Cameron urged TV entertainment companies to set aside their concerns over the additional costs of shooting in 3D. As reported by Reuters, Cameron told the conference that producers “can’t be afraid to shoot in 3-D because tens of thousands [sic] of people all over the world are shooting in 3-D every day. … We’re going to have 3-D TVs all around us … and we’re going to need thousands of hours of sports, comedy and music and all kinds of entertainment.” He also predicted that the costs of shooting in 3D will drop as the technology becomes established as the industry standard and that those now saying that they can eventually convert 2D shows to 3D will be facing higher costs than they would if they had shot them in 3D initially. Cameron’s words no doubt fell on receptive ears in Korea, whose principal consumer electronics manufacturers, Samsung and LG, are gambling that 3D TV will take off by producing some of the first 3D TV sets. He noted that cable channels are already broadcasting 3D programs. “The missing piece is content,” he said.