A report from IHS Screen Digest says that a small group of niche consumers is continuing to back Blu-ray 3D, and that sales Blu-ray 3D sales in the US grew by 56 per cent last year, and that Blu-ray 3D – in terms of value – now makes up 9.5 per cent of the whole US Blu-ray market, and was worth $218 million last year.

Indeed, the IHS report says that while few consumers have the requisite 3D playback hardware, Blu-ray 3D is “set to continue to grow”.

However, the report also says that to date, the adoption of 3D in the home “has failed to match the depth experienced in theatres and cinemas”. In fact, the take-up by consumers – either of 3D sets or playback hardware has been less than forecast and the industry had hoped for.

In terms of broadcast (pay and FTA) 3D is nascent at best, with the likes of ESPN pulling back and even the limited experimental transmissions from the BBC coming to an end.

The IHS study says that despite servicing this niche home market, the studio release pattern of Blu-ray titles in 3D is continuing at a steady pace. Last year, 196 Blu-ray 3D titles were released in the US compared to 106 the previous year. This year,  the number is likely to exceed 25o titles.

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