• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, January 11, 2010

U.S. consumers are just getting used to big new HDTV TV sets, while U.S. manufacturers are offering another expensive alternative: 3D TV.

 

This is the way the U.S. electronics business has worked for decades: leave them wanting more to help drive business, and also give consumers more headaches over what new TV technology to consider.

TV device technology is getting like smart phones and laptops -- two years from now, whatever device you are using, you'll probably want something new.

Looking to hop on the new wave are two prominent cable network programmers, ESPN and Discovery, who rushed out announcements of 3D TV networks.

When it comes to marketing this new technology, I'm sure much of the same glitz will reveal itself. But with the intervals between marketing new technologies getting smaller - as with HDTV and now with the upcoming 3D effort -- one needs to consider exactly where the sophisticated media consumer is these days.

Two issues here pertain to color: green, both financial and environmental.  The new recession has pushed consumers to do something they haven't done so well over the past decades - that is, to save money. This behavior now works hand in hand with consumers' environmental concerns.

Disposing of recently bought HDTV technology for the new 3D TV technology will throw consumers' new environmental focus into a tailspin.

We've been through this before. The first wave of 3D sets will just give consumers a taste for what later, better versions will offer.

And that's just the start. Consider the extra stuff 3D TV needs: consumers will need to make sure Ray-Ban, Armani, Ralph Lauren or Juicy Couture makes the right  eyewear style for the living room.

See you in two years -- or sooner -- when everything will change again.