THE distributors of electrical giants Sony and Samsung are unable to confirm the arrival dates for 3D TVs in Brunei Darussalam.
Speaking to The Brunei Times, official distributor of Sony, Masros Electrical Groups said “no new information has been passed on”, since news broke of Sony’s intention to launch their 3D TVs in Japan scheduled for June.
When asked whether the prices of current television sets will be affected by the arrival of the new technology, Chin of Masros Electrical Groups said no. “Basically it is based on consumer (wants) and is dependent on the features that customers in Brunei are after,” said Chin.
Meanwhile Panacom Sdn Bhd said that while no official dates have been announced, it expects to have Samsung’s offering of 3D technology in the middle of the year. “We don’t know yet but we think maybe the 3D TVs will be available in mid June or July,” said Elva Wong of Panacom. “Price wise we do not know how much it will eventually cost,” she said. Wong also said that Panacom is unsure how it will affect the prices of the current crop of High Definition TVs in Brunei Darussalam.
“Tech” fans say the new wave of 3D televisions are “cool” but many are uncertain of the merits of “going 3D”.
A pair of 3D glasses is displayed in front of Sony Corp's new 3D Bravia televisions during an unveiling in Tokyo on Tuesday. Sony Corp will launch 3D televisions in June, betting the revolutionary TV will become the next hot product in the electronics industry. Picture: Reuters
One gadget aficionado, Ahmad Tarmizi, does not anticipate the technology will take off until refinements are made. “I don’t think it will take off, least of all here in Brunei,” said the private sector employee. He was especially critical of the 3D glasses that are required to be worn in order to experience the 3D visuals.
“If you are having friends over to watch a movie and you don’t have enough (3D) glasses, one guy will have to sit in the corner with his eyes crossed,” he stressed. He added that those already wearing spectacles will also need to be accommodated citing the difficulties in having to wear two pairs of spectacles one over the other. “Until they can develop the technology that does away with the 3D glasses I’m sceptical about the success.”
Zainol Amin is another “techie” who thinks it is too soon to switch to 3D TVs. “People in Brunei are only starting to get their head around High Definition (HD) technology,” said the 30-year-old. He added that many buyers of HD TVs have only recently purchased the TV sets, with appreciation of HD format still growing. “Right now, apart from Blu-Ray DVDs, the only other medium using HD is video games. “Brunei is still yet to fully launch its digital TV, so jumping to 3D TV could be a step too far,” he added. Izam Said Ya’akub
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