Samsung finding new ways to push 3D to users

Samsung is also working with cable providers and satellite providers like DirecTV on 3D content. A number of other consumer electronics companies are also putting their weight behind 3D. Sony will be broadcasting the 2010 FIFA World Cup in 3D this year and has already launched a Blu-ray 3D player. A major 3D home theater announcement is expected from Panasonic this week.

3D will ultimately come down to how users adapt to it. Watching 3D programs at home may be reserved for special occasions like watching movies or sports events, Schinasi said. An average viewer may watch TV for up to eight hours a day, and keeping the glasses on for that long may be uncomfortable.

To tackle that, the company is researching autostereoscopic technology that it may ultimately bring to 3D TVs, Schinasi said. The technology could reduce the need for glasses to watch 3D programs, but the technology is in its infancy, Schinasi said.

The autostereoscopic technology involves adding a lenticular lens that provides a 3D effect from different angles depending on a viewer's position. Adding an extra lens to the 3D screen however could degrade image quality and add to the cost of a TV.

Current autostereoscopic lenses may also not generate 3D images from different angles, so users have to stand in particular spots to view true 3D images. Samsung will continue to research the technology, and Schinasi predicted autostereoscopic 3D TVs to reach the market in four to five years.