LAS VEGAS, Jan 11: Viewing in three dimensions is everywhere at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) — from webcams to video games to home theatre systems — and some TV manufacturers are betting it could be the biggest thing since high-definition and flat screens.

This year’s edition of CES, the world’s largest consumer technology showcase, even featured the first national 3D broadcast of a major sporting event, the US college football championship game between Oklahoma and Florida.

Some products — such as the Minoru 3D Webcam — may end up being little more than a novelty item, a description which pretty much sums up Hollywood’s decades-long flirtation with 3D.

Heavy-hitters led by Japanese electronics giant Panasonic and Oscar-winning director James Cameron, are seeking to change that.

“Make no mistake about it, 3D is not a gimmick any longer,” the Titanic director said in a taped message during a presentation at CES of Panasonic’s 3D Full High-Definition (HD) home theatre system.

“3D is ready for prime-time,” said Cameron, who is putting the finishing touches to a 3D movie, Avatar, scheduled for release later this year.

More movie theatres in the United States are equipped to show 3D films in which action threatens to spill out of screens but bringing 3D into the home may still be some ways off.

One of things holding 3D back is the absence of a common standard for 3D content, which in turn is holding back the movie studios which will provide that content.

With its 103-inch plasma display and breathtaking visual effects, Panasonic’s 3D Full HD home theatre system received rave reviews but a spokesman said there is no firm date for bringing it to the US market.

“It depends on whether or not we can get a format established,” said Dan Tarwater. “Panasonic is interested in being able to come to the marketplace with a standard in place rather than venturing out on their own.

“That will involve the cooperation of not only the hardware manufacturers but also the software side of things,” he said.—AFP