3DTV will again be one of the hot topics at this year’s IBC in Amsterdam. Unlike previous years, however, discussions and demonstrations will take place against the background of broadcasters delivering commercial 3D services to residential TV viewers. Since earlier this year 3D television programmes have been broadcast, if only on a selective basis, to viewers of some cable, satellite and IPTV services in the US and Europe. But as sales of 3D-capable TVs begin to take off, Sky’s UK launch of the first full-time 3DTV channel on October 1st will confirm the arrival of 3DTV as a fully fledged consumer proposition. But compared to the excessive hype which has built up over the last couple of years as the industry geared up for launch, the mood this year may appear to be markedly more realistic, and tinged with more notes of caution than were previously evident. It’s still too early to discuss consumer reaction to fully fledged home 3DTV services (as opposed to any of the out-of-home options) – the number of people who have actually seen a 3DTV broadcast in the comfort of their own homes is still tiny. But pre-launch surveys are suggesting 3D in general may not become the sure-fire success many were hoping for. Strategy Analytics’ own consumer surveys suggest a very mixed response across the board. Our survey of European consumers is still in the field, but the first results from the US suggest that the industry must at least overcome doubts about the health impact of watching 3DTV. More than half of respondents are unsure whether watching 3DTV can cause damage to the eyes, and 17% actually believe that 3DTV may cause damage. With the level of uncertainty the industry clearly has a lot of work to do to bring 3DTV to the mass market. Overall we found that 11% of people are somewhat or very likely to buy a 3DTV during the coming year. This may not sound a lot but it’s not bad for a newly launched technology. What’s interesting is the impact of previous 3D experiences on buying intentions. In total 60% of Americans say they have seen a 3D movie at the cinema, and a quarter say they have been very impressed with the quality of the 3D experience. Those people are four times more likely to buy a 3DTV than people who say they were not impressed with 3D at the cinema. This may not be surprising, but it demonstrates the importance to the industry of continuing to improve the 3D experience in the cinema in order to meet its overall goal of bringing 3D to the home viewer. We’ll be presenting many more findings from our research at our free-to-attend analyst forum during this year’s IBC, and Sky’s Brian Lenz, who has headed up the company’s 3D initiative, will be giving the audience his thoughts on our findings as well as an update on Sky’s 3D launch plans. Attendees are invited to register in advance by visiting www.strategyanalytics.com/ibc2010.html. Meet Our Analysts: 3DTV Analyst Forum at IBC 2010

Strategy Analytics' latest consumer survey indicates great uncertainty over the potential health effects of watching 3DTV. 17% of our 2000 US survey respondents say they believe that watching 3DTV will cause damage to their eyes. Perhaps even more significant is that more than half of respondents are uncertain whether 3DTV has a health impact one way or the other. Faced with that level of doubt, 3DTV marketers - both TV set manufacturers and broadcasters - have some work to do to convince people that 3D is something worth risking their health on. The truth of the matter remains a subject of some debate. In response to the fact that some viewers report feeling unwell after watching 3D, or can only watch comfortably for limited periods, some claim that these impacts will be reduced as the technology matures. Whatever the case, the industry clearly must get to grips with the communications issue before unsubstantiated rumours get out of hand. We'll be presenting more details on our new 3DTV research at this year's IBC in Amsterdam. You can also hear BSkyB's Brian Lenz discuss his own company's plans for 3DTV. Attendance is complimentary but we encourage pre-registration as space is limited: Meet Our Analysts: 3DTV Analyst Forum at IBC 2010

It’s no surprise that a majority of early iPad buyers had already bought into the Apple ecosystem, but the fact that fully 90% of people who say they will buy an iPad during the next 12 months already own an Apple device is perhaps surprising. It might have been reasonable to assume that the novelty of the tablet form factor would open up a whole new wave of potential customers attracted by its innovative design, regardless of how familiar they were with the benefits of Apple’s user interface and design. It seems, however, that in the early days at least demand for the iPad will be met almost entirely by existing Apple owners. Our survey of 2000 US consumers also suggests that a third or more of existing iPhone and Macbook owners have already gained access to an iPad (at least they say they have used one at home). And nearly a half of the early iPad adopters say they are somewhat or very likely to buy another iPad during the coming year – an indication of strong customer satisfaction if ever there was one. So how should Apple respond to this news? On the one hand the company should relax in the knowledge that so many of its core and loyal customers are saving up to buy the company’s latest device. On the other hand, there may be just the slightest concern that the iPad has so far failed to win new hearts and minds amongst the half of US homes which do not already own at least one Apple product. That may change as the tablet category becomes more widely recognised. New entrants will shortly be flooding the market with iPad alternatives which will help raise general awareness of this new category. As Apple struggles to meet demand from its existing customers, the opportunity is there for competitors to target the remaining market segments with iPad alternatives. Client Reading: Apple's iPad: Identifying Early Adopters and Intentions to Buy Meet Our Analysts: 3DTV Analyst Forum at IBC 2010

We're delighted to announce our plans for this year's IBC in Amsterdam. For many years now Strategy Analytics has offered an analyst forum focusing on key topics relevant to the television and broadcast industries. This year we are focusing on 3DTV, still very much the hot topic in the industry, especially as we head towards the commercial launch of 3D residential services in Europe when Sky launches 3D on October 1st. With that in mind we are pleased that BSkyB's Brian Lenz, who has spearheaded the company's development of a 3D service, will join us to discuss our latest research findings and update everyone on the latest news from BSkyB. We'll present hot-off-the-press consumer findings from our latest surveys, and our colleagues from D. I. S. Consulting will also unveil the latest research from the production community. It should be a great session to kick off the first full day of the show. The event is free of charge but as we have limited space we're expecting a full house so please register your interest as soon as possible. 3DTV Analyst Forum at IBC 2010: Strategy Analytics and D. I. S Consulting Saturday 11th September 2010 Holiday Inn, "Manhattan" Room, De Boelelaan 2, 1083 HJ Amsterdam, The Netherlands Schedule 8.00-8.30 Networking Breakfast 8.30-9.10 New 3D Research: Analyst Presentations 9.10-9.30 Guest Speaker: Brian Lenz, Director of Product Development, BSkyB 9.30-10.00 Panel and Audience Q&A Client Reading: Video Capture Devices: Global Market Forecast