Sony denies it will unveil passive 3D TVs in Europe

Sony 3D TV

A spokesperson for Sony UK told whathifi.com: "We have no current plans to launch passive type 3D TVs outside China."

Panasonic made similar denials last year, before announcing at its 2012 European press launch last month that it would after all enter the passive 3D TV market with its XT50 range of plasmas.

Sony has begun shipping passive 3D TVs to China, and on a recent trip to the firm's Tokyo HQ there was much speculation that passive 3D sets might eventually find their way into other markets.

Research by the Japanese electronics giant found that its customers rated 3D technology much lower down the list of reasons for buying a TV than it expected, as we reported in our Sony TV strategy blog.

This took Sony executives by surprise, and we wouldn't be massively surprised if Sony does a similar U-turn to Panasonic in the not-too-distant future to kick-start the struggling 3D TV market.

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Andy Clough

Andy is Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi? and has been a technology journalist for 30 years. During that time he has covered everything from VHS and Betamax, MiniDisc and DCC to CDi, Laserdisc and 3D TV, and any number of other formats that have come and gone. He loves nothing better than a good old format war. Andy edited several hi-fi and home cinema magazines before relaunching whathifi.com in 2008 and helping turn it into the global success it is today. When not listening to music or watching TV, he spends far too much of his time reading about cars he can't afford to buy.