Business | Technology
Samsung warns 3-D TV viewers of strokes
Children and teenagers could be more susceptible to health issues
- Bloomberg
- Published: 00:00 April 17, 2010
- Image Credit: AP
- A model puts on a pair of 3-D glasses to take a close took at the images shown on a 3-D TV during a demonstration in Tokyo. TV majors are counting on the success of 3- D movies such as Avatar to convince consumers to upgrade their TVs to more expensive models enabled with the technology.
Seoul: Viewers of 3-D television may suffer from epileptic seizures or strokes and sleep deprivation or alcohol may make watching them unsafe, Samsung Electronics Co., the world's largest TV maker, said.
Users are advised to stop viewing 3-D pictures immediately and consult a doctor should they experience symptoms including altered vision, dizziness, nausea or convulsions, the Suwon, South Korea-based chipmaker said on its Australian Web site.
"Children and teenagers may be more susceptible to health issues associated with viewing in 3D and should be closely supervised when viewing these images," according to the Web site. Pregnant women and the elderly should avoid using the 3D function, Samsung said.
Target
Samsung began offering a 55-inch (140 centimetre) 3-D TV in the US on March 14 and aims to sell more than 2 million of the TVs this year. The South Korean company and rivals including Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp. are counting on the success of 3- D movies such as Avatar to convince consumers to upgrade their TVs to more expensive models enabled with the technology.
The notice on the Australian website is the same as those included by Samsung in user manuals for their 3-D TVs worldwide, Matthew Gain of Weber Shandwick, Samsung's external communications advisers in Australia, said by phone on Thursday.
"The team in Australia has gone the extra step, from a responsibility point of view, of putting the information on the website." There is no Australian government or regulatory requirement that prompted the move, he said.
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