The major consumer electronic manufacturers are unleashing 3D hardware upon the populace as we speak. Panasonic (in an exclusive alliance with Best Buy) and Samsung are first out of the gate, with displays and Blu-ray players available now. LG is launching in May, Sony in June (in Japan and then the US) and Vizio in August.
DisplaySearch expects 9 million 3D TVs to be sold globally in 2012, a drop in the bucket of TV sales, of about 200 million sets worldwide.
Panasonic
Panasonic and Best Buy today continued their commitment to bringing 3D technology into American homes with the world's first consumer purchase and retail availability of Panasonic's Full HD 3D home entertainment system certified under the new BDA 3D standard, sold exclusively at select Best Buy stores via Magnolia Home Theater.
Panasonic's Full HD 3D technology delivers a full 1080p-resolution image to each eye, using active-shutter glasses.
"Television has successfully moved from black and white, to color, to High Definition. But immersive, totally realistic 3D imagery has been the final frontier and beginning today, Panasonic has conquered that as well," said Bob Perry, Senior Vice President, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "Best Buy has been a proactive and important partner in bringing 3D into the living rooms of America and we are happy to share this milestone with them."
"The demand for 3D technology in the home is just beginning for consumers," said Michael Vitelli, President, Americas, Best Buy, "and Best Buy is uniquely positioned to bring this experience to life for our customers through our Blue Shirts and Geek Squad Agents. We are thrilled to partner with Panasonic as it allows us to be the first retailer to offer this complete 3D home theater solution and underscores our promise to always deliver on the latest and greatest technology."
Beginning today, Panasonic's Full HD 3D Home Theater System will be exclusively available at select Best Buy Stores via Magnolia Home Theater. The total combined SRP of the Panasonic Full HD 3D Plasma Home Theater System components is $2899.99. The system consists of a 50-inch class Panasonic VIERA VT20 Plasma 3D HDTV (TC-P50VT20 – SRP $2,499.95) which includes one pair of Panasonic 3D Active Shutter Lens Eyewear (TY-EW3D10U), and the Panasonic BDT300 3D Blu-ray Disc Player (DMP-BDT300 – SRP 399.95). Additional pairs of 3D eyewear will be available with an SRP of $149.95. The individual components of the system will also be sold separately.
The VT20 is a Best Buy exclusive model and is equivalent to the VT25 series that was voted "Best of Show" at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The BDT300 is also a Best Buy exclusive model and is equivalent to the BDT350 which received the Innovations Award at CES for its innovative 3D technology.
In addition to the 50-inch class size, the Panasonic Full HD 3D Home Theater System will also be available in a 54-inch class, 58" class and 65" class; screen sizes with suggested retail pricing and availability to be announced at a later date.
To create the best possible 3D picture, Panasonic has developed new, faster screen phosphors; coupled with its 600Hz sub-field drive, the new displays output alternating imagery at 60 frames per second to each eye. The brain then combines the images and interprets them as 3D.
3D has invigorated the theater experience and it will be the same for the living room," said Mary Daily, Executive Vice President, Marketing, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment. "Panasonic has announced amazing new products today and along with Best Buy's commitment to the format, 3D will become a game changer for the home entertainment industry. We are thrilled to have
Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs as our debut title in the Blu-ray 3D format. The Ice Age franchise has grossed nearly $2 billion in worldwide box office and sold more than 75 million units in home entertainment. Blu-ray offers the premiere high definition viewing experience for the home, and Blu-ray 3D uses the advanced quality to bring the movie theater 3D experience to your home."
To bring the excitement of Full HD 3D and Panasonic's range of home entertainment solutions to consumers, Panasonic will launch a 15-city, Panasonic Touch The Future nationwide tour next week. The tour will kick off in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles beginning March 15 and then visit Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Miami, San Francisco, Phoenix, Seattle, Detroit, Minneapolis, Dallas and Houston in March and April.
Samsung
Samsung unveiled a promotional program where everyone who purchases a 2010 Samsung 3D TV and 3D Blu-ray Player or Home Theater System will receive a 3D starter kit that includes two pairs of Samsung 3D active glasses and a first time, feature-length 3D Blu-ray version of DreamWorks Animation's 2009 release,
Monsters vs. Aliens (exclusive to Samsung products). Additionally, during the second half of 2010, the most successful animated film franchise of all time — DreamWorks Animation's
Shrek film series — will be available in 3D Blu-ray for Samsung home solutions.
The entry level 46-inch 3D model, the LN46C750, is coming in May for $1,700. The Samsung 3D TV lineup includes the LED 7000/8000/9000 Series, LCD 750 Series, and the Plasma 7000/8000 Series. Available this month are the 3D capable 46" and 55" LED C7000, with the remaining 3D TVs rolling out over the next several months. Samsung is combining the Samsung BD-C6900 3D Blu-ray player or the Samsung HT-C6930W 3D Blu-ray integrated home theater system, 3D active glasses and a movie in Blu-ray 3D.
This year's premium LED TV models, the C7000, C8000 and C9000, feature Samsung's Real240Hz refresh rate technology and Samsung's proprietary built-in 3D processor that is compatible with major 3D format standards. The LED TVs come with Internet@TV connectivity which includes the world's first HDTV app store, Samsung Apps, allowing users to download and view applications on their TV screens. The 3D LED TVs all exceed the EnergyStar 4.0 guidelines.
Samsung's in-store display plan is also key to exposing consumers to the technology and educating them on the value of 3D. Samsung's internal research shows that while awareness of 3D technology is high, less than a third of consumers have had any experience with it. For this reason, Samsung is strengthening marketing activities in an effort to make it easier for consumers to experience 3D. In 2010, consumers can expect to experience this immersive experience in more than 5,000 stores across the nation. Displays will start being deployed later in the month.
For the list of models and pricing, see
Engadget.
Sony
Sony 3D TVs to be launched in Japan in June and in the US at a later date. A 46-inch 3D screen will cost around 350,000 yen ($3,900), about 50% more than a regular Sony Bravia. Two pairs of active-shutter 3D glasses will be bundled, along with a camera sensor capable of adjusting the picture according to seating position. Additional glasses will cost 12,000 yen a pair.
The corporation target is selling 2.5 million 3D television sets in nine months.
Update: on Friday, Onkyo announced its line of HDMI v1.4, 3D-Ready A/V receivers and home theater systems that will ship in March and April.
Onkyo
The new models consist of three A/V receivers and three HTiB systems ranging in price from $299 to $599, and all of them support the new HDMI 1.4 connectivity standard for new 3D video displays and Audio Return Channel capabilities.
All these new receivers and HTiBs now decode lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio bitstreams, and include new 192-kHz/24-bit Burr-Brown PCM1690 DAC's that are highly resistant to clock jitter and provide a remarkable 113-dB dynamic range. The lineup includes Onkyo's new easy-to-setup overlaid onscreen graphical display that lets the user watch the program in the background while using the function menus.
Additionally, all 2010 HDMI v1.4 models include a new feature call HDMI Thru. HDMI Thru allows content to pass through to the TV when the receiver is in a standby state.
The new TX-SR608 7.2-channel THX-Select2 Plus certified receiver has new power amplifier section that uses three-stage inverted Darlington output topology, and a power boost from 90 to 100 watts. Audyssey DSX dimensional sound processing has been added to its predecessor's Dolby PLIIz capabilities. Additionally, all video sources, including those using the new PC input, and regardless of source resolution, can be upscaled to 1080p via HDMI and Faroudja DCDi Cinema™. The TX-SR608 will also include a front HDMI input, a feature first introduced by Onkyo in 2009. The TX-SR608 will be available in April at an MSRP of $599.
The 5.1-channel TX-SR308 and 7.1-channel TX-SR508 round out this initial announcement of A/V Receivers from Onkyo. The TX-SR308 will be available in March with an MSRP of $299, followed by the TX-SR508 in April for $399.
The HTiB package systems, which each consist of a receiver, speakers and a subwoofer, are the 5.1-channel HT-S3300 and 7.1-channel HT-S5300; the latter also includes an iPod dock. All of these receivers and systems are also capable of decoding lossless Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio. The HT-S3300 will ship in March with an MSRP of $379, followed by the HT-S5300 in April for $599.
A third packaged system departs from the traditional HTiB form factor and uses a combination subwoofer and 3D Ready A/V receiver plus two front speakers. It uses Onkyo's own Theater-Dimensional processor to create surround effect through just 2.1 channels. The HTX-22HDX has three HDMI v1.4 inputs, handles HD audio formats from DTS and Dolby; offers four distinct audio modes for gaming; and outputs for additional speakers. The HTX-22HDX will ship in May with a $349 MSRP.
"Onkyo's 2010 entry-level product line represents a significant jump over last year's line," said Paul Wasek, Onkyo USA's marketing manager. "We are excited to deliver this first wave of 3D capable products. By upgrading to 1.4, even on the least expensive HTiB, we have eliminated all HDMI pass-through products and allowed HD audio formats to be used across the line. The fact that consumers can now buy a THX-Certified receiver with 1080p upscaling, Burr-Brown DACs, PC input and more for under $600 shows Onkyo's clear commitment to delivering performance and value to consumers."
Two models include Sirius Radio connections, and all these receivers incorporate Onkyo's proprietary Universal Port (U-Port) connector which simplifies connections to optional HD Radio tuners and iPod Docks (included with the HT-S5300).