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3D TVs for the home went on sale in Britain today as shoppers across London got their first taste of the new technology.
Customers were able to pre-order the sets, costing up to £3,000, at the Sony Centre in Harrods and at Currys.
The Sony TVs are the first to be made available for pre-order, although buyers will not receive them until June.
Sony customers will also need to buy at least one pair of £100 glasses and a £75 control box for these in order to watch programmes in 3D.
The company wants to sell 2.5 million televisions by March 2011 – roughly one tenth of all its worldwide TV sales.
However, rival makers, including Samsung and LG, are likely to be the first actually to release 3D sets.
Samsung claims that its version will go on sale within weeks. But experts today warned that Britons will struggle to find anything to watch on their new purchases until later in the year.
David Kempner, the vision buyer for John Lewis, said: “HD is still a relatively new concept and consumers are just getting used to it but 3D will be the next big thing.
“Given that it now has the support of all the major manufacturers, 3D technology has got momentum of its own but it also requires content providers to support it and there is a time lag there.”
Sky is planning to launch its first 3D channels later this year and will begin showing monthly sports matches in pubs next month.
It has already filmed dozens of events in 3D, including football, rugby, tennis and even its Gladiators show.
Today it demonstrated its 3D channels, set to launch later this year, to shoppers at the Westfield centre in London.
Brian Lenz of Sky said: “Working alongside TV manufacturers, we are looking forward to helping the UK take a global lead in bringing 3D into the home.”
Sam Zaku of Harrods said: “We're really excited to be able to offer our customers the first opportunity to view 3D TV, as seeing the technology in action is out of this world.”
The Sony 3D TVs also went on sale at Currys' New Malden store and the firm will offer customers a pre-order service across all its UK shops and online.
Huw Crwys Williams of Currys said: “Customers already understand 3D technology so we expect interest levels to be high. As the sets are more affordable than might be expected for a new technology, it won't be long before 3D glasses are considered de rigueur.”
What you'll need
To watch 3D TV, you will need to buy a new television, which is available to pre-order from today.
Some TVs will come supplied with 3D glasses which viewers must wear to watch programmes in 3D, although most are only supplied with two pairs. Extra pairs cost up to £100.
Consumers will also need to buy a new Blu ray disc player which is 3D compatible to have something to watch. All of the major film studios are preparing 3D discs, with Dreamworks' animated film Monsters vs Aliens likely to be the first.
More than 20 movies in 3D are scheduled for release this year, including Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, which topped Britain's cinema box office charts at the weekend, and James Cameron's Avatar. Sky is also planning to launch a 3D channel this year, and its current Sky+ HD boxes are already 3D compatible.
Reader views (5)
Can I ask a dumb question? What about people who already have to wear spectacles? Are we supposed to wear these 3D specs over the top of the ones we already have on? Sounds cumbersome to me. 3D clip-ons might be a good answer, as they would clip onto the lenses of our normal spectacles, but I haven´t heard of them being mentioned anywhere.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Holland, 15/03/2010 11:46
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You forgot to mention that you need a balanced pair of eye balls! If you have one eye weaker than the other then the technology will not work.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 15/03/2010 10:43
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Just enough marketing ploy to get people to buy yet another TV with yet another new function. Then just when you've saved/paid-off for this bad boy, 2K/4K resolution will come out & your TV will then be outdated. More marketing, and another TV purchase. IMO 3D is only good if you are fully immersed in the image (like for example Imax). A little TV 3D image is not quite the same.
- Dom, London, 12/03/2010 16:45
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A bit gimmicky methinks, I am surprised they have not brought out holographic tvs by now, only i remember playing a holgraphic star wars video game over 20 years ago. It will happen one day i am sure.
- Kevin B, caterham, surrey, 12/03/2010 15:18
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No thanks, I´ll wait until they invent a TV that can be watched without the need for special glasses at £100 a time.
- Graham Rodhouse, Helmond, Holland, 12/03/2010 14:15
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