Sky is launching its 3D Channel in a little over 4 weeks. Now is the time to start thinking about getting the right kind of equipment. Sky have confirmed that the Sky+ HD box will work with the 3D signal leaving people to think about their TVs and glasses.
A number of manufacturers will be offering 3D-Ready TVs. The five biggest players are detailed below.
Samsung
Models (7000, 8000 & 9000)
Availability April (7000, 8000) Summer 2010 (9000)
"Design inspired by nature" is the tagline associated with these high end LED backlit TVs.
LG
Models (47-inch LD920)
Availability April
LG's entry into the three-dimensional market is the 47-inch LD920. Sky has picked it as the television that it'll be showing the first 3D sports broadcast on - Arsenal vs Manchester United on 31 January.
Sony
Models (Bravia LX903 and HX903)
Availability July
While Samsung's inspiration for its televisions is nature, Sony has opted for "monolithic" instead. Its first entries into the 3D market will be the catchily titled KDL-60LX903 and the KDL-52HX903, which employ shutter glasses instead of the polarized option provided by LG.
The LX903 is a 60-inch monster with full 1080p HD, Edge LED technology for energy savings and better contrast, a presence sensor that detects faces and motion and turns off when you're not actually watching the thing, smooth 200Hz image frequency and Wi-Fi connectivity for hooking it up to your home network.
The HX903, on the other hand, is slightly smaller than its older brother at 52 inches across. It's got a lot of similar features - the same 1080p HD, the same 200Hz image frequency. It'll also hook up to your network, though you'll need to add a wireless adaptor. It doesn't have the EDGE LED tech, relying instead on regular LED backlighting, and there's no presence sensor. While we don't have any pricing at the moment, we suspect that this will be worth considering for those with an eye on their wallets.
Panasonic
Models (VT25 series)
Availability Spring 2010
Panasonic is keeping its cards close to its chest about exactly when its VT25 series, which it showcased at CES, will be arriving in the UK.
There'll be three models - 50-inch, 54-inch and 65-inch options, and all will have 5,000,000:1 native contrast, four HDMI slots, 2 USB ports, WLAN capability, PC input, an SD card slot, DLNA, IPTV functionality and various widget options. They'll come bundled with a free pair of 3D glasses, and have THX certification and a massive 600Hz image frequency.
Mitsubishi
Models (737 and 837 Series)
Availability 2009
Last on the list is Mitsubishi's rather enormous 837 and 737 series of rear-projection DLPs. How enormous? Try 82 inches across. There's smaller versions too, though - 60-inch, 65-inch and 75-inch screen sizes are available if you don't reckon that an 82-incher will fit into your living room.
The 737 series have 120Hz image frequencies (presumably running at 60Hz when split between both eyes), a video calibration mode, deep contrast, noise reduction and a six-colour processor, which should widen the screen's palette when dealing with particularly detailed scenes.
Conclusions
While the market for 3D displays is still very much in its infancy, particularly in the UK, there's already many options to choose from. In most cases we're still awaiting hard specifications on the models, but with most packing web connectivity and exceptional thinness, perhaps Sky's 3D launch in April will be the perfect time to upgrade your display. Stay tuned for more details of all the displays above as we get them.