Is A 3D TV Worth It For You?
BOSTON (CBS) - Get your glasses ready: 3D TV could be the next "must have" gadget. But before making that purchase, there's a list of things to figure out.
3D TV tends to be a little different than 3D movies. Things don't pop out quite the same.
Instead, Christopher Wurlizter, a product specialist at Percy's of Worcester, described a 3D sporting event by saying "You can see the player in the foreground and the crowd in the background."
3D TV gives more depth to the image.
WBZ-TV's Paula Ebben reports.
Many flat screens being sold today are 3D capable. Wurlitzer said, "This year the best picture quality TVs, as well as last year, have a 3D capability. It's not something you have to use every time."
But every time you do use it, you need special glasses. They are not like the 3D glasses you get at the movies.
"These are active shutter system glasses, so one side turns dark while the other one goes light, and it happens at such a rate of speed that you can actually tell what it's doing," said Wurlitzer.
A major consideration before buying a 3D TV is the cost of the glasses. "They are about $150 a pair because they are active glasses," added Wurlitzer.
Some manufacturers, however, are including two pairs with the TV which can bring down the overall cost considerably.
Another requirement is an HDMI cable. A good one can cost about $100.
Wurlitzer said he does expect prices of 3D TVs to come down in the future.
Experts say it will take awhile before there is a wide range of programming available for 3D viewing.
Brian Cooley of CNET believes finding content to watch is the biggest issue with these new sets.
The best option is to watch Blu-Ray movies on a 3D player. Cooley said there are a few hundred titles currently available.
Cooley said that more 3D channels are coming on line, such as ESPN and the Discovery Channel. "Sports, action films, animated films are just natural for 3D," said Cooley.
