3-D TVs hit market this week

By Peter Svensson

Associated Press

Samsung and Panasonic will start selling 3-D TVs in U.S. stores this week, inaugurating what TV makers hope is the era of 3-D viewing in the living room.

Samsung Electronics Co. announced Tuesday it is selling two 3-D sets. Combined with the required glasses and a 3-D Blu-ray player, the prices start at about $3,000 for a 46-inch screen. Panasonic Corp. has said it will sell its first 3-D set today.

The push comes as moviegoers have shown considerable enthusiasm for the latest wave of 3-D fare in the theater. This weekend, “Alice in Wonderland” grossed an estimated $116.2 million at the box office, beating the first-weekend receipts of “Avatar,” the winter’s 3-D blockbuster.

Although it’s clear that 3-D sets for the home will appeal to technology and home-theater enthusiasts, it remains to be seen if the TVs will entice regular consumers to spend $500 or more above the price of a comparably sized standard TV and Blu-ray player.

The 3-D effect requires viewers to wear relatively bulky glasses that need to be recharged occasionally. And for now, there isn’t much to watch in 3-D. Samsung is including a 3-D copy of “Monsters vs. Aliens” on Blu-ray discs with its packages, in a deal with DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.

Sony Corp. said Tuesday it will start selling its 3-D televisions in June.