Review - Panasonic 3-D TV

With the public beginning to embrace the 3-D format that movie theaters are offering, it wasn't going to be long before consumers would start begging for 3-D at home. Most of the major manufacturers are promising to begin delivery of 3-D television sets by the end of 2010. There are already a few 3-D TV's out there on store shelves; however, the most promising 3-D TV so far is coming from Panasonic.

What Panasonic 3-D TV Offers
One major difference with Panasonic is that its core television technology has been plasma rather than LCD. To enjoy that 3-D TV at home you will need to have a 3-D monitor and this is where Panasonic beats many at the 3-D TV game. For that 3-D TV experience, you need a monitor that will display separate high-definition images for your right and left eyes. Panasonic uses a plasma set that has a high refresh rate, one of the fastest.

You Need 3-D TV Glasses
When you head to the movie theater to enjoy a 3-D movie, you are handed a pair of polarized type glasses. These will not work on 3-D TV in your home. To get 3-D TV to work properly you will need a pair of electronic 3-D glasses. What makes the 3-D TV glasses unique is that they have electronic lenses that blink sequentially, in perfect synchronization with the separate images on the 3-D TV. This way your left eye sees the left eye picture and the right eye sees the right eye picture.

Getting 3-D TV Content
Without the 3-D TV content, you are not going to get that 3-D TV look and feel. The best source for 3-D TV content is Blu-ray discs. However, to play Blu-ray discs, you need to have a Blu-ray player. Getting 3-D TV programming is coming but is slow to arrive as of yet. DIRECTV a major television content supplier is promising three 3-D TV channels at the end of 2010.

The 3-D TV Content, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
The 3-D TV is a new concept and is still constantly being improved. Right now, the performance will depend on the particular content. Many movies, especially animated ones that have been released as 3-D content are great. The 3-D TV content for action movies and some TV shows have been good and bad depending on the quality of production. Sporting events will probably be the biggest avenue many 3-D TV content producers will exploit. Football, basketball, baseball, and soccer will be heavily promoted for 3-D TV content.

The Price of Panasonic 3-D TV
As with many technologies, the price is a bit hefty to begin with. When purchasing 3-D TV you have to remember that you need to buy the whole package. The 3-D TV as well as the Blu-ray player and usually one pair of 3-D TV glasses. Currently that price tag will set the average buyer back about $3,500. However, additional 3-D TV glasses will cost you about $150 more for each pair.