Gillian Shaw
Sun
There’s good news for late adopters who haven’t got around to upgrading to a new high definition television yet.
Instead of having to shell out for yet another television to replace a high def set, you can skip that and instead go straight to the new TV standard: 3-D HD.
You’ll be glad you saved the money on that interim TV.
When 3-D televisions start landing on store shelves this summer, they’ll come with the kind of hefty price tags that mark the early versions of any technology.
And with the arrival of the first 3-D Sony set at Sony’s downtown Vancouver store in Pacific Centre, customers are getting a few months to try before they buy as Sony showcases the LX900, one of three 3-D sets it plans for release this summer.
“The reaction has been overall positive,” said Sony spokesman Brent de Waal of this week’s demo, which is now offered at the Vancouver store and at one in Toronto with plans to roll it out at other Sony stores across the country in the coming months.
De Waal said while pricing hasn’t been set yet, it will be in the $5,000 range, or comparable to current high-end sets.
“People are surprised that it is ready, in the sense they can see it and it’s already in the store. Most are excited and if someone is interested in sports, when they see the soccer clip they get more excited. If they play video games, when they see the video game, they get more excited.
“Ultimately it is more about the content people want to see than the technology.”
As curious shoppers hung around waiting for their chance to try on the 3-D glasses that transform the somewhat blurry-looking 3-D screen into a sharp and immersive experience, a polar bear appeared on the screen of the LX900.
As the bear slid into water and bubbles arose all around, the 3-D glasses gave viewers the sensation of sinking with him. And when the polar bear came straight at the camera, it was reminiscent of watching big screen 3-D that so far has been limited to theatres.
But by summer, early adopters will be able to get that 3-D experience in their living rooms and it won’t just be about watching movies like Avatar.
The technology is available; it’s the content that is playing catch-up, just as it has with the shift to high definition.
While there were samples of 3-D games on the demo, you won’t find the games in stores yet.
“There isn’t anything now, which is why for the launch in the summer we’ve got to get all the content in line,” said de Waal.
“The PlayStation updates will have 3-D before the TV is available or they’ll be timed to launch at the same time. All the content initially will be on discs –Blu-ray games or Blu-ray movies.”
The next step is programming, with major sports leagues planning to start offering games in 3-D in the coming season.
Discovery Communications recently announced it is partnering with Sony and Imax to establish a 24-hour 3-D TV network and ESPN is launching 3-D for the FIFA World Cup in June.
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