3D televisions in homes no longer seems to be a futuristic vision as the runaway success of the multi-million dollar Avatar in theatres and the barrage of 3D technology at the Consumer Electronics Show 2012 proves. Major companies have all sought to showcase their own products on the 3D platform hoping to attract consumers and capture a lion’s share of the market. To help you decide the best among them, we took a sneak peek into what companies offer, how they are priced and how soon could they reach a showroom near you.

SAMSUNG

The company has clearly sounded the battle horn with its announcement that it will release the 3D enabled C7000, C8000 and C9000 series of LED TVs this month in the US. It also plans to be the first to introduce 3DTVs in the UK and certain Europen countries. The 46 and 55 inch TV sets will be the first to hit shelves and the biggest 65 inch TV set will be available from July onwards. While the C7000 series will be priced between US$2,200-3,300 and the C8000 series will be priced between US$2,800-5,000, the C9000 will burn a US$6,000 to 7,000 dollar hole in the consumer’s pocket. The company has also not ignored its plasma line of TVs with six 3D enabled models of the Ultra-Slim Plasma TV in the offing. But the icing on the cake is the fact that besides its 3D HDTV being capable of displaying content from a 3D enabled Blu-ray player, the TV will also have an embedded 3D processor which can render 2D content to 3D in real-time. The quality of this feature, however, is yet to be judged.

SONY

Sony’s 3D TVs might only be available from June onwards, but it has already revealed its pricing and dates of release in Japan. LX900, HX900 and HX800 are the models that will be released with the HX 800 and HX900 being priced at 22-28 million yen and 390,000-470,000 yen respectively. Although the LX series includes two free pairs of shutter glasses along with an in-built IR emitter and face recognition and Wireless network connection, a new pair of glasses would cost US$ 133. But the prices of the glasses are due to fall once third party manufacturers enter the market.

LG

LG plans to become a major 3D player with plans to sell 400,000 3D TVs this year.The full line-up will be released later this year although it does have plans to start selling the 3D enabled LX9500 series along with 3D glasses.The 1800p capable Infinia LX9900 LED 3DTV which will require 3D shutter glasses will hit stores in UK this May. A Blu-ray player with 3D capabilites called BD580 will also start sales in the same month.

PANASONIC

Panasonic plans to partner with BestBuy, a US retailer, to sell the first Full-HD 3D (FHD3D) Home Theatre System in the world. The unit will comprise of a 50-inch 1080p resolution Panasonic VT25 Plasma 3DTV , a Blu-ray player and a pair of active shutter glasses.The unit is priced at around USD 3000 with just the VT25 Plasma 3DTV costing about USD 2500.

TOSHIBA

A little late to bank on 3D technology,the company is still in the process of manufacturing its own range of 3D TVs. It has however announced that it expects to enter the UK market in the fourth financial quarter of this year.

PHILIPS

Philips will release its 3D capable 9000 series, for which active shutter glasses will be a requirement along with a wireless adapter. With its range including the smallest 3D TV at 32 inches, screen sizes will go up to 46 inches.

CONCLUSIONS

2012 will surely be the year that 3D TV enters the homes of people around the world. With most companies announcing massive sales targets, the size of the 3D market worldwide is yet to be gauged. Relying on the rising interest in 3D technology owing to Avatar and this year’s Olympics 2012 set to broadcast in 3D, companies certainly are wishing for consumers to rush to stores for 3D TVs. By using manufacturing technology that is still in use as opposed to a a completely new one, companies will also be successful in keeping down prices. However, consumers with the latest HDTV might not be so eager to shift to 3D TVs. The risk of a constant change in technology might also keep consumers away from rushing to buy the product and some may find it sensible to wait for an improved version.

No one can deny that 3D television sets are definitely going to grace our living rooms at some point or the other.

Author bio: Michelle Jones is a technology evangelist and shares her views on the latest trends on android phones, reviews of gadgets and cheap smartphones. You can get in touch with her at Technology.am