Rent-to-own News - 3-D TVs heading for masses in 2010

The next frontier in television technology is here and heading to retail outlets next year.

Just don't forget your glasses.

Sony and Panasonic say they will release home 3-D television systems in 2010; JVC is not far behind.  All of Mitsubishi's current model Home Theater TVs are 3-D ready and are offered in screen sizes from 60 inches to 73 inches. A 3-D standard format does not currently exist for Blu-ray or DVD prepackaged media, however.

Some analysts compare the 3-D transition to the switch from black-and-white to color television and the shift from standard- to high-definition images. It won't happen overnight, but the new technology will take hold, they agree, and could give electronics retailers, manufacturers and distributors a boost akin to when flat-panel televisions really took flight five or so years ago.

How long it takes for the technology to become the next great rent-to-own product is anyone's guess, but a low price point and more importantly, accessible content are critical to home 3-D's long term success.

Mitsubishi is currently featuring 3-D kiosks in retail stores demonstrating the 3-D effect on its DLP televisions. The company first launched 3-D ready functionality in 2007.

"It's an exciting technology, but we're waiting for the industry to push us to the next level of simplicity for the consumer," said Rochelle Mingus, account executive for Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America. "We've had tremendous response, but the question remains, how is the product going to get to the consumer."

Still, there are skeptics who say that 3-D is not ready for prime-time.

There are concerns that 3-D broadcasts, which require twice the data, will gobble up an unworkable amount of television bandwidth. And some worry that 3-D glasses and graphics won't make a smooth transition to American living rooms.

Similar to the transition to HDTV, available content is key to helping accelerate the adoption of 3-D technology in the home, critics agree. Recently, many top producers and directors have publicly announced that in the future their movies will only be mastered for 3-D.

ESPN is test-recording some sporting events in 3-D which would make football players appear to jump out of screens during live 3-D broadcasts. And, although television makers haven't released specifics, the price of 3-D TV is not expected to be substantially higher than some high-definition televisions on the market now.

All 3-D technology relies on the idea that if separate images are presented to the left and right eyes, the human brain will combine them and create the illusion of a third dimension.

These next-generation televisions would be able to play shows in 2-D or 3-D. They also would be able to show video games in 3-D.

Aside from the required glasses, people who want to watch television that jumps off the screen will need something to watch. The process of making live television work in 3-D probably would involve a major conversion of broadcast equipment.

Also, Blu-ray is said to be working on a product that would play three-dimensional movies at home.

Bill French of O'Rourke Sales Company said the Mitsubishi 3-D ready DLP units are moving swiftly based mostly on their superior 2-D picture quality. Successfully leveraging 3-D as a selling point for retail or eventually rent-to-own customers -- who will need special glasses and some kind of delivery device --  will ultimately hinge on content availability.

"It's not a driving force yet, but maybe down the road when 3-D becomes available through Blu-ray players and there's more broadcast options, it will be," French said. "Like all new innovations, it will take a little time to catch on."