Is 3D TV Worth it?

Over the past years consumers had to deal with those huge and massive CRT TVs up until the point when LCD televisions started getting out to the market. LCD quality was not only much more vivid, crisp and generally colorful, but you could experience watching your TV by hanging it up on the wall in your living room, above your fireplace or wherever else.

I still remember the day when I purchased my first LCD TV. It was the Sony BRAVIA XBR2 model which I paid close to $4,000 on. This was a top of the line TV back in the day, and it’s absolutely the best LCD I’ve ever owned and now looking back, I have to say it was worth every penny (even though it was quite pricy). Soon as people were getting more comfortable and adjusted to their LCD screens, guess what? LEDs and HDTVs came alone, taking the whole television experience to a whole new level.

The next big thing was the 3D TV. Watching your favorite movies or sports in stereoscopic vision seemed quite magical. This is something you could only experience in IMAX before, but now the same experience came straight to your home through utilization of 3D glasses. All of these things made the industry sound very exciting, but is 3D TV really worth the hype? Well, let’s take a deeper look.

Before you buy a 3D TV, you should first know that the technology is still pretty pricy (just like LCDs were when they first started to come out). These days, LCD and LED televisions can be purchased from $400 to $1000 from the leading brands. Is it worth spending extra money to be able to watch your favorite movies in 3D when there is still limited content that is available? A 3D TV can set you back an extra $1000-$1500 or so (depending on the brand), not to mention the investment of 3D glasses and other accessories you may need to watch your favorite 3D content.

Also, consider 3D glasses. There are 2 types of 3D TVs on the market right now – ones that support Active Shutter glasses (ones that are battery operated) and ones that are called Passive (the type you find at movie theaters, plastic 3D glasses). Companies are busy trying to continue to evolve the technology, and even talk of glasses free 3D TVs is happening. Investing in 3D glasses may make sense now, but years from now we’re still not sure where the technology may take us. The opinion is divided 50/50 though. There are a lot of people who have purchased 3D TVs from such brands as LG and Samsung and absolutely love the experience, and of course there are others who feel it’s all hype and technology may not be the future of it all.

Question you have to ask yourself is – how much TV do you watch? This should help you determine whether or not a 3D TV is right for you. If you love cool movies like Avatar or Shrek, getting a 3D TV may make your home entertainment experience incredible. If you’re a sports fan, ESPN is already rolling out 3D TV programming!

There’s no question that 3D TV technology is moving at a very fast pace. A lot of changes are likely to come to both existing and newer 3D models. If you have the extra money to splurge, definitely research out your options before making your purchase. Make sure to pay close attention to customer reviews before you make your decision. 3D technology is not perfect yet, therefore an investment like this may not be for everyone. For those who can afford it though, there’s nothing like a 3D experience right at your home.