Panasonic’s 3Ds Launch Wednesday – At Half the Japanese Price

If you thought 3D TVs were going to be exceedingly costly, you’re in for a surprise.

“3D is going to be so expensive!” say the format’s detractors. Panasonic’s taken a bit of wind out of that argument though, since their new 3D televisions are set to release at a price that can only be described as reasonable.

The Japanese launch of Panasonic’s new sets was expected to reflect the price seen on the US market, but the company has us surprised. Their 50” VT25 plasma will be sold for $2,500. As a kit with 3D glasses and a 3D Blu-ray player it’ll run right around $3,000. Presumably, this also means we’ll start seeing Panasonic’s 3D BD players hitting shelves this week too.

The new sets will start showing up in Best Buy stores on Wednesday, with over 1,000 stores in the US getting them in the long run. There’s no information as to what they’ll be showing on the screens, but I’d be willing to bet on blue aliens.

Three grand isn’t exactly chump change, but it’s a far cry from the tens of thousands for early plasmas, and it’s safely in the ‘normal’ range for a brand new television. It may not be enough to sway anyone into the 3D camp, but the unexpected price point could mean good things for the format.

Source: Wall Street Journal

See what people are saying about this story in our forums area, or check out other recent discussions.