Panasonic, Samsung Roll Out 3D-TV Deals
BOSTON (TheStreet) -- If electronics manufacturers are going to drag consumers into 3D television, the least they can do is take them by the hand.
Panasonic
(PC)
and
Samsung Electronics
announced prices for their
units and accessories last week. While the cost of these new sets ranges from slightly more than high-end 2D LCD models to slightly less than a basic
Hyundai
Accent, each company is sweetening the deal by offering video game-style bundles. Glasses, movies and 3D Blu-ray players are being added to coax consumers -- 86% of whom still favor DVDs over Blu-ray, according to
Nielsen
-- to change formats again. Even with promotions,
Consumer Reports
says a family of four could spend more than $3,300 for a
3D experience
at home.
With Samsung offering its own deals and
DirecTV
(DTV)
promising three high-definition 3D channels by June, here are the goodies
Consumer Reports
says manufacturers are using to gently nudge the stubborn herd:
Panasonic
Its $2,900 bundle centers on the TC-P50VT20, a 50-inch 3D HDTV with 1080-pixel resolution that is only sold through
Best Buy
(BBY) - Get Report
. Similar T25 versions of the set will be available elsewhere and all versions will be available at 54, 58 and 65 inches at a later date, with the 50-inch Best Buy model also available as a stand-alone for $2,500.
All versions will have access to
Netflix
(NFLX) - Get Report
videos, Pandora music, Twitter and Skype phone service through Panasonic's Viera Cast service, though Panasonic does users no favors by excluding a microphone and camera for Skype usage and wi-fi access for an easier connection.
According to preliminary
Consumer Reports
testing, the screen's black elements don't pixelate and its action sequences don't blur. As for 3D visibility, the notion that one needs to sit directly in front of the screen at a certain distance was debunked when viewing 3D movies at various angles.
Panasonic's bundle also includes the DMP-BDT300 3D Blu-ray player, which basically mirrors all of the television's features without the screen. The player, which sells alone for $400, can play Blu-ray discs and DVDs and has access to Netflix, Pandora and Twitter. Like Panasonic's 3D TV, the player lacks standard wi-fi gear, forcing the consumer to fork over more cash for a wi-fi dongle. While
Consumer Reports
says the Panasonic unit works on other 3D televisions, what's the point of upgrading to 3D if it's still couched in 2D features?
Panasonic's final touches include a free set of battery-operated 3D glasses and an HDMI cable, which still isn't included with most HDTVs and Blu-ray players. With glasses running between $150 and $200 a pair, throwing in a free pair is no small deal. But anyone who wants to join in the fun will have to spend $150 to $200. Panasonic is basically asking early adopters to put the cash equivalent of a
player on their faces just to see images in 3D.
Samsung
Unlike Panasonic, Samsung has hitched the price of its packages directly to that of its televisions. Though Samsung's offer will apply to its ultra-thin plasma 3D televisions that start at $1,800 and will be available in May, the only models currently available are the $2,600 UN46C7000 46-inch and $3,300 UN55C7000 55-inch LCD models. Each has the ability to convert 2D to 3D and, according to
Consumer Reports
, an extremely bright display. The bad news,
Consumer Reports
says, is that 3D content often leaves a ghostly echo image on the screen and can't be seen from all angles, so you might not be able to watch while you're laying on the couch. However, both have Ethernet and wi-fi connections and access to Netflix, Pandora, Twitter, USA Today and Vudu through Samsung Apps.
Samsung's package deal kicks in when consumers spring for the $400 BD-C6900 3D Blu-ray player. The good news is that this unit also plays Blu-ray discs and DVDs, has wi-fi built in to help users connect to
Blockbuster
(BBI) - Get Report
, YouTube, Netflix, Twitter and Facebook, has 1 gigabyte of memory and can stream audio and video files wirelessly from your computer. The bad news is that it and its Panasonic cohort are $150 to $200 more expensive than
Sony's
(SNE) - Get Report
3D Blu-ray products without the
Apple
(AAPL) - Get Report
iPhone and iPod compatibility.
Including two sets of $150 glasses free of charge is a step in the right direction. This at least gives your guest or a loved one a fighting chance and, while perhaps not as desirable as Samsung's $200 rechargeable specs, knocks out one of the biggest obstacles to the 3D future this side of DVD library upgrades.
Samsung's nicest touch may be the inclusion of a
DreamWorks Animation's
(DKS) - Get Report
Monsters vs. Aliens 3D
DVD. Sony,
Microsoft
(MSFT) - Get Report
and Nintendo don't do consumers many favors when they launch new gaming consoles, but they're at least savvy enough to include a game with the console so the buyer has something to play with out of the box. Best Buy has caught on to the adopters' plight by packaging HDMI cables with popular Blu-ray discs like
Star Trek
and
Up
, but it would be nice to see manufacturers taking similar steps to draw consumers into their products.
-- Reported by Jason Notte in Boston.
Jason Notte is a reporter for TheStreet.com. His writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Huffington Post, Esquire.com, Time Out New York, The Boston Herald, The Boston Phoenix, Metro newspaper and the Colorado Springs Independent.









