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First 3D TV Sets To Go On Sale 'By April'

Electronics giant Samsung is promising the first 3D TV sets will go on sale in Ireland and Britain by the end of the month.

The Korean firm is expected to reveal more details at a launch in New York but entry-level prices for the dedicated 3D sets are thought to be around €2,000

Samsung says 2010 will be the year of the "3D television revolution" with "explosive growth in demand".

Later in the week, rival manufacturer Panasonic will start selling its first 3D television in the US, while Sony intends to launch its new 3D models in Japan by June. Sony hopes they will make up 10% of its LCD market in the next fiscal year. Sony's Irish and UK entry-level set will probably be around €2,400.

Andy Kerr from What Hi-Fi Sound & Vision has reviewed the new 3D TV sets.

He was impressed,saying, "I think it's extraordinary. I think there are some issues still to get over with 3D but the great news about the technology is, right from the off, it seems to deliver an experience that we haven't seen before in extremely high quality," he said.

It's not just the technology driving this one but also consumer demand. In the last 12 months 3D has become big business at multiplex cinemas, thanks to big movies like Avatar.

The Belgian newspaper La Derniere Heure has printed a special 3D edition of the paper complete with special glasses. The paper said it had not decided whether to launch a permanent 3D edition.