3D TV was the big news at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in January, with dozens of manufacturers showing 3D products of all types, including 3D televisions for the home.  Some of those products are now shipping, and you can now test drive the technology for yourself at The Big Picture, with a 58″ television set up and calibrated on our showroom floor.  Monsters v. Aliens 3D is in heavy rotation.

3D has generated a lot of excitement, but also a lot push-back.  Many are excited; many are not.  Avatar 3D has been the highest grossing picture of all time, but Roger Ebert of the Sun-Times has declared 3D to be one of the worst ideas ever.  The technology has generated a swirl of controversy whose intensity is really quite surprising.

We have lived with our own 3D setup for several weeks now, and here is our thumbnail report:

–When it’s good, it’s very good; it’s just plain fun.
–It works better in low light (i.e at night or in a room where lighting can be controlled).
–It looks better the closer you sit.
–The glasses are easier to get used to than you might imagine.
–This may not be the technology for serious movies, but for action-thrillers and game playing, it will be a force for years to come.

Our view:  Come see for yourself.  The premium to be paid for TVs that handle 3D as well as regular shows is not very large, and growing smaller.  So, if you like it, you can jump in right away, or monitor things a little longer as the scene develops.  If you don’t like it, you can take a pass on this particular technological wave.  But in any case, it’s better to make that decision after you’ve seen the birds fly right out of the screen and past your left ear…