Panasonic begins selling 3D TVs, bundles

As promised, a Best Buy store in Union Square, NYC sold the first Panasonic Full HD 3D home entertainment system on Wednesday. The only 3D bundle offered thus far includes a 50-inch class Panasonic VIERA VT20 Plasma 3D HDTV bundled with one pair of Panasonic 3D Active Shutter Lens Eyewear, and the Panasonic BDT300 3D Blu-ray Disc Player, all priced at $2,900. Individually, these components cost $2,500 and $400, respectively. An additional pair of glasses costs $150.

The VT20 and BDT300 are exclusive to Best Buy but are equivalent to mainstream VT25 and BDT350 models. Panasonic will also soon bundle the Full HD 3D Home Theater System with 54-, 58- and 65-inch VIERA sets, though prices for these have not yet been announced.

All buyers of Panasonic's 3D system and DirecTV subscribers will get one year of DirecTV's 3D programming. The 24/7 3D DirecTV Cinema channel will be paired with a pay per view event channel and a free 3D entertainment channel that contains sports, music and other content. DirecTV said it will launch its HD 3D programming in June.

At the same time, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment announced the first 3D Blu-ray DVD title it will launch will be Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, but hasn't revealed prices nor a launch date.

By Electronista Staff