3D, on your remote control now

Till we got to watch Avatar pop-eyed, 3D was something that only kids watched at special morning shows on Egyptian mummies and glaciers in select theatres. Now not only is 3D becoming the hottest new idea in adult entertainment but it is also ready to enter our drawing rooms.

If you're planning to splash out on a state-of-the-art home theatre system, you might want to consider investing in one with the 3D technology. The pluses of a 3D TV set are of course obvious. Who wouldn't want to watch Baywatch or IPL finals in three dimensional details? But there are problem areas too: for one there aren't many of these sets around yet, and more importantly, they are not easy on the wallet.

"In India, the infiltration has already happened, with companies like Samsung, Sony and LG having announced their decision to go 3D," says Nishant Padhiar, editor of Stuff India. But whether the technology will be a raging hit remains to be seen. "Factors like the time spent watching it before eye-fatigue sets in, and the angles at which the TV can be watched have to be considered. But yes, 3D television is definitely the future," he says.

Samsung 3D TVs, which have already hit the market, give viewers a chance to convert 2D content into 3D. So, if a match is being beamed in the 2D format, a chip will enable you to convert the content into 3D. "The resolution of 2D content converted to 3D will be a tad different from the original 3D content of course, but still more enjoyable than the usual 2D viewing," says Ruchika Batra, GM of corporate communications, Samsung, South West Asia.

Batra says that the cost of 3D TVs will be around 25% higher than a 2D TV of the same kind (LED, LCD or Plasma). The cost of glasses that help you watch 3D content is quite high though - Rs9,990 for rechargeable glasses and Rs4,999 for battery-enabled ones.

Padhiar, who has witnessed 2D content converted into 3D, says that 85% of the effects get retained. This feature, says Padhiar, is what will make 3D TVs work in a country like India where there's a dearth of original 3D content. The more conventional 3D TVs, which enable viewers to watch content shot only in 3D format - like a film or a sports event shot with 3D technology - will also soon include a feature that converts 2D content into 3D too, he adds.

Potential customers are excited but wary. "I checked out a display and the viewing experience was definitely much better than what you get from the existing TV sets," says Biren Parekh, a 42-year-old share broker. "However, the cost is a worry. I have six members in my family and buying glasses worth Rs5000 for each is a tad expensive," says Parekh. He is waiting for competition to heat up the TV market and bring prices down before he decides.

Krishnamurthy Sriram, vice president for sales, marketing and service at Onida agrees with the wait-and-watch policy. His company wants to study the performance of the first batch of 3D TVs before taking the plunge. "As a technology, it's far from stable at this point. You would either have to take the trouble of wearing glasses or, if technology ever permits, watch 3D without glasses.

That could be strenuous for the eyes," he says. Mahesh Krishnan, vice president at Philips Consumer Lifestyle says that a better bet would be to wait till 3D can be enjoyed without glasses. "Of course, that kind of technology is more easily spoken about than accomplished. Efforts are, however, being made to turn it into a possibility," says Krishnan. He adds that his company would rather target European markets first with its '3D-ready' TV sets.