Sony to begin selling 3DTVs by the end of next year

I just saw this and thought I'd share -

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from  http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/093755da-9759-11de-83c5-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1

Sony plans to put 3D televisions in homes by the end of next year

3D technology looks set to hit the home consumer market next year, with Sony today announcing plans to sell 3D televisions globally by the end of next year.

Sony's decision to throw its weight behind the technology will be an important boost for the 3D industry, which has so far focused mainly on cinemas. British Sky Broadcasting has said it would introduce a 3D satellite channel in the UK next year, but it had been unclear whether there would be equipment available with which to view it.

Due to speak today at the IFA technology trade show in Berlin, Sir Howard Stringer , Sony chief executive, will announce plans not only to sell 3D Bravia television sets, but to make Sony's Vaio laptop computers, PlayStation 3 games consoles and Blu-ray disc players compatible with the technology.
Mr Stringer is expected to tell the audience: "Today, 3D is clearly on its way to the mass market.
"As with high definition a few years back, there are a variety of issues yet to be addressed. But the 3D train is on the track, and we at Sony are ready to drive it home."

The consumer electronics industry has yet to agree on a single 3D standard, posing the risk of a format war akin to that between VHS and Betamax or Blu-ray and HD-DVD standards.
There are several types of 3D technology. Sony has opted for "active shutter" technology, using electronic glasses containing tiny shutters that open and close rapidly in synch with the television image to create a 3D impression.

Cinema 3D uses "polarisation" technology with simpler glasses. However, this only works when viewers are at a certain angle to the screen, making it less suited to home viewing.
Sony, which suffered heavy operating losses in the autumn, recently closed its last LCD television factory in North America to concentrate on higher-margin products.

Sony has given no indication of prices, but analysts expect early 3D TVs to cost several thousand pounds.

CopyrightThe Financial Times Limited 2009.