By Carl Laron on February 18, 2010 in
Last month's Consumer Electronics Show ramped up the buzz surrounding 3D full high-def TVs, and generated a mountain of unanswered questions about the technology. We still don't know whether television viewers will care enough about 3D to make it a sought-after feature, or whether the required glasses will prove to be a deal-killer for many. But one question -- what adding 3D to an HDTV will cost -- is coming into clearer focus with the release of Samsung's UNC7000 series TVs later this month. HDGuru.com is among those reporting that those new sets will carry prices at introduction that are actually hundreds of dollars less than the introductory prices of the 2009 UNB7000 series TVs that they are replacing in the lineup Prices will undoubtedly come down even more over the coming months. Tthat doesn't quite tell the whole story, however.
The big fly in the ointment is that as Samsung's entry-level 3D HDTV, the UNC7000 series, is only 3D ready. The TVs include all of the technology needed for 3D, including the infrared emitter required to sync up with the active shutter glasses, but not the glasses themselves. Glasses will be released at a later date, and at a price that's still to be announced. While we don't know what Samsung's glasses will cost, DVICE.com says that at least one maker of 3D glasses is looking at a target price of between $75 and $150 per pair. Ouch.
Still, even setting aside 3D, the Samsung UNC7000 series is feature-packed. These are Internet-enabled sets that include widgets for accessing content from Netflix, Blockbuster, Vudu, Pandora, Facebook and more. They also get Samsung's new Skype connectivity feature, which lets you make Internet video calls via Skype using your TV. Starting in July, you'll be able to download a variety of free and paid iPhone-like apps to the sets. Other features include an edge-lit LED backlight and a 240 Hz refresh rate.
Of course, we don't know yet how the UNC7000 series will stack up performance-wise. Last year's Samsung UNB7000 series was pretty well received, but not quite well enough to crack the Best Reviewed list in our report on LCD TVs. It had some pretty stiff competition -- such as Samsung's step-up UNB8000 series. As far as the UNC7000 series, expect to see lots more information about those sets when we next update our report on LCD TVs.