Sony to begin worldwide 3D TV launch in June

Sony will begin selling 3D TVs in Japan on June 10 and worldwide at about the same time, it said Tuesday. A firmware upgrade to its PlayStation 3 console that adds 3D support and other 3D-compatible home electronics products will also be available to coincide with the television launch.

Sony's first two sets, which are 40- and 46-inch models, will come bundled with two pairs of 3D glasses and will cost 290,000 Yen (US$3,215) and 350,000 Yen respectively. In July it will launch six further sets: 52- and 60-inch models that come with 3D glasses and four "3D-ready" models that have 3D circuitry inside the set but require the purchase of glasses and an infrared transmitter.

The cheapest of the sets, a 40-inch model that requires the additional glasses and transmitter, will carry an estimated retail price of 220,000 Yen. The glasses will cost 12,000 Yen per pair and the transmitter, which sends out a signal to synchronize electronic shutters in the glasses, will cost 5,000 Yen. All prices are Sony estimates and products can typically be found online for less.

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