3DTV is here, sort of...

The Lakers and Suns game last night will forever be burned into my brain. Not because I'm that big of a b-ball fan, in fact I play more than I watch on TV, but because it is the first live 3D program I've ever watched. For a $10 monthly upgrade to my AT&T U-verse package I can now watch ESPN 3D, and their other pay-per-view 3D programming (Comcast has a much richer offering through their On-Demand), on my new Sony Bravia. The picture quality is truly eye popping, especially during the on court close-ups and slow mo instant replays. Unfortunately, the wide shots, which dominate most of the game, are not as dramatic. Overall, the effect is amazingly clear and much like having a window into an NBA court.

The main problem with ESPN 3D is that for the foreseeable future they have a very limited schedule that is more like pay-per-view special events than a broadcast channel. Hopefully as the technology catches on more games will be available, although programming will increase significantly with the X Games coming up at the end of the month.

Luckily for me there are plenty of other 3D content available, since I'm not a huge sports fanatic. There is now a decent catalogue of 3D Blu Rays available, although most of them are animated films ("Dispicable Me," "A Christmas Carol," and "Coraline" just to name a few of the better ones). This is great for me since I have kids, but if you don't, the pickens are a bit slim. There are quite a few over priced documentaries, most of which cost around $35 and get you under an hour of content, and a few newer releases, including "Clash of the Titans" and "Pirahna." The holy grail of 3D Blu Ray, "Avatar," is only available with the purchase of a Panasonic 3D HDTV, "Monsters vs. Aliens" and the "Shrek" series also have other exclusive deals with TV makers. Hopefully this won't be a trend because it smacks of the alienation most consumers felt during the Blu-Ray vs. HD-DVD wars. Come on people, getting on the same page will be better for everyone!

Another great avenue for 3D content is the online store at Playstation 3. There are quite a few movies available for rent, as well as freebies like a Bon Jovi music video and an amazing sizzle reel for the soon to be launched 3D Channel, which is a joint effort between Sony, IMAX and the Discovery Channel. The real advantage with having a Playstation 3 over other Blu-Ray 3D players, are the 3D video games. The demos I've played so far are all pretty impressive, especially "Tumbler" which is one of those classic games that are easy to play but difficult to master. (Warning - Gamer tangent: "Tumbler" also utilizes the new "Move" system and makes for one helluva gaming experience. It's mind boggling how far video games have come from my Atari 2600 I spent so many hours on as a young boy.) However, 3D PS3 games are still limited in the number of titles offered, but with more and more available soon.

The real question comes down to whether it's time to upgrade to 3D HDTV and Blu-Ray players. While 3DTV is definitely the wave of the future it's still fairly costly (a pair of glasses alone will cost you $150) and the content is somewhat limited. If you're a gadget and 3D freak, like I obviously am, then you need to get a set up ASAP. If not, I'd wait another 6 months or more for prices to come down and for more content to become available.