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The first 3D televisions will be available in Australia next week, but you’ll have to wait until 2011 to be able to buy the most popular 3D Blu-ray movies at retail.
(Credit: Dreamworks)
Monsters vs. Aliens, the first 3D Blu-ray movie in Australia, ships exclusively with the Samsung 7 series TV on 19 April, but local distributor Paramount says no retail date has yet been set for it or any other 3D titles.
“We are very interested in the potential for 3D but as yet we don’t have any 3D titles scheduled for release. We are looking at how everything performs and it is something we’re taking very, very seriously,” said Jonathan Hollett from Paramount Home Entertainment.
Samsung and Monsters vs. Aliens makers Dreamworks announced an exclusive international deal in March 2010, which means that the 3D versions of both Monsters vs. Aliens and Shrek films will be exclusive to Samsung for a year. Samsung said it will bundle the Shrek films with TVs in the second part of the year.
Panasonic has announced exclusive rights to Ice Age and Coraline till 2011, and the only other title so far announced in 3D is Sony’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. However, it doesn’t appear that the company will limit distribution, with a Sony representative confirming that it will be “released on 3D this year. The date will be announced soon.”
Sony opened its first permanent 3D “experience centre” in the Sony Store in World Square Sydney this week, which is showing Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, PlayStation games and a clip from a FIFA football match.
Avatar director James Cameron has been very vocal about his wishes to release his movie on 3D Blu-ray in November 2010, though the movie company is saying it won’t be available until at least 2011.
Sony is set to release its first 3D TV in June and industry experts tip that mid-year will also see the first wave of 3D Blu-ray announcements. But with Shrek, Avatar and Ice Age out of the picture some consumers could end up waiting until next year to invest in 3D.
Meanwhile, 3D broadcasts are not expected to hit until at least 2011, with Foxtel announcing it plans to start testing next year.
