The World’s Largest 3D HD TV

The Interactive Trade Show is always worth checking out. The biggest attraction this year was a display for the new Panasonic 3D HDTV. It almost felt like being at a theme park because about 20 people at a time were brought into a giant container to experience the largest 3D TV, measuring a whopping 152 inches, and the line was long.

After a pretty sales-heavy introduction by a Panasonic representative (who mentioned being able to buy the 50” version at Best Buy) the show started. There was beautiful 3D footage of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. Soccer balls and skiers were coming right at us. The footage ended with an extended trailer from Avatar that really did feel like watching it in the theatre.

A few caveats. This technology is expensive. The 50” TV is going for about $2500, and that’s with one pair of the special 3D glasses. Additional pairs are $150 a pop. The glasses are the other problem. They’re a bit clunky because each one has its own battery that controls the lenses to give the 3D effect. No red and blue 80’s technology. And the glasses look, to be honest, really dorky.

The technology will only get better, cheaper and lighter. It might be worth waiting a year or two before making the splurge, but even watching five minutes of footage was nothing short of exhilarating.