Samsung 3D TVs to include two pairs of glasses

Just now Samsung announced that beginning April 24, two pairs of its support 2011 3D glasses, model SSG-3100GB, would be included with every Samsung 2011 3D TVs free of charge.

Previous to this news, none of its TVs aside from the high-end UND8000 series included the glasses necessary to view 3D TV pictures. The company has also reduced the price of additional sets of 3100GB glasses from $129 list to $50 each, useful May 1.

Samsung 's glasses are powered, active-shutter models, which usage Bluetooth to synch with the TV as opposed to the Infrared synching used by the 2010 versions. These new glasses are clashing with Samsung 's 2010 3D TVs.

In our tests the Bluetooth sync works well, and overall 3D performance has improved compared to last year on the model we tested. In our previous early tests we prefer the picture quality of active 3D to passive overall.

Samsung 's move is a pretty obvious response to the inclusion of four pairs of passive, unpowered 3D glasses with models like the Vizio XVT3D650SV and LG LW5600 series - the later just started shipping in communication with a major advertising campaign. Additional pairs of passive polarized glasses fee as little as $5 or less online, and work with any passive 3D TV.

We expect similar pricing moves by companies like Panasonic and Sony, which like Samsung focus exclusively on active 3D. It 's worth noting that no TV maker 's active 3D glasses are compatible with any other 's, so you can 't use those cheap Samsung glasses with your Panasonic plasma.

"Customers purchasing the D7000 and upper 3D LED TVs or the D6500 and uppermost 3D Plasma TVs will last to get Samsung 's 3D Starter Kit (SSG-3100M). The kit includes two pairs of 3D active glasses, promotional versions of... complete Shrek collection on 3D Blu-ray and a voucher for Megamind 3D on Blu-ray. Customers already receiving this starter kit with a step-up TV model will not be eligible for the latest promotion."