DIRECTV announced they will be carrying the new ESPN 3D channel from day one, and best of all it won’t cost you anything extra. That is of course if you don’t count the substantial investment in buying a new 3DTV and the techno-goggles needed to watch 3D content at home.
The move signals that DIRECTV intends to be at the forefront of the 3D battle, as they have already announced they deployment of three other 3D channels. The other three channels will be a pay per view option, a 3D on demand channel, and the newly named N3D, which will feature content from different providers. While Comcast and Cox have announced that they will offer 3D coverage of the Masters Golf tournament, only DIRECTV has announced plans to air full time 3D channels in 2010.
ESPN 3D was officially announced in January, and will debut on June 11th at the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. Current plans have up to 25 games being broadcast in 3D, and up to 85 events total in 2010. ESPN is not planning to air their 3D channel full time once broadcasting begins. Other events set to air on ESPN 3D include the 2011 BCS championship game.
While DIRECTV is not planning to charge subscribers for the 3D version of ESPN, that is where the good news ends. The bad news is you will still have to find and purchase one of the new 3D TV sets, which are already a hot commodity. Samsung is brining their 3DTV to market in May, with the lowest priced model starting at $1,700. High end models from Samsung are running between $6,000 and $7,000. Panasonic, Sony, and LG also have 3D television sets on their way to market. Retailers are expecting models from manufacturers to arrive anywhere from May through August, and in limited supply. That in itself will probably put a damper on both DIRECTV and ESPN as they begin broadcasting in 3D.
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