Lindich: With 3-D glasses, you get what you pay for

Q Don, the new Panasonic plasma you recommended is killer! Istill have to get some 3-D glasses for it, though, and they're notcheap. Will the glasses ever come down in price?

--S.E., Bloomington, Minn.

A In the world of consumer electronics pretty much everythingcomes down in price, while, paradoxically, quality and performancegoes up. The television you just purchased is a prime example ofthis. There are exceptions, of course, notably stereo gear such ashigh-end turntables. Active shutter 3-D glasses are one area whereprices are bound to drop as the technology becomes more widespread.

Active shutter 3-D glasses are battery powered. They synchronizewith your TV to provide a full resolution image to each eye.

The downside is they are still relatively expensive, a bit bulky,and some users experience flicker when using them.

Panasonic's glasses are the best choice for your set andcurrently sell between $120 and $130 per set, a bit lower thaninitial pricing, which ran in the $150 range. Third parties arestarting to sell active shutter 3-D glasses that are compatible withtelevisions from major manufacturers. For example, NXG and iTrekhave glasses available for as little as $69.97 per set. Reviewershave stated the optics are not as good as the Panasonic glasses butthey were still found to be acceptable for backup use or to have anextra set around for guests.

There is a dark horse on the 3-D TV horizon. Some manufacturersare introducing televisions that use inexpensive passive glasses,just like the ones you find in the movie theaters.

These glasses can be purchased for as little as $10 per set. Thedownside to televisions compatible with passive glasses is theresolution is reduced by 50 percent when watching in 3-D mode. I'veseen a few TVs using passive glasses and in smaller screen sizes,such as 32 inches, it seemed OK. Anything 42 inches or bigger wouldstart showing the compromises quickly. If you want a cheap 3-D fixit may work for you, and remember, there still isn't a lot of 3-Dcontent yet so you may want to hold out a bit. If you want the bestpossible 3-D experience, though, you need to get a set that workswith active shutter glasses.

Q I heard that Best Buy is closing down, what is up with that?

--J.D., Pittsburgh

A I'd get in touch with whoever provided that grossly inaccuratepiece of information and correct them before the rumor goes anyfurther. Best Buy did issue a recent press release stating it willbe adjusting its retail store plans while increasing its Internetpresence, but nothing remotely resembling a shutdown. It is anaggressive plan to grow Best Buy's business by shrinking the floorspace of its largest stores, adding smaller stand-alone stores, andincreasing its online presence. It's all part of a strategy tocompete better with the likes of Amazon.com and Walmart.

-- n n

Computers and stereos, concluded from last week: If you want touse your computer with an analog stereo system get a miniplug-to-RCA cable and connect the computer's line output or headphone outputto any input on the receiver other than the phono input. Downloadthe Remote app for iPad or iPhone, select the input on the receiverand you have a computer music server working through your soundsystem.

Read past columns and product reviews by Don Lindich atwww.soundadviceblog.com, and contact him using the "submit question"link on that site.