Technology is moving apace in the tangled world of televisual entertainment, so it seems like a good time to have another look at Blu-ray, HD and 3D.

What with Avatar, the world's biggest-grossing movie and the standard bearer for ‘real 3D', being released for home viewing (see DVD reviews opposite), the question a lot of people are asking is, whether the 3D experience currently sweeping cinemas and making a night out at the local multiplex, a considerably more expensive experience, will be replicated at home any time soon?
And the answer is yes, probably.
The second question is, whether anyone earning less than the CEO of Telecom will actually be able to afford it? The answer to that is less clear. Let me try and steer you through the web of current technological advances.
First of all, let's go back to Blu-ray. That's a worrying perspective to start with as the majority of people don't yet watch Blu-rays. As predicted, the uptake of Blu-ray players has been much slower than the sea change that moved people from video to DVD.
However, that is changing.
It's changing because more and more people now own flat screen HDTVs. And, these days, most are full HD rather than 'HD ready”, a vague concept that means 'not really HD but close”. A full HDTV should say 1080p on it. That's the resolution you need to fully appreciate the quality of Blu-ray. Many TVs say 1080i, which is definitely a move up and will make the HD broadcasts on TV look pristine, but is still a step lower than the 1080p that Blu-ray uses.
And just let me say, Blu-ray looks better. The players – initially – were a bit expensive, and they still take a frustrating amount of time to load, but the picture quality is fantastic, and generally a really noticeable step up from DVD.
Players have also got a lot cheaper. While the most commonly used Blu-ray player by far (and it is as good, quality-wise, as anything on the market) is the Playstation 3, standalone players have edged into the affordable bracket. Panasonic, Sony and Samsung are the only makes you're currently likely to find widely and all are much the same. From their initial $600 plus price tag they have now dropped to around $300.
Just as it once was with DVD, however, things should get much cheaper soon when the Taiwanese and Chinese knock-offs hit the market, probably later this year.
The big question is, whether you want to buy one now, when 3D is just around the corner? Maybe is the answer.
Thanks to the joys of online technology, most Blu-ray players are upgradeable. You go to the manufacturer's website and can download firmware which will update your Blu-ray player with the latest stuff (at no extra cost). Sony are promising that Playstation 3s can be upgraded to 3D when the time comes. Others will probably be the same.
But the other dilemma for 3D is TVs. Do you need a new, even more expensive TV to watch at home in 3D?
In a word, yes. The first of these has now arrived in Australia (though not New Zealand). They go for around $5000, which isn't much more than regular 2D TVs. The 3D glasses are another issue. The ones you need for home use are considerably more sophisticated than those you used at the cinema. The new Samsung 3D TVs come with two pairs of glasses and extra sets cost $150 each. There is, depressingly enough, no universal standard so they will only work on TVs made by the same manufacturer.
Then there's the small matter of content. There will probably be no 3D Blu-rays here until at least next year. ESPN are promising to roll out the first 3D sports network later this year, but in America. So, for the moment, there isn't anything to watch.
But it's coming. In the meantime it might be worth holding off buying that new TV and at least checking your new Blu-ray player will be upgradeable. And get in shape. The Samsung 3D manual says: 'If you are in bad physical condition, sleep deprived or you have drunk alcohol, we strongly recommend you not use 3D glasses or view 3D pictures.” How's that going to play out after a hard week at work?