Avatar 3D Blu-Ray Discs Hitting $400

There is a sure way to extinguish that last light that keeps current 3D TVs on life support. Keep content scarce to support nose-bleed prices and keep movies out of reach for average consumers. If you want to see Avatar in 3D at home today, you will need to shell out at least $300 and possibly as much as $400.


Buying a 3D TV today must feel like to you are taken for a ride virtually every time you turn around. First you are asked to pay a premium over regular LED TVs, then you are told you only get one pair of glasses, with each additional pair costing somewhere around $150.

3D Blu-ray discs have also been sold for a premium, but there are now limited edition discs that are so short in supply that you won’t find them in stores, but only on eBay. Don’t ask us why it is exactly Avatar that is such a limited edition, while it could be the most attractive title for 3D TVs. If you want to see Avatar in 3D on your home TV, you should budget about $300 for the disc. Bidding currently starts at $275 and the most confident buy-it-now price on eBay at the time of this writing is $399.

It is generally believed that Avatar 3D will be generally available to Panasonic 3D TV buyers sometime in December. The general release is expected for 2011.

We are not aware of any regular store supply for this movie, but we did notice that 40″ TVs dropped below $300 for the first this Black Friday, 32″ TVs below $200 and 40+” LED TVs dropped below $700. 3D TV deals were largely offered in bundles, but prices are well above $1000 and miss the mainstream market by a long shot.

You have to wonder whether the industry is really serious about 3D TV.