Samsung 3DTVs Go on Sale in NZ

Bond + Bond is taking orders for a Samsung 3D plasma TV that it’s retailing for $3499.

But it won’t have stock of the 50-inch display, the PS50C7000, until late May.

Bond + Bond also is advertising Samsung’s 3D Blu-ray player for $699.

Samsung NZ has yet to officially announce its 2010 line-up — its website is promoting the launch of its LED 3DTV on Friday (JB Hi-Fi already has a 40-inch model listed for $3962) — but competitors will be disheartened to see how aggressively it appears to have priced its initial roll-out of 3D product, as it was a market that consumer electronics companies thought would help to restore some of their margins in the wake of HD displays falling so quickly in price.

Meanwhile, Trusted Reviews has given Samsung’s 55-inch flagship LED 3DTV two thumbs up, concluding it sets the 3D benchmark for others and is “also a stunningly attractive, feature-heavy star with non-3D footage”.

While NZ broadcasters have yet to announce any 3D initiatives, across the Tasman the Nine Network will be the first terrestrial broadcaster in the world to offer 3D programming, starting with the first game in the State of Origin series on May 26.