With firmware updates, new Sony Blu-ray players will be 3-D ready by summer
Ready or not, the infrastructure for displaying 3-D video in your home theater is quickly coming to market. Today Sony announced a new $200 Blu-ray player, the BDP-S470, that will be capable of handling 3-D discs with a firmware update available this summer.
A few other Blu-ray players in Sony's 2010 lineup, previously announced at CES, will also be 3-D compatible with the firmware upgrade. That includes the $250 BDP-S570, which owes its higher cost to its built-in 802.11n Wi-Fi (whereas the cheaper sibling has only an Ethernet port). Both can access online services from Netflix, Amazon and others via Bravia Internet Video. So, too, can the $550 BDV-E570 and the $650 BDV-E770W Blu-ray home theater systems, thanks to an included USB wireless adapter. The 3-D firmware update will also be available for the players in these systems. One Blu-ray player that won't support 3-D is the BDP-S370, which is low priced at $180 (at least for a Sony player).
All of these products have begun shipping and will appear in stores and for online purchase in the next month.