The term 3D makes headlines once again, this time with less adoration and a little more concern regarding pricing, with reports of 3D eyewear costing US$150 per set.

The highly anticipated TVs will begin to appear on Australian shelves next month, with Sony predicting 10% of its overall television sales in the financial year, to come from 3D sales. But overseas pricing indicates that the new TVs may be a little more costly than expected, with a family of four needing to fork out $600 on eyewear alone.

This in addition to the several hundred dollars extra the 3D sets cost compared with 2D equivalents, as well as the necessary 3D Blu-ray player and HDMI cable required to deliver 3D content, makes the notion of 3D home entertainment, quite an expensive one.

Another concern for Australian consumers, (dissimilar to the US), Aussie TV networks don't appear to be preparing for 3D broadcasting, meaning viewers will need to pull out their credit cards for 3D Blu-ray content, until that bridge is gapped.

Samsung's 3D TV price premium

Samsung has revealed pricing for its 3D TV range, which features an LED-backlit LCD model, standard LCD model and plasma TV sets. The 46" LED set is priced at US$2,600 while the 55" LED set is priced at US$3,300.

The cheapest model offered by the company is a 46" low-end LCD, priced at US$1700, while the top-of-the-line model, a 55" set that can convert 2D content to 3D is priced at US$7000.

On top of these prices is the necessary eyewear, costing consumers $150 a set, while a 3D Blu-ray player will cost consumers around US$400

According to SMH, Panasonic has reported more competitive prices in the US market, with a Best Buy deal offering a 50-inch 3DTV, 3D-ready Blu-ray player and pair of glasses for a total price of $US3000.

Sony sets expensive - but eyewear included

Sony revealed pricing for its 3D TV line up in Japan, with its 46" model priced at roughly US$3,900, which according to the BBC is a 52% increase on a regular Sony flatscreen TV. The price range for the televisions is around US$2440 to US$6440. The higher-end Sony 3D TV sets come equipped with two sets of 3D eyewear

Neither Samsung nor Sony has revealed Australian pricing for 3D TVs, however both companies have insisted that the pricing is intended to be reasonable and not too much of an increase on their 2D range of televisions.

Despite the potential costly nature of the technology, Global demand for 3D TVs is predicted to reach 15.6 million units in 2013, increasing from a predicted 1.2 million this year, according to DisplaySearch.