Three-dimension television imaging or very simply 3D TV was introduced into the electronics market in the spring of 2010. The fanfare was loud, the advertisements big and the sales even bigger. Almost 18 months later, are 3D TVs worth the expense and the bother?

In simplified terms, the answer is, “maybe.”

3D TV technology does, indeed, bring the excitement and thrills of 3D theater right into our homes, but the best 3D images, of course, are from the most expensive sets. There’s nothing really new about that general statement: Most of the time, quality costs.

The non-expense disadvantage to a lot of the 3D TV sets available is the special glasses you still must wear. If you saved those cardboard gadgets from the theater, sorry for your luck: They don’t work with these TV sets.

Some TV models provide one or two pairs of glasses, but most of them are heavy and really cumbersome. If you wear eyeglasses, please accept our condolences, for you will find these 3D glasses even worse when fitted over your primary vision tools. Some models, however, provide none, and these glasses are expensive! Even after-market models can run $130 per pair. Early models need batteries, which is a primary cause of the weight.

Newer glasses models, those introduced in 2011, often use passive lenses that require no batteries: Good for everyone if you can get them provided with your 3D-capable TV set. If you need to buy them, you might want to consider the adage, “If you need to ask how much they are, you can’t afford them.” Ouch!

Stepping beyond the peripheral, though, let’s take a quick look at some of the better 3D TV sets available and compare a few specific features and capabilities.

First, 3D technology comes in all three popular TV set types or screen technology—LED, LCD and plasma, so that difference really isn’t too much of a difference. You can find a good LED 3D set just as you can the LCD and plasma versions. So what makes them different? Read on.

High-def capability makes a big difference in the sharpness of the dimension-creating layers. Lo-def can be quite acceptable, make no mistake, but if you can find a 3D set with High-def capability, the images will jump quite a bit further off the screen. (Watch the automatic duck: You’ll spill your soft drink all over the couch and carpet.)

Blu-Ray movies may improve 3D images on the mid- to low-priced models, but the better sets on the market really provides no noticeable improvement with Blu-Ray movies that are 3D-capable. However, you still need those 3D glasses, or all you’ll see are blurry, double-edged images that can give you a headache in a hurry.

Fortunately, you can watch normal, 2D shows and movies on a 3D set. Just change the mode and remove those special lenses to enjoy your 2D favorites.

Fortunately, prices for these added-feature sets are falling as more electronics manufacturers enter the 3D market: Sony, LG, Panasonic, Sharp, Samsung and more all offer quality 3D machines at varying prices, regardless of your preference for LED, LCD or plasma screenings.

This article was written by Holly Adams of Coupon Croc. This year, pair your new TV with a service package of equal quality and save when you use Virgin Media discount codes 2011.