With the 3D movie Avatar becoming a box office hit, all efforts are now focused on creating that success and experience in homes.

Major hardware vendors from Sony, Samsung, Panasonic and LG are working to launch their 3D home entertainment devices to hit stores in coming months. Apart from full-fledged 3D TV sets with special eye-wear, the new devices include Blu-ray players and sound systems.

These new gizmos are not a knee-jerk reaction capitalizing on the 3D fervor, in the hope that they will appeal to consumers.

Korean consumer electronic giant Samsung will be the first to launch its machines this month with more than a dozen 3D devices ready to hit the stores.

It hopes that 3D TV sales will make up 20 percent of its TV sales this year.

But before you scoff at the thought of wearing the hideous red and cyan anaglyphic glasses that come with the current 3D technology video titles like Coraline, know that 3D technology for homes has changed for the better. Home 3D is now comparable to what you see in cinema halls.

Current 3D DCD titles come with cheap cardboard glasses with lenses of varying colors and intensity for viewers to watch unnaturally colored video images.

New 3D home entertainment systems use the alternated frame sequencing technology which has active shutter glasses to create the illusion of depth.

With rich colors fully reproduced onscreen, a sensor from the TV signals the glasses to rapidly open and shut each lens, to create the stereoscopic effect.

This means the glasses are a regular shade of gray and all future 3D content released on home video will follow the same standard for a uniform experience.

Not all 3D TVs being launched, from plasma, LCD, to LED, will be the same. Aside from being one of the the first, Samsung’s 3D TVs also offer conversion, which transforms current 2D video into 2D. LG is launching its 3D TVs next month, with models that can convert 2D to 3D only available from July.

While the converted content will not be as immersive as full 3D content, it will not limit viewing choices to only upcoming 3D movie titles as consumers can still enjoy their existing titles.

This method is not new. The current Hollywood action movie, Clash of the Titans, was filmed in 2D and converted to 3D for its theatrical release.

But not all 3D TV makers are providing this option as such conversion does not produce acceptable picture quality. Crisp 3D pictures can be achieved only when it is recorded at source using a 3D video camera.

Without converting 2D content, the availability of 3D content is limited. There is a lack of 3D home movies and video games being readied while 3D TV broadcast is still a long while away as costs are high.

To be expected, early adopters of home 3D will have to pay more, though the electronic companies have yet to reveal the exact prices.

With prices of a 40-inch LED TV at $1800, an equivalent size 3D LED TV is expected to start from $2000.

Buying extra pairs of 3D glassed will be costly as each pair will cost about $100. Consumers will also have to cough out more cash for new 3D capable Blu-ray players in order to view new 3D releases like Monster Vs Aliens. For instance, the Samsung BD-C6900 player is priced at $399. Regular players cost about $70 to $150 less.

If you own Sony’s Playstation 3 console, then you are in luck. It is the only Blu-ray player that can be upgraded to handle 3D content. The software update is expected in the next few months, to coincide with Sony’s launch of its 3D TVs.