DirecTV to launch 3D channel in early 2010?

File this one under rumor for now, but HD Guru says it has heard that DirecTV could be have a big CES announcement this year: The availability of 3D programming by the end of the first quarter.  

The satellite company will reportedly announce a 3D HD channel, with movies, sports and TV shows beamed down to subscribers – with most existing set-top boxes able to handle the content with a firmware update.

The stickler here, though, is that no broadcast or cable network has begun filming its shows in 3D, which makes that “and TV shows” part a little hard to swallow.  And the number of folks who own a 3D HD set in the first three months of 2010 is going to be infinitesimally small.

 That said, plans are underway to film both the Winter Olympics and World Cup in 3D – so there could be some truth here. We’ll find out in a little over a week.