As the onslaught for 3D TVs in the home prepares to roll out, analysts are predicting consumes will quickly embrace the new technology.

Alfred Poor, an analyst with GigOM Pro, says there could be between 28 million and 46 million 3D-ready TVs in homes by 2013 – with up to 2.5 million selling in the next year alone.

It’s a pretty bold prediction. Right now, there’s only one set on the market and it’s prohibitively expensive at nearly $10,000. Panasonic, Sony and other manufacturers will roll out models next year, presumably at slightly lower prices, but beyond the price pain there are other hurdles they’ll need to convince consumers to clear.

3D HD sets still require users to wear special glasses. These not only add to the expense, but people typically feel a bit foolish wearing them – and some complain of headaches. They’re great if you’re sitting in a chair, but it remains to be seen if they’re as effective when you’re lying prone on a couch, beer in one hand and half-eaten bag of chips on your chest. And, unless you’ve got several extra pairs of the glasses , showing off the TV to a large group of friends will be nigh on impossible.

Of course, content providers – particularly the broadcast networks – haven’t signed on to promote the technology yet either. That’s likely to change within the next year or so, though. 

3-D films are actually making an impact at theaters. And 3-D television is ramping up for a big push in 2010 and beyond. So what’s next?

How about 3-D laptops?

Acer has unveiled the Aspire 5738DG, a new PC utilizing its new 3D CineReal technology – which is basically a coating that’s applied to the screen that converts 2-D images to 3D when users wear a pair of polarized glasses. It’s software dependent, meaning it doesn’t require nVidia’s 3-D graphics processor. It will also up-convert any existing media you run through the machine into 3D.

Whether Acer is aiming to capture a share of the gaming or media enthusiast market is still unclear. The company said in a press release that its CineReal Technology will help the PC evolve “from a working tool to a daily household appliance” – which might be something of an oversimplification.

For now, the system is only on sale in New Zealand, but carries the expected high price tag ($1,484). 

Just a few weeks after a successful opening for DreamWorks' "Monsters vs Aliens" helped establish digital 3D as the future of the big screen, it's taking a big step back on the small screen.

According to several reports (such as this one), Philips has killed its 3D Solutions division, which was making 3D televisions and monitors that don't require glasses.

The reason is perhaps the obvious one: In the midst of an economic downturn, getting people to invest in a new technology for their home is a nigh impossible task. Especially when many households still haven't even made the leap to high definition TV. Those that haven't probably aren't the tech savvy types ready to hop on board a new technology. And most of those that have probably bought their HDTV recently and aren't ready to spend thousands of dollars on a new television.

At the Consumer Electronics Show, 3D looked like the hottest new thing. Numerous manufacturers including Sony, Sharp, LG and Panasonic were showing off displays coming out in the next year, joining early ones from Philips, Mitsubishi and Samsung already on the market. That's a lot of companies, but there's only a tiny amount of product on the market. For one of the major players to pull out so early in the technology's lifecycle is a bad sign for its short- to medium-term adoption.

That's bad news for studios, which were hoping it wouldn't be too long until they could sell 3D-ready DVDs and blu-ray discs to consumers -- at a premium, no doubt, which could help revive flagging DVD industry revenue. Video game makers are starting to think the same thing, as with Ubisoft's upcoming adaptation of James Cameron's 3D film "Avatar."

But if Philips' move is any indication, it's going to be a long time until there's a 3D section on the shelves of Best Buy.