Sony’s HX800 series of 3D TVs will be available for the start of this year’s World Cup, according to an official statement by the Japanese manufacturer. But will UK broadcasters secure access to 3D transmissions from the tournament in time?

April 15, 2010 — The big manufacturers are slowly getting their 3D TVs onto the consumer market. Recent announcements have suggested Samsung’s models will arrive this month, LG’s first will hit stores next month, and now that Sony will launch 3D TVs the month after that. That puts us in early June, just in time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, which kicks off on June 11 in the South African capital, Johannesburg.

And let’s not forget that the first match, along with 24 others during the tournament, will be recorded and broadcast in 3D. The problem, however, is that only two broadcasters (worldwide) have signed up for the content: ESPN in the US and Sogecable in Spain. Viewers in the UK will have to wait and see if Sky manages to get its hands on the 3D feeds; some reports have rated the chances of this as slim.

Sony’s KDL-46HX800 will go on sale in early June, just in time for the sporting event of the summer.

Depending on whether you’re a football fan or you’re in this purely for the 3D, such speculations might actually be of little interest to you. Football aside, some of Sony’s planned TVs will come bundled with a stack of 3D content to get users started — “Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs” and “Deep Sea” on 3D Blu-ray, for example. Anyone buying a Sony 3D TV will also get free access to four 3D PS3 games, which will be available to download via the PlayStation Network.

Viewers will then presumably have to wait until further 3D content becomes available. Sky plans to begin 3D broadcasts to private customers later this year, and a 3D Blu-ray release of “Avatar” is expected this November, for example.

For background information on 3D technology, check out our article 3D TV Explained. Or, to see what we thought of the technology in practice, try reading our review of Samsung’s first 3D TV for 2010, the UE 46 C 7000.