My big beef with in-home 3D TV is that you have to wear glasses to get the effect. My second biggest beef is that I still think 3D is kinda silly, but that’s a separate story. The problem with 3D glasses is twofold: First, wearing glasses to watch TV in your house is a pain. Second, it requires one pair of glasses for each person watching TV,  and the technologically superior “active” glasses can get pricey. So on top of the thousands of dollars you just plunked down for that fancy new 55-inch LED panel, you’re looking at several hundred more for glasses if you want to invite the Chess Club over for an evening of 3D viewing pleasure.

Nobody’s yet to figure out a reasonably-priced solution for “glasses free three D” on a living room-sized scale, but every CEO and his Mom says that’s coming over the next several years. Samsung this week took a step towards easing the pain of the financial burden of amassing an active glasses collection, however, when they slashed prices on their current line of electronic specs.

The estimated selling prices of Sammy’s lineup was cut across the board, with the entry level battery-operated model (SSG-3100GB) having been slashed from $129.99 to $49.99. Current Samsung 3D TVs come with two pairs of the 3100s gratis (and some even come with a crazy DreamWorks promotional bundle on top of that). So building your collection out to properly serve a family of four just got $160 cheaper, at least in terms of estimated prices. The rest of the line was cut between fifty and seventy bucks, with the top-of-range SSG-3700CR “Ultra-light rechargeable 3D Active glasses (prescription ready)” now slotting in at $149.99.

According to the company, Active 3D is worth the extra cash and hassle as compared to passive (battery-free) 3D.  Here’s why:

Samsung’s 3D Active Technology delivers a no-compromise 3D experience. Unlike other approaches to 3D, Active 3D Technology delivers 2x the resolution for an immersive, Full HD image (1080p picture) for each eye, a wider viewing angle and no black lines interfering with the picture.

Anyone out there taken the plunge and installed 3D in your home? If so, are you watching active or passive-style? And what’s the verdict on 3D TV in general, so far?