I chanced a visit to the King of Prussia mall today to check out Panasonic’s 3D TV information tour. The company is setting up demonstration stalls in malls in 14 cities across the country for the next two weeks. The one in the King of Prussia mall (outside Philadelphia) runs until December 5th.

So I thought I’d stop by to find out what the company was showing and telling visitors to one of the biggest shopping center in Pennsylvania. When I arrived around 9:30 AM there were few shoppers around, but the Panasonic staff, including Michelle Miranda and Jon Mulhey, guided me though the booth, which included four main information areas outside Macy’s.

At the first stop, armed with a set of 3D shades, I was shown examples of 3D still photos and home videos shot with Panasonic digital cameras and camcorders. The still images looked fantastic—just enough of the stereoscopic effect to add realism and depth, but not enough to make you dizzy. The videos shot with the camcorder were not quite as convincing. The 3D effect didn’t negatively impact the video, but it didn’t add much either.

Next we went to see Pandora—“Avatar” actually. Panasonic is making a big deal over the company’s exclusive distribution agreement for the 3D Blu-ray version of “Avatar”. The movie was showing on several plasmas, and visitors to the booth were reminded repeatedly of the Panasonic 3D bundle that would include a copy of the prize movie.

After “Avatar,” the next corner of the booth demonstrated 3D gaming. A Falcon Northwest Fragbox PC was hooked up and running “Need for Speed.” Of course, I crashed within 30 seconds, but it all looked great.

The last unique demo was a 3D clip of the US Open downloaded onto a DirecTV box and played in 720p. I had the tour guide flip between 2D and 3D a couple times, and it was clear the 3D version was a more engaging view. Some minor ghost imaging was apparent however. I didn’t notice any ghosting at all on the “Avatar” clips, so it may have originated with the source material.

The final stop on the circuit placed me in front of a 58-inch V25-series plasma showing “Avatar” again, this time with a surround sound home theater system to compliment. As you exit the tour, you’re encouraged to sign up (via a couple laptops) for a chance to win a Panasonic 3D system and handed an info sheet showing local retailers that carry the products.

The tour guides told me that people seem to be generally aware of 3D TV, though they have lot of misconceptions regarding the category. Being early on a Friday morning, I didn’t get to trail any visitors, but I did ask the Panasonic reps about the most common questions visitors ask: 

Can you watch regular [2D] TV on a 3D TV?
Of course you can. 3D is a feature of an otherwise excellent 2D television.

What’s available to watch?
Currently there are some video-on-demand programs, occasional sports specials and a few 3D Blu-ray moves, but much more is coming, and soon. By the end of this month there will be about 40 3D Blu-ray discs available, and gaming companies are busy developing a ton of 3D titles (the PS3 is also a 3D player with a firmware upgrade).

Is 3D only available on Blu-ray?
Nope. Broadcast, video-on-demand, video games … those are all ways you can (or will be able to) get 3D content.

Is it expensive?
Um, well, a little more expensive than a non-3D system, but with the holiday bundles now offered, you can find good deals.

Do I have to wear the glasses?
Yes. While there are some sans-glasses approaches being developed, I don’t expect them to make it into home TVs for several years.

If you plan to check it out, the full tour into is below:

Week 1: December 1-5
New York     Roosevelt Field—Garden City, NY
Philadelphia     King of Prussia Mall - King of Prussia, PA
Atlanta     Perimeter Mall – Atlanta, GA
Chicago     The Shops at North Bridge - Chicago, IL
Dallas     Stonebriar Centre – Frisco, TX
Los Angeles     Topanga – Canoga Park, CA
San Francisco     San Francisco Centre – San Francisco, CA

Week 2: December 8-12
Boston     South Shore Plaza – Braintree, MA
Washington, DC     Tysons Corner Center – McLean, VA
Miami     Miami International Mall – Miami, FL
Minneapolis     Mall of America – Bloomington, MN
Houston     The Galleria – Houston, TX
Phoenix     Chandler Fashion Center – Chandler, AZ
Seattle     Northgate Mall – Seattle, WA

Grant Clauser - Technology and Web Editor, Electronic House

Grant Clauser has been covering home electronics for more than 10 years with editorial roles in several consumer and trade magazines. He's done ISF-level damage to hundreds of reviewed products and has had audio training from Home Acoustics Alliance and Sencore. He's also the author of the book The Trouble with Rivers. Follow him on Twitter @geclauser.