Written by: Sara Roberts, Content Contributor, Just Eyewear

Toshiba’s first glasses-free 3D TV sets debuted in Asia to mixed reviews. Japanese consumers could purchase 12 and 20-inch models, which went on sale just before Christmas last year. With hefty price tags equivalent to around USD$1,500 for the smaller set and almost $3,000 for the larger, they didn’t turn out to be the big sellers Toshiba was hoping they would be.

It’s believed that consumers were reluctant to part with their hard-earned cash based on the sets’ small dimensions. Television displays of over 50 inches have become the norm for most home theatre system aficionados – a mere 20-inch display is a substantial step backwards. What’s more, many would-be consumers were disappointed that the images didn’t seem to burst off the screen the way they’d expected. 3D graphics are also best viewed by sitting just two feet away from the screen, so you won’t be gathering around a 20-inch set with the entire family to enjoy the latest 3D movie when you bring one of these home.

However, Toshiba announced this month that they plan to release a model over 40 inches wide to consumers in Europe and America before 2011 comes to a close. It’s expected that the set will come with a price tag in direct correlation to its size, although there is no official date for when it’s expected.

Meanwhile, Samsung recently debuted a huge 55-inch glasses-free TV set at a technology tradeshow in Shanghai, China. Unfortunately, it’s just a prototype, which is not expected to hit the market for at least another three years. The wait might be worth it, however, as those who viewed the demo were reportedly quite impressed with its features. Viewers will be able to sit in nine different spots to enjoy their glasses-free 3D experience, and the 3D images will be viewable while seated anywhere from eight to nearly 20 feet away from the screen.

So if you can’t wait and want to purchase a glasses-free 3D TV set this year, what will you be able to watch on it? Although relatively few movies are currently available in 3D, the Nintendo 3DS gaming system is now in stores. That could be fun, except there’s currently no supported way to hook Nintendo 3DS up to a TV set, 3D or otherwise. In the meantime, there are some 3D TV channels up and running, with DirecTV leading the way. They currently have four dedicated 3D channels, with programming that includes sports, movies, special events, nature programs and documentaries. It’s expected that by 2014 (right around the time that Samsung’s model should be hitting stores) there will be over 100 3D channels available at your fingertips.

Glasses-free 3D sets are able to switch between 2D and 3D, so if you flip through the handful of channels currently available and there’s “nothing on,” you can still enjoy your favorite programming while you wait for more 3D channels to begin broadcasting. It’s expected that glasses-free 3D TV will someday become the norm, and prices for these sets will fall the same way they are for HD sets now.