IFA One of the most established names in home entertainment has announced plans to get behind 3D TV production.

Sir Howard Stringer, Chief Executive of Sony, has announced ahead of the IFA technology show in Berlin that the company will sell 3D TVs globally by the end of 2010.

The move is no great surprise as many of Sony's rivals, including Panasonic and Hyundai, have already begun producing 3D-capable TVs on a small scale.

Broadcaster Sky has unveiled plans to launch a 3D subscription-based channel next year.

However, what did come as a surprise was Stringer’s announcement that Sony’s Vaio laptops, Blu-ray Disc players and PlayStation 3 console would all be made compatible with the technology.

But it seems that, in the early days at least, Sony’s 3D buyers will be required to wear glasses for three-dimensional viewing.

Sony’s opted for active shutter specs, according to the Financial Times, which use rapidly opening and closing left- and right-eye shutters to help create the 3D effect.

It’s not yet known how large Sony’s first 3D TVs will be, or how much the screens could cost. But if Sony’s first OLED TV – the XEL-1 – is anything to go by, you’d better start saving now. ®