4 Best Budget 3D TVs to Watch the Super Bowl On

By Louis DeNicola, Cheapism.com

For consumers interested in a 3D TV, the pool of choices is shrinking. Vizio, a favorite for its competitive pricing, revealed that it has abandoned the technology in its 2014 lineup. Panasonic will stop selling its critically beloved plasma TVs by March, removing still more 3D-capable TVs from the market. The trend is toward glasses-free 3D, which will take a while to trickle down to TVs around $1,000 or less. In the meantime, Cheapism.com has identified four of the best conventional 3D TVs in that price range.

Related: Best LCD TVs Under $500

The TVs featured here display images in 1080p high definition. They're smart TVs that feature built-in Wi-Fi for connecting to the Internet, allowing users to easily stream content from Netflix, YouTube, Pandora, and other sources. Most are LCD TVs that use energy-efficient LED backlighting. The exception is one of Panasonic's discontinued plasmas.

Related: Budget home theater buying guide

The Panasonic set also stands apart because it uses active 3D technology, as opposed to passive 3D, and requires battery-powered glasses. Passive models use cheaper, lighter 3D glasses like the pairs that movie theaters hand out. (CNET has more on the differences between the two types.)

Related: Cheap Blu-ray player recommendations

Industry experts blame a lack of content for the waning enthusiasm around 3D. ESPN shuttered its 3D channel last year, leaving only a few sources of 3D TV programming. Comcast's Xfinity 3D is free for subscribers and offers recently released movies. Some on-demand content from HBO and Starz is also available in 3D. But if you don't have access to 3D channels, you'll need a 3D Blu-ray player to get that extra dimension.

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