It’s now all but official: Panasonic has locked-up the exclusive rights to the Avatar 3D Blu-ray Disc until February 2012. The Avatar 3D Blu-ray Disc is currently only available as a bundled package with the Panasonic Viera 3D TV line. That exclusivity was originally rumored to last until the fall of 2011. Apparently not.
In a brief statement to enthusiast blog AVZombie, Panasonic said the following: “Just to confirm the Avatar bundle deal does run until Feb 2012.”
So there you go. All those current 3D TV owners who purchased a 3D TV hoping to see Avatar in 3D from the comfort of their sofa will have to wait at least 15 months to do so — unless they either buy another 3D TV (not likely) or happened to purchase one of the Panasonic Vieras. Which, by the way, have been rated very highly.
The other option, as far too many 3D Blu-ray enthusiasts have discovered, is to purchase the Avatar 3D Blu-ray from eBay, where opportunistic owners have decided that the profit potential outweighs the joy of watching Avatar in 3D at home. And it’s hard not to argue with that logic, considering the 3D Blu-ray Disc has sold for upwards of $300. For anyone not willing to pony up that kind of cash, though, the best option — if not the only one — is to wait until February 2012.
Heck, maybe there will even be an Avatar 2 trailer on the disc at that point.