I don't know that 3D is a scam, at least as the word is usually defined, but I do think it's pretty pointless. The problem for me is that a great cinema or home theater experience should be about images and sound that allow you to meld into the the experience, rather than just "watching" a movie (or sporting event, or documentary, etc.). Instead, 3D is constantly distracting me from the experience, and I am paying more attention to what's on the screen than the story or event. It's the same problem I finally butted up against in my former pseudo-audiophile days -- I was spending more time listening to the equipment than the music. At least that was a problem I was able to solve easily.

But I also want to shed some light on the misplaced fascination with thin TVs. What is the real-world benefit if instead of the TV being 3 inches deep, it is 1 inch deep? Once it's on the pedestal or on the wall, no one is going to know the difference (apart from the sucker who bought it primarily based on its thickness, or lack thereof). Worse, with a smaller enclosure, there is a risk of heat build-up and a greater chance of long-term failure. Granted, the heat generated by the lighting elements in LCD or LED-lit flat panels is small, but it is not entirely inconsequential. When that heat has less space to dissipate, the electronics are at greater risk of premature failure.