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Alongside announcing its second-generation 21:9 TV, Philips has also unveiled its latest range of 9000 TVs.

Alongside being 3D ready (Philips is adopting the external transmitter/glasses bundle approach for these screens) it boasts the new top-of-the-range Perfect Pixel HD processing engine, 400Hz technology, 1,792 LEDs in 224 segments for local dimming, ISF calibration and a claimed 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio and 0.5ms response time.

Danny Tack of Philips showed TechRadar a demo of the 9000 series TVs before IFA and compared the new flagship TV against rival models from Samsung, Sharp, LG and Sony (with the latter screen, an 803 model, only arriving at the factory the day before).

Interestingly, the demos were conducted with the screens' vivid/dynamic modes and frame rate enhancement tech activated. This is because vivid mode, according to Philips' research, is the one consumers prefer.

In a blind test alongside the brand's Natural and Movie modes, Vivid scored highest by some degree. Alarmingly for AV purists everywhere, Movie mode was last.

Halo free

The TVs include something called 'halo-free' Perfect Natural Motion technology. With all the screens running at their highest frame rate modes, he showed how haloing (which occurs when a fast-moving object crosses in front of a detailed background and the processing engine struggles to accurately create the detail in the artificial additional frames) blights all brands.

The 9000 was the least affected by artifacting, but it was still noticeable – halo-free doesn't quite live up to its name. Switch off Perfect Natural Motion, though, and the artifacting disappears. But then you get judder. The choice is yours.

With pricing to be announced, the 3D-ready Philips 9000 series of TVs will be out before the year is out.

It was inevitable that Philips was going to don the 3D specs at some point and given that its high-end flagship 21:9 is primed for cinema content, adding 3D technology to this high-end TV was pretty much a given.

So it comes as no surprise that this is just what Philips has done, announcing at IFA 2010 that it has gone 3D with its latest 58-inch version of the 21:9.

AV (and 3D) heaven does come at a price, though, and as we all know Philips has never been in the business of offering 'affordable' televisions, preferring to aim for the higher end of the market.

So before you look at the images below, beware the TV does come with a €4,000 price tag. Saying that, given this looks likely to rival even Samsung's brilliant 9000 series 3D TV (which currently has a £5,500 price) this may well be the TV preferred by those who have money to spend.

So, sit back, relax and scroll down to see the Philips Cinema 21:9 3D in its all its three-dimensional glory.

The new Philips Cinema 21:9 3D is three inches bigger than its predecessor, with the screen measuring in at 58 inches.

Philips has decided to forgo the glossy black for the TV's the bezel and has gone for a brushed matt finish.

The bezel is now thinner and uses a full array of locally dimmable LEDs to illuminate its panel.

We told you it was thin - and to add to this, Philips has given the panel a 400hz makeover.

This is the back of the TV - you probably won't get the best 3D viewing experience if you watch the 21:9 from this angle.

And, no, we have no idea why there is a scary android adorning the TV, either. Maybe Philips thought we would have all had our fill of pretty ladies by the time IFA 2010 had finished. Whatever reason, we recommend not staring Metal Mickey in the eyes as he may or may not be cursed.

UK release date for the 3D Cinema 21:9 is September, with pricing to be around the £3,500 mark.

Panasonic has shown off its latest Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Cinema Systems – the SC-BTT755 and the SCBT350.

The new Home Cinema systems bring a healthy dose of the latest 3D tech, and Panasonic is adamant that it brings 'lifelike sounds that make you feel like you are in a movie theatre'.

We're guessing the company doesn't mean the crunching of popcorn and the sounds of snogging from the back row.

Advanced image tech

"Both are equipped with advanced image technologies, like the PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus and Full HD Upsampling, that have proven hugely popular with Panasonic Blu-ray Disc players," explains Panasonic's release.

"These technologies reproduce the ultimate in 3D images, rendering them extremely faithful to the original movies. 3D movie features allow users to experience powerful, dynamic worlds that they have never before encountered, such as exciting leaping effects and enhanced depth, lustre and texture."

The speakers include Advanced Bamboo Cone technology and Kelton Subwoofer with virtual 7.1 channel surround and, of course, the setups support Viera cast.

"The stylish, slim speaker box of the SC-BTT755 suppresses unwanted acoustic reflections to achieve pure, high-quality sound," adds Panasonic.

Wall-mountable

Also shown off is the Full HD 3D Blu-ray Disc Home Cinema System SC-BFT800 – a Slim, Wall-Mountable System.

It features "advanced image technologies, like the PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus and Full HD upsampling".

Comedian David Mitchell has used his popular 'Soapbox' on YouTube to rail against the gimmickry of bad 3D, in bad 3D.

Mitchell is best known as the star of the genius Peep Show and The Mitchell and Webb look sketch show – both alongside Robert Webb.

Mitchell uses his soapbox to wax lyrical about a topic that annoys him, and this week's is 3D, filmed in anaglyphic 3D.

Gimmick

"I don't see the attraction of 3D, it's not just a gimmick, but a gimmick that detracts from the story when it's badly done," says Mitchell.

"And even when it's impressive, its very impressiveness yanks you out of the world that you are immersed in, as you stop to admire it."

In the first of a weekly series, Home Cinema Choice – part of the TechRadar network – takes a look at an upcoming Blu-ray disc which dazzles the audiovisual senses and reminds everyone why disc-based media is still alive and kicking.

This week, HCC took Robin Hood for a spin, the reboot of the titular myth directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crow.

HCC News Editor Anton Van Beek explains why the disc should be on every AV nut's list: "The Blu-ray boasts an astonishingly aggressive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack bursting with room-rattling bass and dynamic spatial effects.

"It's no slouch in the picture department either, delivering a crisp and intricately detailed image you'll be using as a showcase for your home cinema system."

"And Scott's commitment to always delivering the most-thorough package possible is once again demonstrated by an impressive collection of extras including a fascinating picture-in-picture viewing mode complete with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, plus an hour-long making-of documentary."

Disc-ussion

To show just why the Blu-ray impresses so much when it comes to picture quality, HCC has taken a number of screenshots from the disc and posted them online in all their AV glory.

The stills have been reproduced as they are seen on the disc, so the quality of the picture can be analysed.

The Robin Hood: Extended Director's Cut Blu-ray has a UK release date of 20 September and is priced at £24.99.

For more information on what Blu-rays a home cinema enthusiast should be spinning, check out http://hcc.techradar.com.

Samsung has announced the arrival of the 'world's first' portable Blu-ray player with 3D capabilities – the Samsung BD-C8000 – which offers 3D viewing but only when connected to a 3D TV.

The player does come with a 10.3-inch display, which means you can use it to watch Blu-ray stuff on the move and as it has Wi-Fi capabilities you can also take advantage of the apps on offer from Samsung Internet@TV service.

But you won't be able to use the 3D on the small screen. The 3D-capabile part comes when you connect the player up to a 3D Ready TV and watch the content on the big-screen through active shutter glasses.

Unfortunately UK readers will have to admire the C8000 from afar for the time being as it has only been introduced in the US.

With IFA 2010 right around the corner, though, we are expecting the device to get a UK release date soon.

THX has announced that it is to open up a 3D testing facility with BluFocus, which will analyse all aspects of the 3D production process.

It is the first 3D certification program of its kind, offering authoring and production guidelines for those shooting in 3D and testing procedures for evaluating 3D AV quality.

It will also look into 3D Blu-ray disc and player interoperability and what it is calling "the physiological effects of 3D on home viewers."

There has been a lot of talk about the effects of 3D in a small viewing space – ie, the living room – so it will be interesting to see what the THX-BluFocus findings will be.

Added dimension

Paulette Pantoja, CEO of BluFocus, said about the new program: "The added dimension of 3D brings with it more technical challenges than traditional 2D post-production and authoring, and requires more steps in the production chain.

"The certification process we are creating with THX will help refine 3D post-production and authoring and help content providers minimise technical flaws long before 3D content is broadcast, streamed or authored on optical disc."

Hopefully this means that we don't see a repeat of the awful Clash Of The Titans remake which was retro-fitted to 3D and is now seen as an example of 'how not to do 3D' in the industry.

With the DMP-BDT100, Panasonic has extended its 3D Blu-ray proposition down to the mass market. While the the brand's first player, the DMP-BDT300, was a highly-polished performance machine, this model not so much cuts corners as neatly bevels them.

Perhaps the first thing you need to know is that this player has been designed to work in an HDMI 1.4 environment. There's no secondary HDMI output or analogue audio bank to deliver lossless audio into legacy equipment.

It's been positioned at those who simply want to connect the player direct to a 3DTV; if buyers also hanker for lossless DTS-HD MA or Dolby TrueHD they'll need to spring for a new AV receiver with HDMI v1.4, or take advantage of an all-in-one system with ARC (Audio Return Channel).

The unit itself is smart enough. A fascia flap lowers to reveal an SD card slot and USB port. The latter can be used with Panasonic's DY-WL10 Wi-Fi adaptor (sold as an optional extra), if you don't want to use a wired network connection.

With its DLNA branding you might expect the BDT100 to smugly play all media across your network – but you'd be wrong. If you have one of this season's Panasonic Blu-ray recorders on your network, the BDT100 can access and play content from that machine. However it cannot play media across a network (even though it lets you browse to UPnP devices).

File playback only extends as far as an attached USB device. My standard assortment of AVIs and MKVs could all be played once moved to a USB flash drive.

Although supportive of BD-Live, the player has no internal memory onboard (so you'll have to provide your own).

In addition to BD-Live, the BDT100 can access the Blu-ray version of Viera Cast (it's worth noting that this does not have identical content to Viera Cast on TVs). Picking are relatively slim. Attractions includes YouTube, Bloomberg, Daily Motion, Weather and Picasa.

There's also a fair amount of German content (Tagesshau, Bild.de, Q-Tom), which may be of interest to Brunhilda, who lives down the road.

Performance-wise the BDT100 dazzles like Christine Brinkley's dental work. It may not deliver the same video performance as the BDT300 (measurable characteristics are quite different) but I would still regard video quality as excellent.

A combination of extreme sharpness and stability with nuanced colour ensures both 2D and 3D Blu-rays look pristine. Take a bow PHL Reference Chroma Processor Plus and Adaptive High Precision 4:4:4 signal processing!

The player is also surprisingly refined as a CD spinner. We measured audio jitter at just 313.8ps and the levels of the dedicated stereo output are matched within 10 millivolts; the BDT100 may not be audiophile-grade (dynamic range peaks at 91.7dB) but imaging is spacious and enjoyable.

Tweakers should investigate the 96kHz Re-Master modes (accessible from the handset) which subtly tailor frequency response.

The BDT100 represents an inevitable and welcome broadening of Panasonic's 3D player line-up – and both video and audio performance can be considered top-notch.

However I would still expect this player to struggle against its better-specified competition. The DLNA functionality is limited and online content available via Viera Cast lags behind that of online offerings from Samsung and Sony.

The Panasonic DMP-BDT100 UK release date is August and will cost around £250.

To learn more about the BDT100, head over to HomeCinemaChoice.com.

Denon has a announced the arrival of its DHT-1311XP AV receiver system, offering 5-channel sound and has been optimised for 3D.

Packed to the rafters with audiovisual niceties, the 1311XP has four HDMI 1.4 inputs (the tech that gives the receiver a 3D slant) and one HDMI 1.4 output.

Also included in the setup is a 5.1 speaker system which includes two-way front and centre speakers, two full-range surround speakers and a 100W 8-inch subwoofer.

Audio bully

As well as being 3D capable, the receiver has iPod connections, including a dock, which will take the information from your iPod and display it on the dock's screen.

Audio-wise, the system is compatible with pretty much all the major audio formats including Dolby TrueHD and DTSHD Master Audio.

The Denon DHT-1311XP UK release date is September, with the setup costing £449.99.

The head of Panasonic Europe says that the content shortage which has bedevilled the nascent 3D TV industry will only be short lived.

Speaking exclusively to TechRadar at the launch of the brand's first consumer 3D camcorder, the HDC-SDT750, CEO Laurent Abadie says that the 3D floodgates are about to open.

"This year you will see a lot more 3D movies released," he said.

"The movie industry is rushing after the success of James Cameron's Avatar and the gaming and broadcast industries are close behind."

Pornography adoption

And there is another industry which he says could have a dramatic effect on the 3D market: pornography.

"The adult industry will be very important for 3D," he predicts. "It's already a key player for the internet and Pay TV.

"I know that many in the porn business are rushing to produce 3D product.

"As much as 30 per cent of the business on the internet is porno. Whether we like it or not, it's important."

He goes on to say that adult studios are already placing orders for the brand's 18,000 euro AG-3DA1 pro-3D camera (last used in Europe to shoot games from the 2010 Roland Garros tennis tournament), and the new HDC-SDT750 is certain to be on their wishlist as well.

Exclusivity

The more legitimate side of the movie-making business has been slow to release content, preferring instead to sell exclusivity deals on 3D movies to hardware suppliers.

Samsung was the first to sign an exclusivity deal with Dreamworks for Monsters Vs aliens, and Panasonic followed by pocketing Coraline and Ice Age 3 from Fox.

Only Sony Pictures has placed a 3D movie into retail, with the 3D Blu-ray release of Cloudy with a chance of meatballs.

"This is always what is done with new technology, new media," says Abadie.

"This is just for the launch and it will not last long once we have a wider range of 3D Blu-rays.

"By the end of this year, we expect something like 40 3D Blu-ray titles to become available."

Cineworld is giving some of its customers the chance of watching 3D movies in a little more style, with the cinema chain selling Aviator style passive glasses.

From today, visitors to Crawley, Didsbury, Glasgow Renfrew, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Wandsworth Cineworld cinemas will be able to purchase 3D specs that aren't quite so reminiscent of the Blues Brothers.

And, people who already wear glasses will be delighted to know that clip-on versions are available as well.

£13 to stylish

The glasses will cost £13 or £4 for the clip ons, and will allow you to sit smugly in 3D cinemas mocking those poor bespectacled peers that haven't got your sartorial elegance.

Head of Cineworld Marketing Communications, Luke Roberts comments, "We're really excited to be the first cinema chain in the UK to offer our customers a trendy way of enjoying 3D films.

"For our more fashion focused customers, we hope that the 3D aviator glasses offer them an on-trend eye wear option at the cinema."

On-trend 3D eyeware – who'd a thunk it?

Samsung has shown off a range of high-end cinema components to partner with its flagship 9000 LED 3D TVs, with the THE 9 Series including a 7.1 home cinema package and a novel 3D Blu-ray player.

The Samsung 9000 series has wowed consumers with its ultra thin form-factor, and the company is keen to offer a range of good to match up to the television that don't spoil its mojo.

Home Cinema Choice has got a look at the prototypes for the THE 9 Series, and was told that the range was a completely new project.

"This is not an existing Samsung home theatre system with a high-grade cosmetic finish," marketing chief Russell Owens told HCC.

"THE 9 series is new from the ground up and is built from the finest components available. This is class leading home entertainment technology.

Unmatched

"This puts us in a position that no other consumer electronics company can match," he added.

"Only Samsung can produce cutting edge electronics with leading edge design in this way. Going forward THE 9 series will represent the best of the best."

The kit certainly looks the part, and you can see more exclusive photos over at HCC.techradar.com.

"The undeniably beautiful sound system comprises four tall boy speakers, a horizontal centre and two smaller height speakers," says HCC.

"The electronics, housed in the subwoofer, features Dolby Pro-Logic 11Z sound processing. The pedestal Blu-ray player loads discs in from a slot in the right hand side. "

Are you thinking of buying a 3D TV? "For God's sake, don't," says virtual reality expert Mark Pesce – and while TV manufacturers don't agree with his comments, they do warn buyers of potential problems.

Samsung's Australian website warns of numerous side effects including disorientation, headaches and motion sickness, and recommends you don't watch 3D TV if "you are in bad physical condition, need sleep or have been drinking alcohol".

In its manual for its Series 7 3D TV it also urges you not to let under-sixes watch any 3D whatsoever. It's not the TVs; it's the 3D.

Screenings of Avatar gave many cinemagoers headaches, with reports saying that up to 15 per cent of 3D moviegoers get sore heads. That's largely because 3D tells your eyes that they can look anywhere, but much of what's on-screen is blurred – so while the characters may be pinsharp, other foreground elements may be out of focus.

So is 3D actually bad for you? Do Samsung's warnings rule out watching 3D World Cup footage down the pub? According to Mark Pesce, the answer is yes.

Pesce helped invent the virtual reality language VRML and worked with Sega to develop a VR headset in the 1980s. The project was canned when it emerged that 3D messed with many people's heads.

With 3D films, he says, "You'll leave the theatre and your perception – your depth perception – will be screwed up. It'll snap back to normal [but] it'll take different times… some people will snap back immediately, some will snap back in an hour and so on."

It's all an illusion

Steven Nusinowitz, Professor of Ophthalmology at the Jules Stein Eye Institute, has echoed Pesce's comments. He explained to CNN: "The movie is telling you 'Hey, I'm moving around in this scene' but your vestibular system is telling you, 'I'm not moving anywhere'. That disconnect will make some people feel sick."

The problem, Pesce says, is that no matter how good a 3D system is, it's still an illusion. Your eyes are fooled into seeing a 3D scene on a 2D screen, and when it's over it takes a while for your eyes and your brain to return to normal.

"None of this has been thought through by any of the consumer electronics companies," he says. "If you're going to be using it night after night in your living room, it's probably quite unhealthy."

Despite its warnings, Samsung says there's nothing to worry about. "Samsung 3D TVs are safe," a spokesman told us flatly. "When used properly and advisories are followed, 3D functions should not pose adverse health or safety risks."

Samsung R&D chief Simon Lee is more forthcoming. "Each person's ability to recognise the 3D effect is slightly different," he says: around two per cent of us can't view 3D correctly, and small children are more likely to be in that group.

3D TV won't be much fun for them; unfortunately, the technology's too new for anyone to know what, if anything, it will do to the rest of us.

Pixar's latest 3D release, Toy Story 3, scooped record opening weekend box-office revenues of $109 million for the animation studio but a smaller proportion of punters saw it in 3D than they did Shrek Forever After, prompting fears that interest in 3D fatigue may be setting in.

According to BTIG Research analyst Richard Greenfield, 3D represented 60 per cent of revenues for Toy Story 3 whilst the figure was 70 per cent for Alice in Wonderland and 61 per cent for Shrek Forever After.

In addition Toy Story 3 revenue from IMAX 3D screenings declined two per cent compared with Alice and and three per cent against How to Train Your Dragon. It had however increased by one per cent compared with Shrek.

Novelty worn off?

Greenfield has said that the novelty of 3D has been surpassed by a more considered judgement about value for money with increasing numbers of families are weighing the value of spending money on premium priced 3D tickets against lower-priced 2D tickets.

The national US average for a 2D ticket was $7.50 in 2009, according to the National Association of Theatre Owners, whilst 3D prices are around $15 for a youth in New York City.

UK stats are currently unavailable.

"We believe movie exhibitors could generate higher box office results, especially on family films, by lowering the 3D ticket surcharges," said the analyst.

The analyst added that lower ticket prices would drive more people to 3D, and mitigate the risk of alienating consumers when they see a "bad" movie in the format, underscoring sentiment they wasted money on the premium ticket.

Disney CEO Bob Iger recently cautioned against flooding the market with 3D releases, insisting that 3D releases should be done strategically, and not as an afterthought.

Sony has launched a range of 3D-friendly home cinema systems capable of receiving and passing on 3D Blu-ray video signals.

Never mind the specs, one of the major irritations of 3D for many home cinema enthusiasts is that the HDMI inputs on their existing amps are unable to handle the 3D signal from a Blu-ray deck and pass it through to a 3D compatible screen.

It's good news, then that Sony new line-up comprises two surround sound/amplifier combis – the HT-AS5 and HT-AF5 – and the BDV-470SS, a complete system that adds a 3D Blu-ray player.

The implementation of a 3D pass-through means that the 3D signal from a Blu-ray deck can be fed to a 3D TV screen via the home cinema system, allowing the amplifier to decode the hi-res audio formats carried on most 3D Blu-rays.

Each system is powered by a 1,000W S-Master digital amp hidden in a compact subwoofer/control centre.

Other common features include Audio Return Channel, dual optical/single coaxial digital audio inputs, 7.1-channel LPCM compatibility, auto-calibration and Sony's Digital Cinema Sound processing.

Slim, compact speakers are used for front and rear channels, the HT-AS5 using the same speakers all round, while the HT-AF5 has tall floorstanding front left and right channels for a bigger sound.

The BDV-470SS all-in-one package combines a BDP-S470 3D Blu-ray Disc player with a HT-AS5 surround sound system. Additional features include DLNA multi-media networking and Sony's impressive BRAVIA Internet Video platform.

The HT-AS5 is available from Sony's online store for £400, the other two models have an impending UK release date, but prices have yet to be announced.

Believe it or not 3D movies have been around since the dawn of filmmaking, quite possibly dating back to 1895. We don't claim to have seen all of them here at 3D Radar but as fans of the format (and cinema nuts to boot) we've followed its journey from the lens to the living room more with the kind of focus normally reserved for a line judge at Wimbledon.

Of course, some 3D movies succeed more than others in their implementation of 3D effects but the hallmark of a truly successful film is how well it blends three dimensional trickery with an involving story. Simple we know, but if you've forked out for a small fortune for the privilege of maybe getting a headache you expect some kind of payback.

Here's our list of all-time top 3D movies:

1. House of Wax (1953)

The first full-colour 3D film from a major Hollywood studio, this glorious slice of horror stars the legendary Vincent Price as the disfigured sculptor behind a House of Wax museum who has a special process that ensures his are the most realistic waxworks imaginable.

The film not only pioneered many familiar 3D tricks (such as a paddleball coming out of the screen), but was directed by Andre de Toth - who was blind in one eye and couldn't actually see 3D effects!

2. Kiss Me Kate (1953)

Inspired by The Taming of the Shrew, this lavish MGM musical is a riot of colour and spectacle in the 'flat' 2D incarnation most viewers are familiar with these days, but in its original 3D form it was pretty much the Avatar of its day.

Not only does it feature great songs, great performances and making great use of the additional dimension during its musical sequences, it also probably features more spanking than any other 3D film ever made.

3. Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

Following the success of It Came from Outer Space the previous year, Universal Pictures submerged itself in the world of 3D once again in 1954 with this memorable creature-feature.

The presence of the gorgeous swimsuit-wearing Julia Adams rendered in 3D is one reason the film has endured so well, the other being that it's also a bloody good movie that'll keep you gripped from start to finish.

4. Dial M for Murder (1954)

Even Alfred Hitchcock tried his hand at 3D with this thriller about a retired tennis pro (Ray Milland) who wishes to have his wife (Grace Kelly) murdered.

Sadly for Hitch - and audiences, the film arrived just as the '50s 3D craze was on the wane, meaning that most cinemas only ended up showing the flat 2D version of the movie instead. Thankfully, the 3D version has appeared on revival tours since the early '80s allowing audiences a chance to catch the film as it was always meant to be seen.

5. Flesh for Frankenstein (1973)

Never before - or since come to think of it - have so many internal organs and bits of intestines been thrust out of the screen and into the audience's lap than in the wonderfully lurid Flesh for Frankenstein (aka Andy Warhol's Frankenstein).

Udo Kier stars as the mad professor trying to breed his newly created male and female monsters to create a race of supermen, only to discover that they have no interest in each other, with the male preferring the prof's wife!

6. Comin' at Ya! (1981)

Credited as the film that started the 3D boom of the early 1980s, Comin' at Ya! is the suitably in-your-face title for a low-budget spaghetti western homage that throws everything it can think of at the audience and in the process create a truly unique 3D movie experience.

The plot isn't up to much, but the 3D effects are fantastically mad mixing spilled beans and a baby's bare bottom with the expected bullets and fists thrown at the viewer's face.

7. Coraline (2009)

This super-creepy stop-motion animation from the director of The Nightmare Before Christmas is a masterclass in making a 3D movie. Every scene is designed and shot to make the most of the additional depth offered by stereoscopic filmmaking, giving it all a suitably warped theatrical feeling.

8. Avatar (2009)

Fifteen years in the making, writer/director James Cameron always claimed that his 3D sci-fi epic would be a cinematic game-changer. And you know what? He was right.

While the cutting-edge CG effects were impressive enough, it was Cameron's use of 3D as an immersive experience rather than a simple gimmick that really made Hollywood sit up and pay attention - well, that and the $2.7billion it raked in at the box office.

9. Toy Story 3 (2010)

Pixar's latest and arguably greatest computer-animated feature, this new sequel in the Toy Story series finds Woody, Buzz and the rest of the toys dumped in a day-care centre when their grown-up owner Andy heads off to college.

Every bit as moving and exciting as the previous instalments, it also makes excellent use of 3D technology to draw you into the toys' world and make you feel like you're sharing their adventures in person.

< class="pageBreak">And the 5 worst...>

1. A*P*E (1976)

Clearly made on the cheap to cash-in on Dino De Laurentiis' equally duff mega-budget remake of King Kong, this US/Korean 3D co-production features a man in a rather tatty looking monkey suit fighting a giant Great White shark, throwing a rubber snake at the audience, trampling around a model city and then kidnapping an American actress before being killed by the military. And if you're wondering, the acronym apparently stands for Attacking Primate Monster.

2. Amityville 3-D (1983)

The early '80s saw a new wave of 3D films, spearheaded in large part by a trio of high-profile
horror sequels – all of which were bloody awful.

But while Jaws 3D and Friday the 13th: Part III have the occasional saving grace (be it an exploding shark or machete between the legs), it's impossible to find a single good thing to say about this ill-conceived Amityville sequel whose poster, rather aptly, promised "In this movie you are the victim".

3. Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn (1983)

Low-budget exploitation specialist Charles 'Puppet Master' Band directed this lame sci-fi actioner following a space ranger in search of intergalactic criminal Jared-Syn.

While the 3D effects are occasionally pretty good, the story itself is a complete dud and the title makes no sense considering that (spoiler warning) Jared-Syn gets away at the end, making this categorically not his 'Destruction'.

4. Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)

When New Line Cinema decided to kill of its popular horror cash cow once and for all (yeah, right) the best it could come up with was an appallingly jokey send-off capped by a whopping 10 whole minutes of 3D.

The decision to implement the wearing of 3D specs into the film itself was fairly novel, but had little effect on many audiences who didn't realise that you weren't supposed to wear them throughout the entire film.

5. Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (2009)

What could possibly be worse than watching the inexplicably popular, Evangelical Christian pop-rock trio on the big screen?

How about having them jump out of it, thrusting their guitars and perfectly styled hair in your face while they leap about on stage, or ripping-off A Hard Day's Night as they flee from screaming fans after their virginity in some off-stage antics? Make it stop.