PriceSCAN has just released its latest 3D Blu-ray Player Index, and it’s a doozy.

The 3D BD Player Index is a composite of all models currently at retail, and the average price for those models has dropped by 26% in six months, with a 10.6% drop in just the past week.

PriceSCAN listed Sony’s BDP-S570 as a good example of aggressive discounting. This player, which required a firmware upgrade to support 3D playback, has fallen from a retail price of $250 to $170 since late February.

From my own experience, I was able to score Samsung’s BD-C6900 3D BD player for just $244 plus shipping from Amazon in early September. Its original list price was closer to $400 when unveiled shortly after CES.

These rapid drops in retail prices reflect the low level of enthusiasm for 3D TV that has been evidenced to date. In an earlier post, I referenced an NPD Group study that showed only 11% of respondents in a recent poll had any plans to buy a 3D TV in the near future, citing concerns about technology, cost issues, the lack of content, and the need to wear expensive, proprietary glasses.

Can prices on BD players and TVs drop low enough to overcome the other objections? Probably not, as the lack of content is still a big problem. There needs to be bucketloads of 3D content available to drive sales, and right now, we’re talking about glassfuls.

If you are thinking about taking the dive into 3D, you’d be best off sitting on your hands for a few more weeks. I have a feeling we’re going to see even deeper discounts on BD players and TVs, probably on the order of 30 – 40% by the time January rolls around.

Think I’m nuts? I just Googled retail prices for the BD-C6900, and it’s now down to $214 (plus shipping) at Amazon, Tiger Direct, PC Richard, Vann’s, and ABT.  (Buyer’s remorse alert – I bought one too soon!!)