I mentioned in a previous post that Sony would be offering a starter kit with both parts of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. It looks like that product is live now on The Sony Store.

How good a deal is it to buy it in a bundle this this? Let’s break it down:

1) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ – Part 1 on Blu-ray Disc™ in 3D and 2D
2) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ – Part 2 on Blu-ray Disc™ in 3D and 2D
3) 2 pairs of rechargeable 3D Active Glasses (TDG-BR250) for Full HD 3D viewing
4) Digital vouchers to enjoy Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone™ and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets™ in full 1080p High Definition from the Video Unlimited service

Adding up the retail value of each,

1) Deathly Hallows Part 1 Blu-Ray is available at Best Buy for $22.99

2) Deathly Hallows Part 2 Blu-Ray is available at Best Buy for $22.99

3) One pair of TDG-BR250 glasses is available at Amazon for $53.37. So two pairs would equal $106.74

4) A digital rental of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is available at iTunes for $6.99. Same price for Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Tallying it all up, $22.99 + $22.99 + $106.74 + $6.99 + $6.99 = $166.70.

The price of the 3D Starter Kit on Sony.com is $179.99.

In other words, by buying it in a bundle, you’re paying $13.29 more! Come on, Sony.

I don’t see the bundle on retailers like Amazon or Best Buy yet, but hopefully once it’s released to them the actual price will shoot down. But until then, I’d recommend buying the Harry Potter 3D discs separately.

One other thing I found out is that while the Sony Active glasses here will work with the Playstation display, you’ll need to buy the special PlayStation 3D Glasses in order to experience SimulView.

So overall, the Starter Kit doesn’t exactly look like a deal right now. But I’ll post here if I see the price drop anywhere.