3D occupies the unique position of being both the latest and the oldest technology in digital television. After short periods in the 1920s, 1950s and 1980s, it is set today to provide the next wave of both digital broadcast television and packaged media. Tools to help the standardisation and choice of 3D television are outlined. Today, only ‘plano-stereoscopic’ television systems are practical, but they are the first step in a 3D television evolution. This Letter suggests what the evolutionary path may be. Then a simple way to understand the inter-relationship between what the camera sees and what the viewer perceives for first-generation 3D is presented. Finally, a set of conditions that can be used for quality evaluation of first-generation 3D television is offered.