BBC Says Bye-Bye to 3D TV – Three Year Break as Service Fails to Take Off

BBC Says Bye-Bye to 3D TV – Three Year Break as Service Fails to Take Off

I don’t know about you, but I’m the type that pays absolutely no attention to the 3D TV sets they have on display in big electrical stores and the like. And that’s for the simple reason that when they first came out I did indeed have a good look at them, only to find that they were about 30% as impressive and exciting as I had expected.

Well, it seems I wasn’t the only one to think the same way as the folks at the BBC have today officially confirmed that they are exiting the 3D TV market for at least three years. That means that after they screen a delightful 3D romp featuring Doctor Who later this Christmas, there will be no more 3D TV shows made by the BBC until at least 2017.

And really, who’s actually going to miss them? Be honest – were you really happy for paying your TV license to fund expensive shows the likes of which 95% of the country was watching in 2D?

Of course you weren’t – and neither was I.

Mercifully, some bright spark at the BBC has realised that things don’t always transfer seamlessly from the big screen to the living room. Upon making the announcement, they admitted that although people seem to have really taken to 3D movies at the cinema, 3D TV sets for the home haven’t even got off the ground.

Which to be honest isn’t too much of a surprise – even the cheapest 3D sets are way pricier than standard TVs and those that buy these cheapest 3D TVs are usually pretty disappointed when they realise their DVD version of Jurassic Park 3D isn’t as exciting as it was in the cinema. And then come those glasses you have to wear which are annoying and uncomfortable. And easy to break. And expensive to replace.

And let’s not forget the subscription fees to most other 3D TV services.

There’s no denying that 3D TV is probably the future of the industry and may 

someday become a hit in the UK, but that day is not today and I personally don’t see it coming by 2017 either.

And just for the record – I still prefer 2D screenings of at least nine-out-of-ten movies…how about you?

By Lisa Morton

Lisa Morton is a freelance writer who specializes in tech blogging. She writes for several publications across the UK and in the US.  She is currently guest blogging in behalf of Consumer Check Point, an online technology news start-up that focuses on consumer needs.