14 DAY TRIAL // 3D was the rave last year, and the previous one, but there were naysayers from the very beginning, and it does seem as though the naysayers were right this time. Nothing came of 3D TV after all.
Or at least 3D TV programming has met its end after the first trial run. ESPN, one of the first major programmers to embrace the format, has reached the conclusion that it's not worth pushing forward with 3D broadcasts.
ESPN spokesperson Katina Arnold said, on Twitter, that people just haven't shown all that much interest in the format.
Adoption among cable TV providers was mixed as well. AT&T cut off the snake's head early, in 2011 and, while Comcast, DirecTV, Verizon FiOS are still on the fence, they'll probably cut their losses soon too.
The difference between the costs of maintaining the 3D channel and the demand is just too high.
“ESPN 3D was great at home but due to low adoption of 3D to home, we are discontinuing to focus on other products for fans and affiliates,” Arnold said.
The folks at The Verge have managed to get an ESPN network spokesperson to say a few more words.
Basically, they regret having to discontinue the service, but they will definitely be keeping an eye out for when the waters change.
Should the public show renewed interest in the future, ESPN will try again. Maybe it will go with what it tried the first time (a three-dimensional broadcast of the FIFA World Cup's opening contest) or maybe it will try something else.
We suspect that 3D TVs without need for 3D glasses will have to become common among consumers for ESPN and other TV providers to launch 3D broadcasts again, and for carriers to relay them.
In the meantime, ESPN and others like it will try to see if 4K has better luck (UHD television, 3840 x 2160 pixels) or if something else worthwhile crops up.