BBC pulls plug on 3D, says people find it 'quite hassly'

BBC pulls plug on 3D, says people find it 'quite hassly'
Back in your box, you lot

The BBC is to 'suspend' 3D programming indefinitely as Joe Public has proven not too fussed about that extra televisual dimension.

Once the great white hope of the technology industry at large, 3D has fallen out of favour in recent months as people in general prove nonplussed by the whole thing.

The BBC's two-year 3D trial, which began in 2011, is coming to an end and has proven less than successful, with Kim Shillinglaw, BBC's head of 3D, saying that it has "not taken off".

Shillinglaw added that people find 3D "quite hassly", presumably in part because of the need for special eyewear, not to mention an expensive new television.

Over Christmas, only 5 per cent of the UK's 3D-enabled households bothered to check out the Queen's Speech in eye-popping 3D.

RIP 3D

It comes as no huge surprise - the signs have been pointing towards an apathy for 3D for some time.

Despite every tech maker and his dog rushing to shoehorn 3D into everything from TVs to phones, and big-name filmmakers like James Cameron throwing their weight (and money) behind the format, and despite an initial rush of interest, retailers, cinemas and broadcasters have reported dwindling uptake from the actual public.

It's not the first time the entertainment industry has taken a stab at 3D only to see it fall flat - 3D enjoyed its first 'golden age' in the '50s, making a comeback in the '60s, then again in the '80s…

Come on, guys. Get the message.

From BBC

News Editor (UK)

Former UK News Editor for TechRadar, it was a perpetual challenge among the TechRadar staff to send Kate (Twitter, Google+) a link to something interesting on the internet that she hasn't already seen. As TechRadar's News Editor (UK), she was constantly on the hunt for top news and intriguing stories to feed your gadget lust. Kate now enjoys life as a renowned music critic – her words can be found in the i Paper, Guardian, GQ, Metro, Evening Standard and Time Out, and she's also the author of 'Amy Winehouse', a biography of the soul star.