The costly 3D TVs are not selling, the 3D movie tickets are being passed up for cheaper 2D ones, and the poor quality of most 3D film conversions have led to the overused fad dropping in appeal significantly.
The introduction of television crippled the movie industry for a while, and 3D movies was one gimmick that was invented to capture the curiosity of consumers and get them back in theaters.
Once the original 3D movie novelty wore off, the 3D film disappeared until decades later when the innovative 2009 film Avatar smashed box office records and became the highest grossing movie of all time.
With the gimmick revived, TV manufacturers saw a chance to slow the introduction of OLED TVs and push LCD TVs with 3D. The best part for them was the ugly, heavy, and expensive 3D glasses that consumers had to purchase so that the whole family could watch TV with an additional dimensional perspective.
Movies themselves, standardized releasing more costly 3D versions of nearly everything that came out, and with the recent flop of George Lucas’s Star Wars I 3D conversion, the death of the 3D fad seems to be nearing again.
In a floundering economy, worldwide, consumers are growing smarter out of necessity. Research is done, and spending the extra couple of grand for 3D TV sets that require bulbous hundred-dollar-plus goggles is just not happening. These are wisely passed up for beautiful screens that do not have the extraneous feature, but lack in nothing else (except heavier price tags).
At the same time, the avid movie goer likes to see as many of the flicks on the silver screen as they can afford, and spending two-to-five bucks less on a 2D movie that does not strain the eyes, like a superfluous 3D conversion does, allows for more movies to be seen, and saves money for eight dollar boxes of popcorn.
Avatar looked and felt great in 2D and in 3D, because it was filmed in 3D; it was not post-converted. When 3D is done well it is barely noticed, except when certain scenes are added an extra depth that bolsters realism. Most movies simply fuzz up their prints and make the audience feel annoyed or strained, as the effect is too taxing.
The annoying 3D glasses & inflated pricing will cause the gimmick to fade back into memory . . . at least until it is revived again.
