The firm notes that its forecast is a sharp decline from last year’s active 3D ratio — when 90 percent of U.K. homes with 3D-ready sets were active users. Informa believes the much higher proportion results from a majority of 3D content service customers being early adopters, as well as operators making content available for free to build scale.

“As 3D becomes a default technology embedded into more and more sets as standard, it will reach consumers who are not particularly interested in the technology and so the active percentage will fall,” the report said.

    Adam Thomas, a senior analyst for Informa and author of the “Global 3DTV Forecasts” report, said that consumer reaction to early 3D service promotions were less enthusiastic than U.K broadcast operators expected, especially for Sky, Virgin and the BBC. “Public reaction has been mixed — due to both a lack of content and a simple failure of the public to engage with what is, essentially, a new type of viewing experience.”

    While TV set manufacturers will most likely enjoy significant growth in 3DTV set penetration by 2016 — with one in three households in the U.K. owning a TV set — the scenario is much more difficult for operators that marketed 3D as the ‘next big thing’ and natural successor to HDTV. 

   “3D is now often marketed as just one of the set’s benefits — along with features such as Internet-connection capability and LED backlighting,” said Thomas. “3DTV is less of an enhancement and rather more a new type of viewing experience — one that many people will enjoy, but some way from becoming ubiquitous.”