Any relationship can be expensive, and my love affair with technology is no different.

For every life changing success like SKY TV and the CD, there’s an ITV Digital or 8-track cartridge on the flipside. News from the BBC this week means that 3D TV is likely to go the way of Betamax or the Sinclair C5 – to an early technology grave.

Our national broadcaster announced that its two-year trial of 3D broadcasting will end later this year, and it has no plans to continue showing live events or shows in the format. Around 1.5 million of us have purchased 3D capable TV sets across the UK, but who can honestly say they regularly used the function? I’m paid to write and talk about technology – and it was a year ago, when I tuned into the epic Olympic opening ceremony. This is a scene replicated across the country – with just five per cent of us with 3D TVs watching any of the shows made in 3D last Christmas – including the Queen’s Speech.

So, why has 3D failed? The technology itself worked, and delivered a sense of depth and perspective you wouldn’t get elsewhere – but it was the need to wear 3D glasses that stopped the concept from succeeding. Put simply, it just wasn’t worth the faff and hassle – you needed to find the 3D specs and make sure they were charged up – you couldn’t read a book or make a cup of tea with the 3D glasses on, as they caused havoc with everyday life. Unlike some other high profile tech failures, the collapse of 3D broadcasting does not mean that you’ll need to invest in a new TV set for many years – unless of course you like the sound of the next generation of viewing technology set to replace it as the BBC’s research project of choice.

The next big push is a format known as 4K or Ultra HD – there are a couple of TV sets available with this feature that cost north of £4,000, but there’s still no content available. Ultra HD offers four times the resolution currently classed as HD in the UK – and broadcasters are getting ready to switch it on in time for next year’s World Cup, where you’ll be able to see every plug of Wayne Rooney’s gloriously successful hair transplant. I wouldn’t get your wallet out just yet.