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Is 3D dead? That’s the question being asked in the wake of news that ESPN plans to close its ESPN 3D cable channel by the end of the year due to low demand—so low that audience ratings were below Nielsen's measurable threshold, according to a StarTribune report.

Voices throughout the industry are questioning whether 3D will ever take off or remain as a little-used TV feature that will eventually wither away.

Shawn DuBravac, chief economist and senior director of research for the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), doesn’t see the home 3D experience disappearing quite yet.

“As with all new technology introductions, initial sales were slow,” he said. “Technology diffusion follows S-shaped adoption curves and it takes time for consumers to become aware of the technology and subsequently bring it into their homes. 3DTV wasn’t the motivating purchase factor for a large swath of consumers that many within the industry had hoped.”

At the same time consumers are buying 3DTVs, even if they don’t know it. The CEA reports that about 17 percent of all TVs sold this year will have 3D functionality and that U.S. factory unit sales of 3D-enabled TVs are expected to reach 5.7 million this year, a 39 percent increase over 2012 sales.

“3D now settles in among the host of features included in the latest TVs—and is a standard feature for all almost all high-end television sets purchased today,” DuBravac said. “This isn’t to say 3DTV will one day fully engulf all entertainment. 3DTV will make for a more rich entertainment experience in some situations, but probably not all. While pieces of the 3D ecosystem will likely continue to ebb and flow, the home 3D experience isn’t disappearing just yet.”

What’s your take on 3D? Do you watch movies at home in 3D? Do you watch ESPN 3D? Is your TV a passive or active system? Share your comments.