Having just been granted permission by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) to explore the feasibility of 3D television, ABC made the first experimental 3D TV broadcast in the United States on April 29, 1953.

It did so through its affiliate station KECA-TV, airing a sci-fi series called Space Patrol live in Los Angeles at the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters 31st annual gathering.

Unfortunately, 3D glasses were not prevalent at the time and, while the show aired, it appeared to be a blurry mess to those without glasses in these early days of television.

Since this first experiment, several attempts at 3D TV broadcasts have been made in the US, some unsuccessfully after much hype, on shows including Moonlighting, Third Rock from the Sun, Medium, and Shark Week programing.

3D televisions have highlighted Consumer Electronics Shows. Manufactures of such TVs, including LG, Phillips, Samsung, and Toshiba, have faced expected content standards holdups and slow consumer adoption rates. Companies within the components space, including Xilinx, have also targeted 3D TVs with their products.

In January 2013, the Consumer Electronics Association reported that 21% of US households owned at least one 3D-enabled TV set, but in the years since 3D TV has often been pronounced dead as TV makers move away from the idea. 3D found some success in movie theaters, but it never seemed to take off for home theaters due in part to a lack of content and expensive equipment.

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For more moments in tech history, see this blog. EDN strives to be historically accurate with these postings. Should you see an error, please notify us.

Editor’s note: This article was originally posted on April 29, 2013 and edited on April 29, 2019.