I AM forced to look elsewhere for my entertainment fix once again.

This week, the US is screening a special 3-D episode of one of the best shows to come out in the last few years – Chuck. My affinity for the show's lead title character, a computer and comic book geek notwithstanding, this is also the first time that a major US network is giving out millions of 3-D glasses across the country, to do a special 3-D content extravaganza.

Alas, those crispy clear images will not been seen here. Despite having viewers pay a premium for the latest TV content, SingTel, which offers Chuck in its Season Pass demand TV service, will only be airing the 2-D version of the episode. Chances are when Channel 5 airs it, they will also focus on the regular version.

Unless something radical, like say, a special 3-D National Day Parade telecast, is planned and glasses are distributed to every household here, 3-D will remain a cinematic and occasional home DVD or Blu-Ray experience.

But honestly, it is not entirely SingTel's fault. Its explanation is that the studio provided them the non-3D version for use and I suspect that not too many people have the prerequisite 3-D glasses lying on their coffee table anyway, waiting for the occasional 3-D show to pop up on TV.

Unless of course, some brave local content provider decides to take a risk and offer 3-D content and glasses ahead of everyone else.

This all boils down to the fact that be it video games, movies, TV shows, gadgets or software, local content providers, be it the retailers or distributors, never see the need to differentiate themselves to consumers, and are happy pushing what is made available to them. 

I remember back in the 1990s when video games had few local distributors, and unless you wanted to be at the mercy of shops who charged an arm and a leg for the latest Japanese or American game, your only option was to get the game yourself, through friends traveling to those countries.

That changed in recent years, as stiff competition prompted companies like Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo to be supply more games here, with the market growing because of it.

Season Pass took a step in the right direction by offering the latest US TV shows to local viewers within a few days of their US broadcast. But the lack of the 3-D episode of Chuck means that viewers here are not really getting what they paid for. 

And in the case of other entertainment options, from technology like the first generation iPhone, DVDs and Blu-ray, consumers are still left to their own devices as local distributors have not learned that consumers are willing and able to pay for what they want.

When the local distributor did not launch music game Rock Band 2 here, parallel imports took over and are selling well despite the higher price tag. Just two years ago, Apple fans willingly paid over $1,200 for an iPhone shipped directly from the US. For movie fans, good luck finding the limited edition Blu-ray of The Dark Knight that comes with the Batpod model on sale here – you're better off shopping online.

For now, I have my 3-D glasses in hand and I'm trying to get my hands on the special 3-D episode of Chuck. But until local content providers can give me what I want, I think my money is better spent elsewhere.