World () - Consumer interest in 3D television technology varies widely around the world, according to a new report from NPD DisplaySearch that found the technology has gained greater traction with Chinese consumer than their North American counterparts.
In addition to China, the research and consulting firm found Western European consumers appear to embrace the technology. By contrast, North American consumers seem to favor large, inexpensive TV sets with fewer features.
For the third quarter, NPD DisplaySearch found 3D penetration as a percentage of televisions shipped actually declined from the prior quarter in North America, while penetration rose in Europe and China.
"We were surprised to find that 3D appears to be a far more popular feature in China than North America, and the penetration rate was two times higher in the last quarter," said Paul Gray, the firm's director of TV electronics research.
Among other findings on the television electronics industry, NPD DisplaySearch noted that a critical mass of countries have now adopted or committed to second-generation digital broadcast technology, or DVB-T2, including Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
As a result, the firm expects shipments of DVB-T2-enabled sets to grow from 3.4 million in 2011 to 64.7 million in 2015.
"The decision by the Russian and Indian governments to move to T2 has given the industry a huge boost in confidence, and it will kick-start a virtuous cycle of rapid adoption and cost reduction," Gray said.