A short while back we wrote of a GreenTV logo that will be applied to some energy-saving LCDs, as part of an initiative by the LCD TV Association. I just tracked down Bruce Berkoff, the association chairman, who’s been busy traveling to evangelizing the program, and we had a chance to talk in more detail about it.

The GreenTV logo will first be applied to LCD TVs that have ambient backlight sensors, and can dim the backlight depending on the light level in the room. For example, a darkened room does not require as bright a screen as one in an illuminated room. The backlight can dim, thereby saving energy and easing eye fatigue that a overly bright monitor can cause. Berkoff says the initial GreenTV logo will require a TV with an ambient backlight to dim at least 30 percent. He expects that a couple of manufacturers will have TVs bearing the logo by the end of the year.

So why have a GreenTV logo, when there are other energy-efficiency markers such as Energy Star and individual manufacturer’s programs that identify eco-friendly products? Berkoff says the GreenTV logo is a way to identify those TVs with ambient light sensors. “I thought that was the easiest and cheapest way to save energy, because no one ever [adjusts] the brightness control,” he says. “The GreenTV logo is important to identify the ambient light sensor. It’s good for our health, good for our environment, good for our energy bills.”

That’s just the first phase of the GreenTV logo. Berkoff says that as the program progresses, it will likely identify LCD TVs with active backlights that dim portions of the screen that are showing dark areas, those with energy-efficient LED backlights, and those whose manufacture, packaging and distribution have a “green footprint” in using fewer materials and hazardous substances.

Steven Castle - Contributing Writer

Steven Castle is Electronic House's managing editor. he has been writing about consumer electronics, homes and energy efficiency topics for two decades. He is also the co-founder of GreenTech Advocates.