Less Is More with New Energy Star-Rated TVs

Sharps’ inch-thick Limited Edition LC-65XS1U-S uses energy-efficient LED backlighting and will be Energy Star–certified.

Tune in, turn on—and prepare to save some bucks when the new Energy Star requirements go into effect for TVs on November 1.

Want to save some energy around your house? How about buying a new TV? Yes, you can have an energy-efficient TV—at least one that’s more energy efficient than previous models. Some TV manufacturers claim to have cut the power consumption of certain models by more that 50 percent. And these sets can perform just as well—if not better—than comparable TVs.

TV makers have had some incentive. On November 1, new requirements go into effect for TVs bearing the Energy Star logo, which signifies that the set is more energy efficient than most other TVs available in the United States. At least that’s the intent.

In some cases, manufacturers are claiming that entire lines of their LCDs will meet the new Energy Star 3.0 specification. Some plasma TVs, which tend to use more power than LCDs, will make the cut as well.

Any TV manufactured on November 1 or after and that bears the Energy Star logo must meet specifications for both its “On Mode” state, depending largely on screen size, and “Standby Mode” (off) state, during which it must consume less than 1 watt of power. (TVs use power when they’re “off” to keep remote sensors activated.) Previously, Energy Star TVs only had to meet the standby power requirements.

While on, a 42-inch Energy Star–rated LCD or plasma HDTV must now come in at 208 watts or less, while a 50-inch model must use 318 watts or less. (Standard-definition TVs with 480i resolution must consume even less power.)

For many LCD makers, the goal was reasonable and reachable. In fact, Samsung claims all its present LCDs would meet the new spec regardless, so don’t look for many changes in its TVs.

But several innovations have shed a significant amount of power consumption by our beloved TVs. In both LCDs and plasmas, look for “home” viewing modes made available during the on-screen setup. Most TVs ship in vivid or “torch” mode to appear bright and colorful in retail stores and—believe it or not—many people never tone them down. Just taking a TV out of the vivid retail mode can save 20 percent or more in energy consumption.

Movie, sports and other modes may be a part of the “home mode” options. There are automated modes, too, that dim or brighten an LCD’s backlight depending on dark or light scenes in a movie, for example. Ambient light sensors, available on many LCDs and plasmas, can dim the panel based on the light levels of a room. For example, an LCD with an automated backlight will play brighter during a bright day and darker at night. That saves plenty of juice, and according to the LCD Association, it’s an easy way to cut energy costs. Philips’ 42-inch EcoTV, for example, has an ambient backlight that results in the set using just 90 to 120 watts at times, says the company.

Some TVs go way beyond just automatically adjusting for brightness. Toshiba’s AutoView feature on its higher-end Regza XV545 and XV535 Series ($1,400 to $2,800) adjusts brightness, color, color temperature and contrast. And Pioneer’s Elite line of Kuro plasmas analyzes content and room light, and makes over 40 picture adjustments, including color temperature, so a warmly lit room, for example, gets a warm picture for easier viewing.

Hot-looking sets from Sony, Sharp and LG even feature LED (light-emitting diodes) for backlighting. More than a thousand LEDs—in the cases of Sony and Sharp, red, green and blue LEDs—not only provide more efficient light and tend to last longer, but some of them can also be turned off completely, giving parts of an LCD picture better blacks than ever. This is called “local dimming.” A big drawback with fluorescent-lit LCDs is that the backlights never turn off completely during viewing, so some light always leaks through in dark scenes. By shutting off regions of the screen at certain times, energy is saved, and the blacks are deeper and better. LED TVs are a win-win, until you get to the $3,000 to $4,000 price tags. But be patient: LED costs will come down in the next couple of years.

As one industry expert put it, LEDs are the new 1080p. And speaking of 1080p, yes, many of these energy-efficient models have it, as well as the fast 120-Hz frame rate that eliminates motion blur in LCDs.

It’s been tougher to reduce the energy consumption in plasma TVs, but manufacturers are doing it—some with aplomb. Panasonic, for one, said it has reduced the thickness of the walls between plasma cells, in addition to using more phosphors, remixing the gas and optimizing the electronic driving circuits, thereby allowing for brighter pictures and making the units more efficient. Hitachi has taken a different tack: It’s equipped its plasma TVs with ambient light sensors.

Many TVs also have auto-off timers that will shut off the set after a warning if no channels have been changed or no commands have been made after three hours. This can be a huge energy saver.

Mitsubishi went in a different direction altogether with its LaserVue TV that’s due out this fall. It’s not LCD. It’s not plasma. It lights the screen via a laser shining on a DLP chip, and the company says because of that, its initial 65-inch model will consume less than 200 watts of electricity. The sets are still about 10 inches thick—and the cost is $6,999.

So there you have it. You can have a great TV. You can have 1080p, 120 Hz, cool stuff like LEDs, and lasers and even plasmas—and be more energy efficient.