You'd be forgiven for not being aware which model was recently handed the title of "European Green TV 2010-2011" by the European Imaging & Sound Association. So allow me to fill you in: it was a 42" LED TV called the Econova. Or to give it it's full name, the Philips 42PFL6805 Econova Green LED TV.
So what? Surely, it's just another example of a manufacturer's cynical greenwashing. After all, everyone is claiming to be "eco" this and "eco" that these days. And what could possibly be "eco" about a 42" TV?!
Quite true, but Philips does seem to have gone the extra mile this time in turning out a product that attempts to address as many environmental concerns as it can. This TV uses just 40 watts in eco mode, less than an old incandescent lightbulb. When you consider that a similarly sized plasma TV can easily consume upwards of 300W, and a standard LCD equivalent TV somewhere in the region of 100W, then this is quite an advance when it comes to saving energy.
Here's how gadget blogger Dominic Fallows reported the news:
The set, which is built from recycled aluminium, consumes 60% less power and comes with a solar-powered remote control. The "Zero Power Switch" totally disconnects the device from the mains, consuming 0 watts of electricity when powered down. The extras have also been manufactured with conservation in mind. The base doubles as a wall-mount and there is no paper manual (instructions are only available online, although whether that's planet-saving or cost-saving is debatable.) Even the packaging is fully recyclable, while the TV itself is free from PVC, BFRs and other environmentally harmful components. The EISA judging panel said: "In its pursuit of energy efficiency, the Philips 42PFL6805 Econova Green LED TV consumes 40 watts in eco mode, an unprecedented low in power consumption."
Philips says it has managed to achieve this reduction in power consumption by "running the most efficient LEDs, running them optimally as well as using a very efficient light guide which distributes the lights efficiently across the TV with minimal light loss". It adds: "Another reason the power consumption is so low is because the TV has a very accurate light sensor, so depending on the light conditions in the room, the set can lower the brightness of the LEDs meaning they are always running at their optimal output further saving power."
It's probably worth stating that buried in the spec sheet (PDF) it says that the TV's "typical" power consumption is 58.1 watts, as opposed to the advertised "eco mode" figure of 40 watts. But that's still pretty impressive. So perhaps there is hope after all that all of the electronica we so ferociously consume can continue to be refined to help reduce the environmental burden?
But while such innovations are welcome on one level, there is still the concern that this only helps to normalise giant TVs in our homes. The cathode ray tubes of old were energy-hungry beasts, but we used to be content with watching much smaller screens just a decade or so ago. With e-waste such a growing problem, do the thin yet giant screens of today use fewer materials than those chunky CRTs we used to stare at? And what of the rebound effect? Do "eco" TVs just encourage some of us to leave sets on longer safe in the knowledge that they are consuming "less" power?
Such questions are probably worth asking across the whole spectrum of our increasingly super-sized lifestyles. But, if its price tag is anything to go by, don't expect to see the Econova gracing many living rooms too soon. Come November, when they go on sale in the UK, you will be expected to part with 1,199 of your hard-earned pounds to obtain one.
And one other thought: How does Econova's solar-powered remote control work when it's been stuffed down the back of the sofa?
