Even at the IFA exhibition in September , it became known that the European Commission intends to introduce even more stringent energy efficiency requirements for TVs in March 2023 to replace those adopted at the beginning of this year. According to them, most OLED and LCD models from 55 inches were transferred to the latest energy efficiency class G.
At the same time, a special reduction factor was also applied to 8K models based on LCD technology and MicroLED devices, which further reduces power consumption requirements. Now the commission intends to abolish this coefficient, and tighten the requirements even more, and is not going to revise its decision, as DDay told the Italian edition.
The European Commission will introduce power consumption restrictions for the most advanced TVs
In September, these plans were interpreted by manufacturers and specialized publications as a de facto ban on 8K TVs, which made all the headlines. In fact, the decision of the European Commission does not endanger devices with a resolution of 8K, but in general all the most advanced TVs in terms of technology: models with FALD, MiniLED, MicroLED, regardless of resolution, and 8K OLED TVs.
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Their average power consumption is not a little, but 1.5-2 times higher than the new norms, which is not surprising: they are much brighter than the same 4K OLED TVs, which for the most part fit into these norms. For example, the 65-inch Samsung QN700B series and LG QNED99 series consume an average of 219 and 195 W with the new norm of 112 W, while the “organic” LG C2 and Sony A80K with the same diagonal size consume 97 and 96 W, respectively.
Some manufacturers, like Samsung, say they can fit their models into the new power consumption norms, albeit at some cost. However, this does not mean at all that they will have to switch to new technologies – at present, the regulations prescribe to take into account the power consumption in the “default” mode of the TV, that is, in the one with which it is produced from the factory, and this mode can be easily changed.
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Whether or not the European Commission will “notice” such a maneuver is difficult to predict today, but one thing can be said with certainty: the fight against “inefficient” devices in terms of consumption will continue. This means, at a minimum, that the brightness of TVs, if it grows, is much slower. And that the European Commission will definitely not stop at televisions, because there are still tube amplifiers, projectors, subwoofers and other energy-inefficient equipment.
