Nov 20, 2009 5:00 pm US/Eastern
Green Scene: New TV Regulations In Calif.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
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The Panasonic TH-50PZ700U 1080p plasma TV has the best picture quality of any flat-panel TV we've tested, with very fine detail, rich colors and deep blacks.
ConsumerReports.org
Energy-wise, all TVs are not created equal.
The average plasma TV uses more than three times as much energy as an old cathode-ray tube set. But the state of California now plans to change that.
Is your new TV a power hog? Chances are it is.
"They are big, and they consume like a big appliance," said Brian Cooley of CNET.com.
"Ever walk in front of your flat screen plasma or LCD five, six inches away when it's been on for a few minutes? There's heat coming off of that."
This week, California state regulators voted unanimously for energy limits on TVs sold in California, the first in the nation. The new rules require all new televisions up to 58 inches to be more energy efficient, beginning in 2011. The requirement gets tougher in 2013. Only a quarter of all TVs currently on the market meet that standard.
Noah Horowitz of the Natural Resources Defense Council says the new requirements make financial sense.
"We could cut the state's electric bill by close to a billion dollars a year, avoid the need to build a large, 500 megawatt power plant," said Horowitz.
The giant Consumer Electronics Association is against the new California standard.
They say, energy-efficient TVs cost more, so electronics manufacturers will lose business in California because people will cross the border or go online to buy a TV.
The good news?
LED TVs, which are more energy efficient than tube TVs, are already making inroads.
Electronics seller Peter Straube said, "They are lighter. The picture is brighter. The color is more vivid. The contrast is better, so it's getting closer to what plasma is."
You might be wondering, why do TVs bigger than 58 inches get a pass?
It was a concession to businesses that install home theater systems. Only 3 percent of homes have TV's more than 58 inches.
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