Most of the best TVs will be banned by the EU. Think again if you think that wouldn't have an effect on you.
The restriction on TV power consumption goes into effect in the 27 European nations that make up the EU on March 1, 2023. There won't be an 8K TV in the EU if nothing changes between now and then. At least one high- performance 4K QLED TV will be affected by the rule.
Most of the best TVs that you can buy today won't pass the new power efficiency restrictions and will be banned.
I was not impressed when I first heard of them. I realized that this issue isn't something we should just shrug our shoulders on. This move has huge implications, which I will detail soon, but how did we get here?
The EU developed an energy efficiency index several years ago. The commission looked at data from displays that were sold between 2012 and 2017. TV's that are 7 to 10 years old. The TV industry generally felt like the numbers the commission came up with were sound and fair and that meeting the efficiency standards was manageable. The TVs have met the standards for a long time.
8K TVs use more power than 4K TVs.
These efficiency standards were used for HD and 4K TVs. When the EU decided to update these standards a few months ago, they decided to apply the power efficiency standard for 4K TVs to both HD and 4K TVs.
There's a problem. Either someone in the governing body doesn't understand the fundamental science behind how TVs and displays work or they don't care 8K TVs consume more power than 4K TVs. Several 4K TVs consume enough power that they are no longer required to.
According to a report by FlatpanelsHD, it appears no 8K has an EEI low enough to pass the proposed standard. Some 65-inch 8K TVs are just over the line, while others will have to cut their EEI in half to pass. Current EEI numbers show that neither the S95B QD-OLED nor the A95K QD-OLED would pass.
8K TVs are not going over the line. There are many 8K TVs on the market that blow past the limit. There is no quick solution to this.
Chris Chinnock is the head of the 8K Association and wrote a paper on this topic. An 8K TV panel has four times the resolution of a 4K TV panel, according to him. Because of the way the panels work, it is more difficult to light up the small areas. Increasing the brightness of the TV's backlight system requires a lot more power because it is harder to pass light.
Because 8K TVs need far more power just to be as bright as 4K TVs, it would take a different type of panel to reduce power consumption. If it can happen at the right time, that can happen.
What can we do? TV makers might institute an EU picture mode, which is one idea that has been floating around. The EU rule only requires the TV to pass the efficiency standard in its default picture mode preset if it wants to use an SDR signal. The option to switch to a power-guzzlingly bright option is still available to owners. The TV's out-of-box picture quality would be unbearably dim.
It's likely to be disastrous, considering consumer behavior. Consumers buying a TV based on the picture quality they saw on a store display, getting it home, setting it up, and turning it on only to get a picture that looks nothing like what they saw at the store may think the TV is faulty.
The salesperson could warn their customers that they would need to go through a long list of instructions in order to make their TV look good. It has been my experience that getting new TV owners to change their picture settings is a challenge. I don't think an EU picture mode is a real solution.
The state of the art in 8K and 4K TVs isn't the problem. The EU's rules are being updated in an arbitrary manner. There needs to be a review and revision of this new standard. Sources close to the commission responsible for this standard don't want to revisit their decision. Does it not seem like it's childish?
Better ways to address electricity use on TVs are available.
I don't object to efforts to reduce energy consumption. I am a tree-loving, ardent composter and recycler who supports wind and solar energy and drives an electric car in the state of Oregon. TVs need to work as efficiently as possible. During an energy crisis, I want to see energy consumption go down.
Better ways to address electricity use on TVs are available. Users would be prompted to click a button on their remote every hour or so to confirm that they were actually watching the TV as opposed to having it run in the background or accidentally left on. Taking steps to prevent unnecessary waste of energy would be a better measure since users can set their TVs to be power hogs.
The EU's policy decisions have the ability to expand beyond its borders. What your next phone looks like and how it works will change as a result of the EU's recent decision to instituteusb-c as its charging port standard All of Apple's devices will no longer use the Lightning port in favor of theusb-c port in the near future.
The tail wags the dog. Carmakers don't make one model for Californians and another for the rest of the U.S.
Televisions sold in North America and beyond will likely apply to TVs made in Europe. The EU makes decisions that will affect what your TV looks like in the future.
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