The makings of an eco TV.

Just what is an eco TV? The phrase first appeared in 2008, brought to us by the fine folks at Philips to describe their 42PFL5603D LCD HDTV. In September, Vizio jumped aboard the eco TV train with an eco-friendly 32-inch LCD model, and I suspect we’ll be seeing even more models in years to come.

Are eco TVs truly different from “non-eco” TVs, or is this just marketing spin?  

The first and most obvious area in which eco TVs try to distinguish themselves is power consumption. In the case of the Vizio model, the company claims 45 percent less power consumption than a traditional 32-inch LCD, accomplished by reducing the number of fluorescent backlights from six to four.

I’ve yet to see the TV in action, but it would seem that removing backlights forces an overall reduction in light output with few options to improve brightness if needed; Vizio says that the use of a Brightness Enhancement Film in the LCD keeps the light output the same.

Philips’ approach is more versatile, employing several backlight adjustments that you can turn on or off as desired. The 42PFL5603D has a light sensor that can automatically reduce light output in a darker viewing environment—a feature that’s actually appearing in more LCDs and even some plasmas.

The Philips TV also uses a proprietary dimming technology that dynamically adjusts the backlight based on the content being shown, similar to an auto iris or self-adjusting lamp in a projector. In theory, this should also help the TV produce better blacks in dark scenes, but you might be able to see the adjustments, which can be distracting.

Finally, there’s a general power-saving mode that caps light output at a set level. Again, many HDTVs include energy-saving modes, some of which cap light output and some of which deal only with standby power consumption. The 42PFL5603D is ENERGY STAR–certified and consumes a very low 0.15 watts in standby mode.

The second parameter for an eco TV is a reduction of toxic chemicals. By their very design, fluorescent LCD backlights contain mercury, but both the Vizio and Philips model have reduced levels; Philips claims only “trace amounts” of mercury, while Vizio specifies mercury content under 1,000 parts per million. (Of course, we must point out that plasma TVs use no mercury at all.) Both models also reduce or eliminate the use of other hazardous materials, like lead and cadmium, in order to be ROHS-compliant and sold in the European Union.

The final element is packaging. With the Philips model, both the shipping materials and owner’s manual are made of recycled material. The Vizio Eco LCD uses a thinner, lighter shipping box that uses 100 percent recycled material for the cushioning, and “thinner paper with water-based printing materials” for the manual.

These seemingly small packaging changes should not be taken lightly, as they truly distinguish the eco TVs from other models on the market. Vizio and Philips have said the plan to incorporate these packaging changes into more TV lines, and we can only hope other manufacturers will follow suit.

Yes, with research, you can find TVs with smart power-saving options and reduced use of toxic chemicals, but Philips and Vizio have made your job a little easier. If nothing else, they’ve set some guidelines for what we should expect from future eco TVs.