California appears poised to be first to ban power-guzzling big-screen TVs

[Chris_]

California appears poised to be first to ban power-guzzling big-screen TVs

Reporting from Sacramento - The influential lobby group Consumer Electronics Assn. is fighting what appears to be a losing battle to dissuade California regulators from passing the nation's first ban on energy-hungry big-screen televisions.

On Tuesday, executives and consultants for the Arlington, Va., trade group asked members of the California Energy Commission to instead let consumers use their wallets to decide whether they want to buy the most energy-saving new models of liquid-crystal display and plasma high-definition TVs.

"Voluntary efforts are succeeding without regulations," said Doug Johnson, the association's senior director for technology policy. Too much government interference could hamstring industry innovation and prove expensive to manufacturers and consumers, he warned.

But those pleas didn't appear to elicit much support from commissioners at a public hearing on the proposed rules that would set maximum energy-consumption standards for televisions to be phased in over two years beginning in January 2011. A vote could come as early as Nov. 4.

The association's views weren't shared by everyone in the TV business. Representatives of some TV makers, including top-seller Vizio Inc. of Irvine, said they would have little trouble complying with tighter state standards without substantially increasing prices.

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It's so good to see left coast legislators taking care of the really important stuff.
 

[thundley4]

I wonder who has ties to companies that produce LED TVs .

[RightCoast]

Great - outlaw the ONLY area where consumer spending is increasing...

[BEG]

We bought a cool Samsung LED TV that is less than 1 1/2" deep then returned it the next day because we decided not to put a TV in the living room.  California charged us a "disposal" fee (I believe it was $50) for the TV.  Stupid damn state.

[thundley4]

We bought a cool Samsung LED TV that is less than 1 1/2" deep then returned it the next day because we decided not to put a TV in the living room.  California charged us a "disposal" fee (I believe it was $50) for the TV.  Stupid damn state.

Huh?  Was it a fee that the state charged, or was it a "restocking" fee by the store?

[BEG]

Huh?  Was it a fee that the state charged, or was it a "restocking" fee by the store?

I knew I wasn't clear enough, it was a state "disposal" charge.  It was refunded when we returned the TV.  We bought our daughter who just turned 16 a small flat screen tv that was around $240 and the disposal fee they charged for that TV was $25.  Friggen rip off.  

[thundley4]

I knew I wasn't clear enough, it was a state "disposal" charge.  It was refunded when we returned the TV.  We bought our daughter who just turned 16 a small flat screen tv that was around $240 and the disposal fee they charged for that TV was $25.  Friggen rip off.  

Ah, I see. The state imposes a  fee when you buy it.

[Chris_]

I knew I wasn't clear enough, it was a state "disposal" charge.  It was refunded when we returned the TV.  We bought our daughter who just turned 16 a small flat screen tv that was around $240 and the disposal fee they charged for that TV was $25.  Friggen rip off.  

There was a time when they just called it what it was...a luxury tax.

[Deuce]

What's inside these things that they feel the need to make such a charge?

[Chris_]

What's inside these things that they feel the need to make such a charge?

All computers operate on smoke.  Smoke is what makes them run.  Don't believe me?  Just pour a cup of coffee over your CPU and let the smoke out.  With the smoke on the outside it won't work anymore.  You have to keep the smoke on the inside.

[Thor]

Plasma TVs are energy hogs, generating and dissipating a LOT of heat. LCDs are not so wasteful. For example, my 20" LCD monitor operates on 120 VAC, which is then rectified and reduced to 12 & 5 VDC. When you transform a higher voltage to a lower one, you gain a LOT of current. The monitor uses less current, so therefore uses less electricity  than that of a Plasma or conventional TV.

[AllosaursRus]

Plasma TVs are energy hogs, generating and dissipating a LOT of heat. LCDs are not so wasteful. For example, my 20" LCD monitor operates on 120 VAC, which is then rectified and reduced to 12 & 5 VDC. When you transform a higher voltage to a lower one, you gain a LOT of current. The monitor uses less current, so therefore uses less electricity  than that of a Plasma or conventional TV.

Yep! LED's are digital where as plasma tv's turn digital signals into analog high voltage. Lots of heat. They even tell you minimum distance from a wall. Takes like 400 volts, stepped up from 110 via a transformer (the main source of the heat) to control the "plasma". The same reason a regular CRT monitor emits so much heat.

The basic idea of a plasma display is to illuminate tiny, colored fluorescent lights to form an image. Each pixel is made up of three fluorescent lights -- a red light, a green light and a blue light. Just like a CRT television, the plasma display varies the intensities of the different lights to produce a full range of colors. In order for this reaction to take place, it takes voltage and lots of it. bolded comment is mine

ETA........ Although I doubt it is any more than a run of the mill 32" CRT tele. What are they going to do next, make you buy an LCD?

[Chris_]

......

ETA........ Although I doubt it is any more than a run of the mill 32" CRT tele. What are they going to do next, make you buy an LCD?

No, they'll just add taxes to everything else, and provided subsidies for "poor" folks to buy 50" LED TVs.